EMMA DEAN
BROKEN WOLF THE BLUE MOUNTAIN PACK SERIES
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2018 by Emma
Dean
ASIN: B07DJSJRVP
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, locations, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Other Books by Emma Dean About the Author
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
SHANE
Bonnie gasped when Shane slammed her against the door. The second he laid eyes on her – walking up to his Alpha’s front door like she owned the place – he’d known she would be his. Maybe it was the way she glared at him as she walked by, or the way her full lips pursed in annoyance when she’d slipped on the ice and he’d caught her.
She smelled fucking delicious and the way she moaned when he lifted her up and pushed inside of her, clutching onto his shoulders, made him growl with pleasure. Shane had to grit his teeth to keep from coming when she pulsed around him – they both were so close already. He thrust into her, grinding against her clit every time his hips hit hers.
Shane had hoped she would follow him up the stairs when he’d said goodnight after the pack’s barbecue. He was almost positive she was his mate because she drove him absolutely insane.
“Shane,” Bonnie gasped. The way she said his name made him groan.
“Is this what you wanted?” he asked, voice gruff with his need.
“Yes,” she moaned, barely managing to hold on.
Bonnie knew what she wanted and she took it without hesitation, riding him – meeting every thrust until he felt her shake and shiver –right on the verge of exploding.
Shane pulled up her sweater just enough to reveal her breasts in the fancy black lace bra. Without breaking his rhythm, he pulled the lace down and bent so he could suck on her exposed nipple. Bonnie moaned his name again, squeezing her legs around him so tightly he wondered if she would break him in half.
“Come for me,” he growled, urging her on by grinding against her.
Then she screamed and pulsed around him. Shane held her up and thrust in one last time, exploding with a roar. He stilled as she milked him until his knees were a bit shakier than he’d like.
Without a word Shane spun them around and he gently laid her down on the massive bed. He looked down at her for a moment and admired her rare beauty before he slipped out of her. It was almost torture to leave her, but he slipped off the condom and crossed the room to the bathroom. Shane tied it off and tossed it.
Damn this girl was trouble. Shane hadn’t intended to sleep with her so soon, not until he was sure she was his mate, but spending all day near her during the barbecue, and breathing her in, had messed with his judgement.
She had him riled up with all those touches and hungry looks until he’d been more wolf than man, drooling over a fine piece of meat – one that smelled like a meadow on the hottest day of summer with a hint of honey.
When Shane came back into the bedroom he paused a moment and stared at her through the dark room. The moonlight was just barely enough light to see her outline. “I need to sleep,” he told her.
Bonnie was a human, and an innocent one at that. His alpha’s mate’s best friend – one he’d known he should stay away from, but he couldn’t help himself. That smell of hers…but he hadn’t been able to scent the mate bond yet.
She knew nothing about the supernatural world and he’d prefer to keep it that way. If he slept next to her after they’d had sex…
Shane didn’t know what would happen. She might have just wanted a good fuck and that was it.
“You don’t have to leave,” she finally said. “I’m tired enough to go to sleep now if you want to join me.”
Without hesitation Shane crossed the room and slid into bed next to her. That was exactly what he’d wanted to hear. “You should get into something warm and comfortable,” he murmured, brushing her hair back. “The nights are cold here.” And humans were so vulnerable.
“What about you?”
Her question made him smile, knowing her human eyes couldn’t see it. “I don’t really get cold, but I’ll change if you’d prefer that.”
Bonnie laughed and sat up to strip off her shirt. “It’s weird to sleep in jeans, so yeah wear something comfortable and join me.”
Shane got up and went to the closet. He pulled out a pair of softlooking bottoms and Bonnie grabbed her pajamas from her suitcase. “You have clothes here?” she asked, padding to the bathroom to clean up.
It was awkward to explain to someone who knew nothing about his life or how the pack operated. He’d given Bonnie his room to stay in and he still wasn’t sure why. “This is usually my guestroom when I crash at the main house, so I keep a few things here,” Shane told her, keeping his voice neutral. He had no idea what she thought about the way the pack lived on the land Kai had purchased.
Bonnie disappeared into the bathroom and Shane watched the way her ass swayed. He had to bite his tongue as his dick got hard again. It had been a long time since he’d felt this way about anyone. Damn, she was gonna kill him. He changed into the sleep bottoms and waited for her to return.
Fuck, what if she slept on his side of the bed?
Shane ran his hand through his hair. Whatever, she could still pick which side she wanted. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Shane looked at the bed and fixed the sheets and the blankets. He could be polite and let her choose where she wanted to sleep. His OCD didn’t have to win this time. But if she chose his side…maybe she wasn’t his mate.
He fluffed the pillows violently, punching them into submission. This wasn’t a test. Whatever side she slept on wasn’t going to tell him if she was his mate. Only time and scent. He’d know for sure the moment he was able to smell the back of her neck without looking like a fucking creep.
“What in the hell are you doing in there, woman?” Shane asked. He couldn’t hide the irritation or impatience in his voice.
Bonnie laughed and stepped out of the bathroom. “This doesn’t just happen you know,” she said, waving from her face to her feet. “I have to wash my face and moisturize or I’ll look old before you know it.”
Her hair was up in a bun and her pajamas looked soft. Shane wanted to touch her face, but he stopped himself just in time. They didn’t know each other like that yet. “You must be really tired to think you could ever look old. Pick a side.” His voice was gruffer than he’d intended but she didn’t seem phased by it.
Shane supposed it was better than the way he’d snapped at her earlier for touching his carving knives…and somehow she was still into him.
Bonnie grabbed his hand and instantly he tensed. If she dragged him into bed he couldn’t figure out which side she wanted and then he’d be committed to a position. Shane pulled his hand out of hers and winced. He couldn’t stop the constant need to be in control.
