Vivian Arend - Black Gold

Shaun lifted her chin and kissed her again, the deep layers of having a mate settling around him and filling him with contentment. She was there for him, she encouraged him. Didn’t seem to mind his rough edges.

Enjoyed spending time with him in the outdoors—he was in wolf heaven.

The kissing got a little rougher as she grabbed him by the jean pockets and tugged him closer. Just as it got real interesting, there was a knock on the door.

“Go away,” Gem growled.

Shaun laughed. “Gem, this is Evan’s office.”

She rested her forehead on his chest. “Shoot. Forgot about that part.”

He opened the door to discover Evan leaning against the doorpost. “May I come in?”

Shaun gestured to him magnanimously.

Gem had smoothed her skirt and stood politely to the side of the couch. “Sorry, Evan. I was a little distracted.”

The Alpha shrugged. “Changes in circumstances can do that to you. Congrats, I heard you’re planning on making the move permanent?”

She nodded. “If that’s okay with you.”

Evan dropped into his recliner. “Maybe.”

Shaun kicked Evan’s foot. “Maybe? What kind of bullshit answer is that?”

There was a pause as Evan tilted his chair back. “I just want to make sure I’ve got the whole situation in the right light. You moving to Whitehorse permanently means you’re either in my territory and pack, or you’re in the Miles Canyon pack. Shaun is strong enough to be Alpha if he wanted to. Am I looking at needing to fight the two of you in the next couple years?”

Shaun couldn’t believe the turn in this conversation. “Why the hell would I want to take over the pack?”

“Because once you see something that needs to be done, with Gem chatting you up, you’re going to find that you’re doing the right thing all the time and suddenly it’ll be work, work, work for me to keep control of you.”

Gem laughed. “You’re pulling our leg. You don’t really think we’re going to take over the Takhini pack, do you?”

Evan smiled broadly. “Actually, I was kind of hoping you’d become Betas for the pack. Saves us fighting and all that.”

It was like a curtain lifted. Somehow Shaun had known this was coming. “Betas? For Takhini?”

Evan shook his head. “You have this issue of repeating everything I say. I’m using small words, Shaun. You want to help lead or not?”

Shaun stared across to where Gem leaned on the back of the couch. She had a secretive little smile on her face, and he paused. Holy shit. “You knew. You knew about this too, and you didn’t tell me?”

Gem shrugged. “Caroline approached me earlier. She wanted to be sure I was okay with a human being a part of the pack.”

Damn, he was the last to learn anything. Still, ego aside for a minute— “Do you want this? You’ve given up your home in the south for me, do you really mean to give up your personal freedom and help run the insanity?”

“There’s a difference between not having something because it’s taken from you and offering to give it up. Huge difference.”

“Yes or no, love?”

Gem nodded. “I think it would be a lot of fun to try as new experience.”

Shaun shrugged. “Can’t be worse than hanging out with Evan like I used to.”

They grinned at each other. Shaun wanted to race over and pick her up, carry her all caveman-like down the hall to one of the back bedrooms. His wolf approved of both ideas. Damn thing was already preening from being given the Beta slot.

Evan rocked forward and shot to his feet.

“Drinks all around to celebrate.” He hung his head out the door and hollered. “Caroline, bring in the hootch. They said yes.”

A loud cheer poured in the open door, and Shaun rolled his eyes. “The pack knew? Fuck it, Evan, everyone in the pack knew before me?”

Caroline walked in and winked at him, the moonshine in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other. “A few of them were taking bets how long it would be before you figured it out.”

Sheesh . “Nice. Nice to know I’m starting with them all shaking in their boots over my mighty authority.”

Caroline handed Gem the wine then passed Evan the bottle. “You’re not the one they want to impress. They’re hoping Gem thinks they’re special.”

Oh, they did, did they? Shaun sauntered over beside the couch and faked a menacing glare as he stared into Gem’s eyes. “I know she’s something special, and that’s more than enough, right?”

Gem winked at him. “Right.”

Shaun sat next to her, the girls continuing to chat. Evan passed him a tiny glass of something that smelled familiar.

His wolf twitched.

Shaun raised his glass as Evan proposed a toast. “To the Takhini pack’s new Betas. May you find happiness in serving the whole crazy lot.”

The instant the glass touched his lips, something tight wrapped around his throat. A loud cry of surprise rose from Gem, and Shaun whirled. He fell to the floor, trapped in his clothes.

He’d shifted to wolf without meaning to and the tight collar of his T-shirt was choking him.

“Shaun? What happened?”

He tugged on the clothing awkwardly with his wolf teeth as Gem attempted to help him, Evan laughing mercilessly in the background.

“I’m not sure, I’ve never had that happen before.”

“You shifted when we first met, remember?”

Dangerous territory. Here be monsters. “Umm, frankly, no, but I’ll explain about that later…”

Shaun took control of himself and shifted back, his shirt tangled around his head, the rest of his clothing a mess.

By now Caroline was giggling as well.

“Sure, laugh at the sickie. What the hell is up?”

It took a couple minutes to get himself back together. Gem very sweetly refrained from laughing. He picked up the shot glass from the ground.

“Sorry about the mess.”

Evan shrugged and reached forward with the bottle again.

Shaun’s belly quivered and his wolf howled in dismay. The world spun again.

“Shaun? Holy shit.” Evan pulled the moonshine away, and Shaun stared up at his Alpha from his haunches, back in wolf form.

“This is getting really boring, really fast ,” he complained to Gem.

Evan sat uneasily, shaking his head from side to side. “Oh man, I don’t believe it. Sorry, dude, but I think I know the cause of your problem.”

For the second time in less than five minutes, Shaun adjusted his T-shirt over his human chest. “Tell me, because flashing to wolf while I’m at twenty thousand feet could be more than awkward.”

Evan placed the moonshine bottle on the side table away from Shaun then pointed at it. “You must be having a reaction to this.”

Shit, no. “To your hootch?”

Evan nodded. “It’s not your typical Jack and Coke. I’m not saying you can’t drink, just not my special family blend. Your wolf is trying to stop you from getting looped again.”

“A reaction, eh? That would explain why I had that hangover.” Among other issues. Gem was giving him this very concentrated stare, and he wondered how much it would hurt when she found out about his little memory faux pas. He really needed to tell her the whole story as soon as possible.

His Alpha looked apologetic. “Sorry, man. I had no idea. It’s not that common a reaction, but looks as if you won’t be swilling the ’shine with me anymore.”

“No, I don’t think he will either.” The precise princess tone in his mate’s voice snapped Shaun’s attention to her face.

The uber-polite smile she wore was…kinda scary. He swallowed hard. “Gem?”

She batted her lashes a couple times before delicately laying a hand on his arm. “Darling. So. You have no memory of shifting to a wolf the night we met? But you remember everything else, don’t you?”