“I’d rather you pick first,” he told her, gentling his voice this time. “You’re the guest here.”
Bonnie made a face she didn’t know he could see but flopped onto the bed, getting all tangled in the blankets while she tried to get into position. Shane slowly let out the breath he’d been holding when she settled on the left side. She rolled over and he slid in next to her, wrapping an arm around her stomach.
Shane nuzzled her neck with his nose, breathing her in. Then it hit him – that delicious scent of hers with a hint of something else –the bond. Bonnie was most definitely his mate. He tucked the blankets around them both and pulled her back into his chest.
The harpy was his.
CHAPTER TWO
BONNIE
When Bonnie woke up the next morning she was alone. She sat up and looked around, the down comforter like a cloud around her. There was no trace of Shane. Reaching over she grabbed her phone from the nightstand. Somehow she had full bars which surprised the shit out of her. They were out in the middle of nowhere. Even in Portland she couldn’t always get full bars.
Voices wafted up from downstairs and she recognized Amelia’s laugh. She’d never heard Amelia laugh as much as she had the day before during the barbecue where Bonnie had met her new boyfriend. And she’d known the girl for almost four years now.
The smell of bacon reached her nose and Bonnie realized she was starving.
She wondered if it would be awkward after the night before. Shane hadn’t really seemed like the cuddling type, but then he’d gone to sleep with her after their insanely hot sex. Bonnie couldn’t remember the last time she’d had sex that good.
But she also hadn’t expected to wake up alone. Maybe Shane thought it had been just a one-time thing.
Feeling uncomfortable and a bit chilly Bonnie slipped off the bed and padded toward her massive suitcase. Despite how it may seem
to others, Bonnie wasn’t interested in a one-night stand. The moment she laid eyes on Shane she’d known she wanted to go out with him.
Pulling up into the long driveway she’d been sure she was lost and then all of a sudden this huge, gorgeous man with blue eyes and an elk in the back of his truck appeared through the trees. Bonnie had been too focused on making sure Amelia was still alive and safe to really pay too much attention to him after parking.
Until she’d slipped on ice and made a total fool out of herself. Somehow he was right there to catch her. Bonnie had felt stupid enough she’d snapped at him before stalking up the stairs to the house. The man had serious muscles.
Bonnie knew despite their first encounter she’d end up smitten with him. His black hair and blue eyes were both just a shade darker than her own, but it was his serious demeanor that attracted her. Something in his past was still hurting and she wanted to help him –however stupid that may sound after only knowing him for a day.
And there were things…like how he was about the bed the night before. That boy had baggage, but of course it only made her want him more.
She changed as quickly as she could. Her favorite sexy sweater with the open, crisscrossed back was warm and soft. No doubt Shane would notice her in it. Then she wiggled into her tightest, fleece-lined jeans. It was cold as balls outside per her phone.
Bonnie hadn’t been expecting a millionaire playboy’s cabin out in the middle of nowhere when she’d agreed to come check on Amelia and Kai. And when Amelia had explained Kai owned twenty-five hundred acres of land outside La Grande, Oregon she thought… actually Bonnie didn’t know what she thought.
She didn’t know anyone who owned that much land except a few well off ranchers her parents used to be friends with. But it seemed like most of the land was occupied by forest and wildlife. She didn’t get what Kai wanted all of that for.
Hopefully the roads would be better and she could head back to Portland today. She had work tomorrow after all. It was strange how
easy it was to forget the rest of the world when surrounded by nothing but the wilderness.
Bonnie stepped into her Uggs and threw her hair up into a ponytail and did her makeup as quickly as she could, keeping it to nothing more than liner and mascara. She didn’t want to seem like she was trying too hard.
The whole situation here in La Grande was a bit weird. Apparently everyone she’d met the day before, including Shane, all had their own houses somewhere on the twenty-five hundred acres, but she hadn’t seen them yet. Bonnie still didn’t know how she felt about that.
Amelia had texted her the situation, and when she’d read the message Bonnie felt weird – it was almost creepy. All her warning bells were telling her to stay away from this weird-ass place – and from Shane. It felt too much like a commune.
Who else lived on the same property with so much flippin’ space? Then they were all mechanics too and happened to work for Kai? So weird.
Yet she’d gone after Shane like a dog with a bone. The second she’d laid eyes on him…Bonnie didn’t usually feel such a connection with people she’d never met before.
But the barbecue the day before had been fun and not commune-like at all. It had been relaxing after such a stressful week at Ravens Publishing. Though there was that weird moment when they’d heard a wolf howl. It had scared her, but Shane had put his body between her and the forest like he’d fight a rabid animal for her.
Bonnie shook her head and smiled. It was oddly romantic. It didn’t matter that they hardly knew each other…maybe Shane felt a strange connection with her too.
The chatter in the kitchen paused as she opened the door as quietly as she could, trying to get a feel for what was going on downstairs. Bonnie glanced at the watch her father had given her. It was still so early. Must be all that fresh mountain air.
Everyone here was so sensitive to every sound. Bonnie wondered what they’d even been talking about.
As she came down the stairs everyone turned to look up at her. Amelia grinned and got up from her seat at the counter. Kai watched her best friend with this look like he was completely head over heels – over the moon in love with her. But that was ridiculous. They’d only known each other for like, two weeks.
Then she spotted Shane at the griddle meticulously turning the bacon so it didn’t burn. He glanced at her and then quickly looked away.
Well, all right then.
Bonnie wouldn’t go talk to him yet. She’d wanted to give him a hug or something. He could have just been up early, but that was super rude. Shane was outright ignoring her after being a total sweetheart the night before.
It hurt more than she’d expected it to.
“How did you sleep?” Amelia asked, dragging her to the couch in the massive living room.
Bonnie let herself be pulled along. The mood the others had was definitely different than the day before and they watched Amelia like she was important to them. It really creeped Bonnie out even though she knew they were good people – or at least, she thought they were.
“I slept okay, I guess,” Bonnie replied. Everyone went back to their tasks, pretending like they weren’t listening. She tore her eyes from Shane’s back and inspected Amelia.
Something about her best friend was different.
Bonnie couldn’t say what exactly it was, but her skin was practically…glowing. “You’re not pregnant are you?” she whispered. They’d been besties for almost five years and Amelia had never wanted kids – going on and on about it, but if she was pregnant Bonnie would help her figure it out.
That’s what family was for.
Amelia grinned and shook her head. “No, but I am happy.”
Bonnie smiled, squashing the guilt she felt about doubting Kai, his friends, and his home down deep. Amelia had such a rough life and her friend deserved all the happiness in the world. It didn’t matter if Bonnie thought it was weird or not as long as everything
was kosher and no one planned to wear anyone else’s skin like creepy murderers in the woods.
“I’m glad you’re happy,” Bonnie said, widening her smile despite the sick feeling in her stomach. She glanced at Shane again. He was still staring at the bacon. Why was he ignoring her?
“I have something I need to tell you,” Amelia said quietly, taking Bonnie’s hand and squeezing it.
Her stomach dropped and Bonnie stared at Amelia like she’d grown two heads. The girl did not make physical contact willingly, and that she was doing it now? Something was very, very wrong. “What is it?” Bonnie asked, trying to keep her voice normal despite the panic she felt.
“I’ve decided to put in my two weeks’ notice at Ravens on Monday.”
Wait, what?
Amelia had worked her ass off at Ravens for years. Years She’d gone to school and interned at that place when she was still couchsurfing. And now she was suddenly quitting? It made absolutely no sense. She glanced at Kai and didn’t like the way he was openly watching them. There was something else going on, but she wanted to find out what it was first before she flipped out.
Bonnie glanced at Shane again and his shoulders hunched like he could feel the weight of her gaze. She flared her nostrils in annoyance and turned back to Amelia, making a colossal effort to keep the ‘bitch’ from her voice until she could get to the bottom of this. “Why are you leaving?”
Amelia let go of her hand and tugged on her red hair. Whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable and that made Bonnie angry. No one better be forcing her friend, her only family to do anythingshe didn’t want to do.
“I was hoping you’d leave with me actually,” Amelia said. “I’ve decided to do it, Bon. I’m going to open my own publishing company, but I want to do it with you like we’ve always talked about.”
Bonnie frowned. That wasn’t what she’d expected Amelia to say. “Why so sudden? This is a huge decision. If I can’t do this, what’s
your backup plan?” She’d always had the money to do this but had put it off for Amelia.
Amelia had constantly struggled for years and refused any help Bonnie had ever offered. The only way she’d been able to help her friend had been to put off the business venture for as long as possible. It could ruin Amelia if they failed.
And now she suddenly wanted to do this with only two weeks’ notice?
Then Amelia squared her shoulders. “Because I’m moving in with Kai at the end of those two weeks.”
CHAPTER THREE BONNIE
Amelia was moving in with Kai already?
Bonnie closed her eyes and sighed through her nose.
They’d been friends for almost five years now, and even though it took a while for them to really get close – Amelia was the only family Bonnie had left.
And learning about her had been like pulling teeth all four and a half of those years. But what she did know was that Amelia had a million crazy ass rules, and she never, ever got into a relationship. Bonnie had never really known or understood why except it probably had something to do with a real shitty experience, but if this happened when she dated?
No wonder the girl had so many rules.
They barely knew each other and Amelia was giving up everything for him? Bonnie refused to let her best friend just throw away her life after she’d watched her build it from nothing.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Bonnie told her bluntly. “You’ve known this guy for a week and yet you’re quitting your dream job to move out here at the drop of a hat? After you’ve busted your ass? No, just no. Pack your shit. I’m taking you home.”
Bonnie stood from the couch, utterly furious, and headed for the stairs. Amelia grabbed her hand to stop her and despite knowing she was stronger than Amelia, Bonnie couldn’t budge. She whirled around and yanked her hand back.
Amelia’s face was red and she rubbed her hands together. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“You didn’t,” she snapped.
What the hell was going on here? Was this some kind of cult thing? Had they already brainwashed Amelia?
The kitchen was dead silent as no one bothered to pretend they weren’t listening in anymore. The only sound in the house was the bacon grease popping.
Amelia stood from the couch slowly and wrapped her arms around herself. Bonnie felt like a total bitch, but this situation wasn’t okay. She’d been looking out for Amelia for a long time now and she should have listened to her instincts. Kai wasn’t wearing Amelia’s skin, but he was certainly fucking with her somehow.
“Let me explain,” Amelia said, scratching at her forearm, glancing at Kai as if for permission and that only pissed Bonnie off more.
“Sure, explain. But you don’t need that asshole’s permission to do shit.” Her perfectly manicured nail pointed at Kai accusingly and no one moved while Amelia fidgeted.
“While you were asleep last night, a wolf broke into the house and carried me off,” Amelia whispered.
Instantly Bonnie felt her anger dissipate and the sick feeling in her stomach only got worse as her best friend continued to explain.
“He bit me,” she said, pulling up the arm of her sweater. “Kai managed to get him off me, but it was too late. I was already one of them.”
Bonnie couldn’t tear her eyes from the silvery white scar on Amelia’s arm that had definitely never been there before. They went to the gym together almost every day. She would have seen it when they changed at some point. “What do you mean, ‘one of them’?” Bonnie asked, regretting the question before it even left her mouth.
“I mean a werewolf.” Amelia swallowed uncomfortably, but she held Bonnie’s eyes and didn’t even blink. “And Kai is my mate.”
Bonnie glanced at Kai again and the way he looked at her with awe and wonder…then the others in the pack were smiling proudly like…
The laugh burst out of her. It was hysterical and so far from amused it scared even her. “Werewolves? Amelia I knew you had a soft spot for the paranormal, but this is too much.” She whirled around and headed to the stairs.
Was this some weirdo fake-werewolf cult? Bonnie didn’t know how to explain the scar on Amelia’s arm though. Maybe she’d just missed it – which only made her feel worse.
Bonnie had spent a year in the psych ward. She should have seen the signs. How could she have missed them? Yeah, weird rules were borderline OCD but it had never gotten out of control or harmed her in any way so Bonnie had supported Amelia’s method of coping with whatever was in her past.
But this? This was a severe break with reality. It was borderline schizophrenic and that terrified her. Amelia needed to see someone right away. God, the people she’d seen in the ward with it…hopefully it wouldn’t be that bad.
Amelia was clearly sicker than she’d realized if she was so ready and willing to believe something so absurd. Bonnie would pack and leave. Take some time to think about the best way to get her friend to come back to reality. This wasn’t going to be easy.
A growl directly behind her set every hair on her body standing straight up. It wasn’t human or animal. Then suddenly Kai was there holding her against a wall and Bonnie hadn’t even realized he’d moved. He didn’t hurt her, but she definitely couldn’t get free.
Then his eyes turned silver. “I don’t appreciate the way you are hurting my mate. I agreed to let her tell you because she was convinced you would believe her. That you of all people would understand. You can leave, go home, and do whatever you want, but don’t think you’re going to come back here and steal her away.”
Oh shit…Bonnie could barely breathe as she took in the glowing eyes. Could this somehow possibly be real? Could her best friend somehow, maybe, be a wolf? Amelia’s cheeks were red when she slid her eyes to the small redhead.
That scar…
“I can’t leave now, Bonnie,” Amelia told her. “I have to stay with the pack and my mate. Now that we’re mated…Well, let’s just say I don’t want to know what it would be like to leave him. So I’m doing this publishing house with or without you. I’m listing my loft for sale and Kai is helping me move all my stuff out. He will be staying with me in Portland while I finish out my two weeks. I figure you can let me know by then if you’re interested or not.”
Amelia shrugged and Bonnie pushed Kai off. He let her this time. She studied her friend – the woman she’d considered family for a while now. This was not her. Amelia gave ultimatums left and right, but she never did anything suddenly and without researching it first.
And even though she’d seen Kai’s eyes change color…
She couldn’t accept this was a real thing. Her friend was now a fucking wolf? Get the fuck out of here with that shit. Amelia was probably brainwashed by this group of weirdos.
Then something occurred to her.
Bonnie looked at Shane. He had the audacity to glare at her with his arms crossed over his chest. That meant Shane thought he was a fucking werewolf.
These people really believed what they were saying. She’d known Shane had been a bit off, but this was just too much.
“I won’t say anything,” Bonnie agreed. “But I’m not staying here.”
Kai nodded and gave her some space.
“You the Alpha then?” she asked. Amelia had given her enough to read on the genre she knew what to ask. Whatever it took to figure out what the hell Amelia had gotten herself into. No matter what it took, Bonnie would get her out. She wouldn’t let her get taken in by a cult.
“I’m the Alpha of the Blue Mountain Pack,” Kai said. “Portland is my territory. You should be safe.”
Bonnie didn’t even bother responding. She went up the stairs and slammed the door to her room closed. She ignored the tears she felt pressing against her eyes and threw everything into her suitcase.
Good weather or not, she was leaving.
Dragging her luggage down the stairs she let it thump extra hard down each step. Everyone watched her go, but no one tried to stop her. Not even Amelia.
The sick feeling in her gut worsened and threatened to make her puke everywhere, but Bonnie muscled through the front door. The biting cold air didn’t faze the anger she could feel raging under her skin.
All this drama – tension. It didn’t matter, because she was only leaving so she could do research. She paused at the bottom of the stairs and glanced back at the gorgeous cabin the size of a mansion.
The other possibility was these people were sick. Some kind of mass hallucination? Maybe their water was poisoned? Bonnie didn’t care how much money it cost, she was going to hire a private investigator and figure out exactly what was going on.
At least the sky was clear and the sun was out. Her Land Rover would handle the snow just fine, she just didn’t like driving in it if she didn’t have to.
Someone took the suitcase from her and Bonnie was about to snap at whoever it was until Shane shouldered by with the massive thing. For a split second she could see the wolf in him – the feral beauty that was enhanced by every line and muscle.
Bonnie shook her head. It couldn’t be real. There was no way.
She glared at his retreating back and stomped after him. She unlocked the car and made her way carefully through the snow drifts. Arguing with Shane over the suitcase would be stupid and impractical, but it still pissed her off. Especially since it had been him and not Amelia who came after her.
Bonnie got into the driver’s seat and turned on the car, ignoring the hottie putting her suitcase in the back. Just because he was gorgeous didn’t mean he wasn’t crazy. She blasted the heat and slammed the car door. When he was finished she put the Rover in reverse.
He was standing right at her window. Bonnie screeched and clutched her chest. Holy shit he’d gotten there in the blink of an eye. How had he moved so goddamn fast?
Shane pointed down for her to open the window and her fear turned to anger.
“No!” she yelled through the closed window. She was still pissed at him for leaving her in the middle of the night even if he was part of a cult or whatever.
Shane sighed. “Bonnie, please. Just roll down the window so I can say good-bye without yelling.”
She huffed and crossed her arms. Bonnie wanted nothing to do with this madness. She didn’t want to deal with fake werewolves. Despite everything though, she wanted to hear what he had to say. Bonnie still felt that strange connection between them. The attraction to him was unreal and the idea of never talking to Shane again was insanely depressing.
Bonnie rolled down the window and glared at him. “What?”
“You should stay.”
“That’s it?” she scoffed. “After all that crap, thatis all you have to say to me? Why weren’t you there when I woke up?”
Shane looked away and studied the forest trees. “I had to answer my Alpha’s call. We dispatched the rogue wolf and afterwards…I wasn’t myself. So I ran through the forest until dawn. I didn’t want to hurt you being – like that.”
Bonnie could tell he was telling her the truth, but it wouldn’t sound like a lie if he truly believed what he was saying. Her heart went out to him. Maybe she could still help him when she came back for Amelia, but this was all way outside her paygrade.
“I’m still leaving,” she told him.
Shane turned back and studied her. Without a word he nodded and took a step back.
He was the most respectful asshole she’d ever come across and that made her fall for him a little bit more despite the shit-show the day had turned into. Bonnie didn’t know why, but she wanted to believe him – to believe Amelia.
It had to be something in the food or water.
Bonnie turned the car and drove down the long driveway back toward La Grande, and eventually Portland. This weekend certainly hadn’t ended the way she’d thought it would.
CHAPTER FOUR
SHANE
Shane watched the Land Rover power through the thick snow. Bonnie was angry. He could smell it on the air like lightning. It was better to let her cool off. Shane would have only made things worse by telling her she was his mate. He stared at the place where she’d disappeared for a long time.
Everything since the night before had been nothing but a fucking nightmare.
At least they’d gotten the savage wolf taken care of. But the deranged thing had managed to turn Amelia – denying Kai the right and the privilege of claiming her when they were ready. He could cover the bite with his own, but it wasn’t the same.
Shane refused to let anything like that happen to Bonnie.
She was just so human – weak and vulnerable. Now she knew about the supernatural world and she didn’t have the protection of a pack. No doubt she’d refuse to register. He hadn’t even bothered to ask.
Shane trudged to the barn and grabbed a shovel. At least he could be useful and shovel the drive after the despicable display the night before. When Kai had been injured and lying in the snow he’d
nearly challenged him. Thankfully Amelia was dominant and forced him off.
He still felt like shit it had happened at all.
His fucking wolf. The beast was violent and angry ever since the constant turmoil of Alpha challenges over the last decade. PTSD he was told. Kai had insisted he see a therapist after the first incident. It helped a little, but physically exhausting himself was more effective.
The snow flew as he shoveled. He slammed the shovel into the ground and flung it to the side with so much violent speed he was almost halfway down the driveway before he realized he had company. Shane stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow, eyeing his new female Alpha. She was quieter than a mouse when she wanted to be.
“What happened?” she asked, not quite looking at him.
Shane knew Amelia was an Alpha, but she wasn’t confident yet and it showed when she was human. He rolled his shoulders back to keep from snapping at her. His wolf wanted to challenge her for second place in the pack, but Shane wasn’t having it. “I asked her to stay. She said no.”
Amelia’s face fell and Shane hated how heartbroken she looked. “I really thought she’d be cool with it all,” she murmured.
Shane shrugged and went back to shoveling the snow. His shoulders were tight and the work felt good on his body. Bonnie being gone felt like someone had stabbed him through the chest with a needle. It wasn’t downright debilitating, but it was still painful.
He heard Kai come down from the house, but Shane ignored him. They’d taken a gamble and lost with Bonnie. But the night before – that had been on him. He’d fucked up and tried to challenge the one Alpha he respected.
Shane didn’t want to be Alpha and never had. But his wolf couldn’t figure out that they didn’t need to be the top dog to survive anymore after years of infighting, jostling for highest position.
His Alpha knew exactly what he was feeling too because he put his hand on Shane’s shoulder and instantly he felt more settled.
“Talk to me,” Kai demanded.
Shane cracked his neck and then glanced at Amelia. She probably wasn’t going to like this. He cleared his throat and looked back at Kai. “Bonnie is my mate. I wasn’t sure at first, but after…” Shane trailed off. Amelia already smelled like she was pissed and she didn’t need to know the details of his sex life.
“Is she really? Are you absolutely positive?” Amelia demanded.
Shane nodded and started shoveling the driveway again.
“We have a snow blower,” Kai told him. “It would be much faster. The driveway is almost two miles long.”
“I know.” Shane was the one who’d fucking bought the snow blower. He’d been in La Grande for his whole fucking life and Kai had barely been back for one year. Shane was the one who’d had to keep what was left of their pack together before they all scattered.
But what had he been doing before Kai came along? Working as a mechanic at a dusty shop that barely paid him enough to survive and living in a trailer that left him freezing during the winter even as a shifter. Shane should be grateful that Kai had come back to take care of things.
“I need to go to Portland with Amelia,” Kai said, tucking his mate into his side. “We will be there for two weeks. Amelia will talk to her. Bonnie doesn’t have to register with our pack, but it would keep her safer than she would be on her own.”
“Yeah,” Shane snarled, finally fed up. He threw the shovel onto the ground, away from both Alphas. “And now she’s vulnerable. Whose great fucking idea was that?”
Amelia flinched at his tone and Shane had to walk away even though Kai was growling at him. He hadn’t meant it like that but telling someone like Bonnie so suddenly when she had been on the defensive the moment she walked down the stairs hadn’t been the best idea.
And then not being there when she woke up had really bothered her, but Shane could have hurt her if he’d gone in after what had happened. It had triggered his nightmares again which had a fifty percent chance of making him shift in his sleep.
He refused to accidentally bite Bonnie and take that choice from her.
Shane turned back around and tilted his neck slightly, keeping his eyes down in submission to the only two people who ranked above him in the pack. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”
“See your therapist, Shane. Take some time to cool down and then come to Portland,” Kai told him. “Then you can help Amelia with Bonnie. The sooner you tell her about being mates, the better.”
Amelia nodded. “Bonnie doesn’t like it when people lie or hide things from her. It’s why I was so insistent on telling her the truth. Just…be good to her, okay? I know her being your mate changes everything, but don’t fucking forget she was my friend first.”
Shane snorted. “Yeah, yeah…you’ll rip me to pieces and all that.”
His Alpha female smiled at him and it was kind despite everything. “I don’t know you very well, but I trust Kai and he trusts you with the pack. Come to Portland and don’t fuck it up.”
Amelia gave Kai a kiss on the cheek and then went back into the house.
It was just him and his Alpha and Shane felt the need to explain all over again. “I’m sorry about last night.” He ran his hand through his hair and tried not to rip it out. “Fuck, it feels like I’m always apologizing for something.”
Kai crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the barn where some of their projects still waited for them. The night before had thrown off everyone’s schedule and Kai had closed the shop through Monday.
“Shane, I know I wasn’t here for everything that happened over the last ten years. I knew when you called me this wasn’t going to be easy and I almost didn’t beat the last Alpha, so all this…” he waved at the property. “Feels like a dream to you.”
He was right about that. The last Alpha and every single one before him hadn’t given a shit about the pack members other than as slaves. The fees to stay registered had been outrageous. Shane felt some of the tension in his body dissipate when Kai acknowledged his struggle.
“I also know you’ve been doing the best you can. You’re still seeing your therapist once a week, you do a phenomenal job at the shop, and your work is always perfect. I trust you to take care of things when I’m gone or when I can’t for whatever reason. Don’t doubt yourself okay? We’ll get there.”
Kai hugged him and Shane stiffened. Then he relaxed as he felt whatever soothing magic being Alpha gave Kai. To not have his pack leader beat him…it was strange not to live in constant violence.
“Yeah, okay,” Shane agreed. It was a good plan. “I’ll make an appointment with the therapist and then talk to Bonnie.” Christ, it would feel like forever to have to wait to see her. “How did you manage to hold back with Amelia?”
No one else in the pack had been mated yet. Kai was the only one who would possibly know what he was talking about. The pain in his chest was uncomfortable as hell and he’d only spent one day and part of a night with her.
Kai took a step back and shrugged. “I just knew that if I rushed things I could lose her forever. That would be worse than waiting.”
Shane nodded. That was for sure. “I’ll get the snow blower and then maybe I can see the therapist today.” It wasn’t just for his PTSD either. Shane had an obsessive compulsive disorder. Thankfully his wasn’t as bad as it could be. The support group he attended had others who had it way worse than him.
“Whatever you need man, but make sure you take care of yourself. We heal physically, but I pay a lot for our insurance for a reason. Shifter magic can heal the body, but not the mind.” Kai clapped him on the back and left him to it.
Shane went to get the snow blower out of the barn. He’d have to go over what he’d already done to make sure the line was perfect and right where the edges of the driveway were. Then he’d sweep and salt, make sure the salt was evenly spread…he sighed and pulled out his phone. He definitely needed to see his therapist today.
The stress of Bonnie’s departure was riding him hard and triggering every compulsion he had, but he wouldn’t let them take over his life. It would all work out like Kai said. Bonnie just needed some time to cool off.
CHAPTER FIVE
BONNIE
Bonnie hadn’t expected Amelia to be at Ravens Publishing on Monday after everything she’d said about quitting, but a small part of Bonnie hoped she would come to her senses and be there bright and early as usual.
She sighed and turned the page of the book she was currently editing.
It was difficult to focus when all she wanted to do was check her phone a thousand times, but no one had called her or texted. She and Amelia had been friends for years now and suddenly a guy comes along and she drops her?
That hurt.
Bonnie shook her head and set her pen down on the desk. That wasn’t fair. It wasn’t exactly a normal situation now was it? Amelia thought she was a werewolf. There wasn’t much about the ‘Blue Mountain Pack’ she could find on the internet. Not even a whisper. All she’d managed to dig up was legitimate records, deeds, and the business Kai owned.
On paper he was the most charming, community-driven guy.
But that wasn’t what she’d seen when she’d been there. Bonnie knew there was something else going on, but she just couldn’t figure
out what it was. There had to be some kind of drug or something in the water because even she had nearly believed there were werewolves when she was there.
Bonnie sighed and tugged on the end of her ponytail. This was not going to be a very productive workday.
She checked her watch and decided to just take the rest of the day off. It was nearly lunch and she wouldn’t be able to focus worth shit anyway. To appease her boss she’d take the manuscript home with her, but Bonnie needed her pajamas and some ice cream.
Then a flash of red hair went by her office. Bonnie’s stomach lurched and she leapt to her feet to go after Amelia. Bonnie was still mad and probably should avoid her, but she needed confirmation this was really happening. That she really did have to figure out what she was going to do at the end of two weeks, or lose her friend forever.
“Hey Bonnie,” Amelia said when Bonnie reached the next office over. She was wearing jeans and a sweater so she wasn’t planning on staying for the day, but she was checking emails at her desk and grabbing her latest manuscript. “I just put in my two weeks’ notice. How’ve you been?”
Bonnie wanted to yell and scream at Amelia but they were at work. It infuriated her she’d actually gone through with it and quit. “Are you actually going to be here for those two weeks?”
Amelia gave her a guilty look and it instantly made Bonnie want to turn and leave before she said something she couldn’t take back. Of course Amelia wouldn’t be. She might maul someone, however ridiculous that sounded.
Whatever they’d told her, it had convinced Amelia this was all real so thoroughly she thought she’d physically bite someone.
“No,” Amelia admitted. “I’m not going to be here. I will be in the city though and working from Kai’s townhome. I told them I was sick. It’ll take some time to get used to…this.” She waved at herself. “I don’t even feel cold anymore, and I’m hungry all the time.”
“I don’t care,” Bonnie finally snapped. “You’re leaving me here for a bunch of crazy people who think they’re werewolves. This isn’t healthy Amelia.”
Amelia reeled back as though she’d slapped her. “But they are real, Bon. How else do you explain this scar? And I’m not leaving you. I want you to come withme.”
The scar was a bit difficult to explain, but it could have been there before and she’d never noticed. Bonnie shook her head. No, there was no such thing as werewolves. Even if there was weird shit going on.
Bonnie knew she was being emotional, irrational, and maybe a little bit neurotic but she hurt. Everyone was always leaving her. First it was her parents and now Amelia? When was she going to learn not to get so invested?
“I’m not going to give up on everything I’ve worked for,” Bonnie told her. “And you shouldn’t either. You know I just bought that new place and you haven’t even seen it yet. This isn’t just about you dropping everything. Amelia…” Bonnie couldn’t even finish the sentence. It would be like talking to a wall anyway. So she turned and left Amelia to clean out her office alone.
Bonnie needed to get out of the building – out into the city where there was fresh air.
She grabbed her coat, purse, and the manuscript she’d been working on, and then she took the stairs to the ground floor.
This whole thing was just too much. How could her most logical friend fall for this?
She tried not to think of the new scar on Amelia’s arm and how it had gotten there.
The stairs sucked in her heels, but Bonnie refused to go back for her gym shoes. She just wanted to finalize everything for her move. The truck she was going to borrow had fallen through of course. So she’d just hired some movers. It would be easier since there was no one else to help her now.
As she stepped outside she was practically frozen to the bone. It was the coldest winter in forever, or that’s what the weather channel kept saying. Bonnie rushed to her car and turned it on. She should have remotely started the engine so the heater could run, but she’d been so flustered it had just slipped her mind. Now she had to pay the consequences.
Bonnie rubbed her chest as she waited for the car to warm up. Great, now all this shit was manifesting as physical pain. The ache was sharp enough it wasn’t easy to forget. Maybe she should go to the doctor and have it checked out if it didn’t go away in a day or two.
She held her hands up to the heater and then put the Land Rover in gear. Her new place wasn’t far. She wanted to check on it since she’d gotten the keys on Friday. The interior decorator was supposed to be there at five, maybe he could come early.
Signaling to get over she merged into traffic. The condo she’d purchased was nice and close enough to the publishing house she could walk. After all her Land Rover was a terrible gas guzzler. But it wasn’t just the distance to the publishing house. Bonnie pulled into the underground garage.
No, this condo was in the same building as Amelia’s. It was a few floors up and bigger, but Bonnie hadn’t thought she’d want to move any time soon. Now she felt conflicted, and mad. This whole thing was supposed to have been a surprise for her best friend, but it didn’t matter anymore.
Because Amelia was selling her loft.
She parked and then got out, checking her phone as she headed to the elevator. The moving guys had a key already and were loading everything into the truck at her other place. At least that’s what her neighbor’s text said. Thank god the old woman had agreed to help her out.
Bonnie didn’t have anyone else.
The doors opened onto her floor and she checked the numbers until she reached her condo. The key stuck at first and she had to jiggle it a bit, but then the door opened into a beautiful wide open space with tons of windows and natural lighting.
It was completely empty and Bonnie tried not to read too much into that.
Poor little rich girl.
That was the cliché wasn’t it? When her parents had died in that awful car accident, hit by a drunk driver in the rain…she’d been in her first year of college. Suddenly the ranch and everything her
parents had owned was hers, not to mention the very generous life insurance payout.
Bonnie hadn’t known what to do at first. It was a lot to take in and she thought she’d have more time to decide. Her parents were supposed to live long full lives and when they were ready to retire she would have had the time to fulfill her dreams and then she could take over the ranch or not.
It didn’t help she didn’t have any siblings. Bonnie was the sole inheritor and the ranch and everything that came with it had been too much to take care of…so she’d sold everything. She knew nothing about the business side of the ranch and how to keep the whole thing running. She’d sold the entire herd of cattle, and then the land which she still regretted doing. Her parents hadn’t owned twenty-five hundred acres, but it had been close.
There was just no way she could have kept up with all the expenses of the property and the herd while she lived in the city and finished her degree.
Bonnie texted the interior designer. Maybe she should just cancel until she knew what she wanted to do. Because no matter how mad and how worried she was about the cult thing…part of her wanted to say fuck it and join Amelia’s venture. Maybe she could keep an eye out for her friend and help her.
Werewolves though…she shook her head. It was just too weird.
It wasn’t like she couldn’t afford to never work again if she didn’t want to, but Bonnie had never lived like she was rich. Her parents hadn’t either. She never wanted to live off it like other rich kids she knew with rancher parents who got everything they ever desired. Bonnie had saved it for retirement and things like school and a place to live, that kind of thing.
The only reason she’d told Amelia no when her friend had first suggested opening their own publishing company was because she didn’t want Amelia to throw everything she’d worked so hard for away on a gamble. Bonnie knew a little about what had happened to her, and stability was important.
Bonnie could afford not succeeding in the business venture, Amelia couldn’t.
Well, maybe now she could. She didn’t know Kai’s financial situation but a man didn’t just own twenty-five hundred acres of land, a business, and whatever else without being successful.
She ran her hand along the marble counter-top and sighed. She should just cancel the decorator until she could figure out what the hell she was feeling other than disappointment and anger.
This whole thing reminded her too much of when her parents had died. That had left her feeling adrift and lonely as well.
Her phone chimed with the text from the decorator. He couldn’t get there early, but he would make it up to her.
Whatever, it didn’t matter anyway. Bonnie turned and left, slamming her door closed before locking it. She could make sure the movers were doing their jobs at her old condo and not rifling through her underwear.
This time she took the stairs since she wasn’t going to go to the gym. It would be too weird to go without Amelia after two years of going together every single day. She’d just be careful about what she ate. It would be fine.
“Bonnie?”
She stopped just below the ground floor and looked up. Shane was peering down at her from Amelia’s landing. “What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded. “Are you stalking me?”
“I just…smelled you,” he said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m grabbing some paperwork for Amelia. Why are youhere?”
The audacity this guy had. “This is where my fucking condo is, not like anyone cared to ask.” Bonnie stomped down the last flight of stairs harder than necessary, making as much noise as possible just to be annoying. But it wasn’t fast and he’d caught up to her by the time she reached the garage.
“Bonnie…please talk to me.” Shane reached out for her and then stopped before he touched her.
She hated how much it disappointed her that he’d pulled back. This is what she wanted after all, for him to leave her alone.
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” she told him. But still, she didn’t move. As she stared at Shane in the stairwell of the parking
garage – the most unromantic place in the universe – she realized that deep, agonizing ache in her chest was gone.
She didn’t know what that meant exactly, but it made her nervous.
“Okay, fair enough,” Shane said. “But if you have some time I’d like to maybe explain my side of things. Then we can go our separate ways. Would you like to take a walk with me?” She watched him rub his thumb over his pointer finger over and over.
He must be really nervous.
Would it be so bad to take a walk with the hottest guy she’d ever seen or been with? Bonnie was positive he was crazy, but he was the most normal crazy person she’d ever met. And there was still a part of her that wasn’t ready to walk away from him. That part of her was a thirsty bitch.
He was also going to volunteer information about himself. Shane wasn’t going to just walk away. That was…endearing.
“Fine, but let me change my shoes,” she told him. It would be a good idea to get as much information from him as she possibly could. Then she’d know what she was really up against. Bonnie turned and let her ponytail practically whip him in the face. He deserved it anyway.
Shane stayed silent but he followed her to her Land Rover and watched as she opened up the back. There was a suitcase of extra shoes and clothes she liked to keep in there along with her emergency kit and blanket. After living on a ranch most of her life she knew how to handle almost any situation. Her first aid kit was no joke.
It was a bit strange to sit down and slip off her heels while she put on socks and hiking boots, trying to ignore how weird they looked with her pantsuit. They’d keep her warmer than the running shoes would. Bonnie never knew when she’d get the urge to just leave Portland and run or hike.
Sometimes she just couldn’t take the city anymore. If she were honest with herself, she missed the wide open space she’d grown up with – the same kind of openness she’d seen on Kai’s property.
Strangely Shane didn’t ask about any of her stuff, but he did keep rubbing his thumb over his pointer finger while he watched her. He seemed less antsy than he had when she saw him last. “Are you feeling better?” she asked, tying the laces on her boots.
“I am. I saw my therapist. He helped me.” Shane looked away when he said the words – like he was ashamed.
Bonnie finished with her boots and studied him for a moment. She never would have guessed he’d be so honest after she’d woken up and found out he’d left sometime before dawn. It wasn’t normal ‘guy’ behavior. But she supposed he wasn’t normal. Even when she first met him he was weird about things.
And he had a therapist. She wondered what the doctor thought about the werewolf thing or if Shane kept that a secret.
“Do you have OCD?” she asked. The signs were there, but it was pretty mild from what she could tell.
Shane nodded and his thumb rubbed his pointer finger faster.
“At first I thought Amelia had OCD,” Bonnie admitted. “She had so many rules for everything…but it’s just a coping mechanism – err, it was. Anything I should know about?” she asked. Bonnie was familiar with a lot of different kinds of disorders thanks to her years as a teenager and her own time in the psych ward.
Shane narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say anything.
“I’m only asking because I don’t want to accidentally trigger you. Can I touch you without issue?”
He smiled at that question and Bonnie blushed which annoyed her. She didn’t mean like that.
“What do you know about it?” he asked.
She shrugged and hopped out of the car, careful not to accidentally touch him. Now she felt bad for practically throwing herself on him at the barbecue. Bonnie hadn’t really noticed anything off other than he didn’t want her touching his knives, but she’d just thought that was a machismo moment.
“Let’s go on this walk and you can say everything you wanted to say, and then maybe I’ll tell you.”
Shane quit rubbing his finger and slipped his hand in his pocket. He breathed in deep and she knew on some weird level he was
probably smelling her. “All right, lead the way, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Bonnie grabbed her gloves, scarf, and purse from the front seat and walked towards the exit. She wasn’t quite sure why she felt so nervous suddenly, but she was damned if she’d pass up an opportunity for more information.
CHAPTER SIX
BONNIE
Shane followed her without question. The Lan Su Chinese Garden was close and so was the river. It was one of the biggest reasons Bonnie had wanted to move to that building. The condo was in a great area even if it was expensive. Bonnie wrapped her scarf around her neck tight and walked down the street towards the gardens.
What exactly did she even want to know from Shane? It would probably be more enlightening to have him start without her prompting him. Bonnie wanted to know what he’d planned to say anyways. Then she could ask her questions.
Shane kept pace with her easily. The way his eyes darted everywhere though made her nervous. It was like he expected something to go wrong at any moment.
“I’ve been in La Grande my whole life,” Shane finally said. “The Blue Mountain Pack took in Kai when he was a kid and we grew up together. When he graduated early he went off to trade school and then decided to travel. He de-registered with our pack so he didn’t have to request permission to enter anyone else’s territory. We have to get something like a passport that states our intentions to other packs, that kind of thing. It keeps things from getting out of hand.”
