Vicki Thompson - Werewolf in Alaska

“I didn’t tell you that?”

“No, you did not.” She was secretly thrilled that he’d been paying such close attention to her and her career.

“You built your reputation on your rendering of a certain wolf who looks quite a lot like me. Don’t think the werewolf community hasn’t noticed.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“Are you telling me they recognized you in my carvings?”

“They did. Most humans think all wolves look alike, except maybe for some different coloring. But we don’t, and a few Weres are convinced that you’re reproducing versions of me.”

She was stunned. “Are Ann and Bruce Hunter convinced of that?”

“They might be. We didn’t get into that, fortunately. If push came to shove, I could point out that the wolf is actually my dad, not me. They’d probably take a closer look and agree, since they knew him so well. But I have to be careful not to sound defensive, as if I have something to hide.”

“And you didn’t used to, but now you do.”

“It seems so.”

She hated asking the next question, but she had to hear his answer. “Do you regret knowing me, then?”

“No.” His low, urgent response was all she needed. Pushing away from the doorframe, he came over to the bed. “I’ll never regret what we’ve had, Rachel.”

She noticed the past tense but didn’t want to dwell on it. She gazed up at him. “You had a nice long chat, though. You must be happy to reconnect.” She had a hunch about the telephone conversation because his whole manner had changed in subtle ways.

“Yeah.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and glanced at her. “The Hunters aren’t on vacation. They were sent by the pack as emissaries because their past ties with my parents made them the werewolves with the best chance of convincing me.”

“To do what?” She scooted over and patted a spot beside her. “Come sit with me. Don’t be a stranger.”

Jake gave her a faint smile and sat down, angling his body to face her. “Keegan Hunter, the pack alpha, has asked to be relieved of his duties. He forced himself to lead the pack because he was next in line, but he’s a werewolf historian who loves his studies more than he loves the daily job of running the pack. He’s done well, but he isn’t happy.”

“And they want you to take over.” Her heart thudded as she saw all hope of a future with Jake disappear. “Jake, that’s a wonderful opportunity!”

“I have to admit it sounds pretty good.”

“It sounds perfect. ” She pushed aside her own grief so that she could be happy for him. He might love Alaska, but he loved the idea of his own pack, too, and here was his chance to have that. He wouldn’t have to start from scratch. The pack would be in place, and although Idaho wasn’t Alaska, it had its own rugged beauty.

“Anyway, that’s why Ann and Bruce are here.” Jake met her gaze. “They didn’t like the idea of presenting such a major proposition over the phone, but they . . . well, after meeting you, they had a sense of urgency.”

“Because I might be a threat to their plan?”

He nodded.

“I’m not a threat, Jake. I would never stand in your way. You know I wouldn’t.”

“I told them that, but they’re hardwired to be suspicious of all humans.”

“But as long as they don’t know that I know, we’re good, right?”

“Right. And they’ll never find out that you’re in on the secret.”

Rachel told herself not to buy trouble, but she couldn’t seem to keep herself from asking the question. “Let’s say that they somehow did find out that I know. Would they have me killed?”

“No, of course not.”

“But if they think I might destroy the entire werewolf community, why wouldn’t they?”

“Because, as I keep trying to tell you, we’re peaceful. We don’t kill people. We don’t even kill the traitors within our ranks, and we had one last year.”

She swallowed. So there was a system of punishment. “If you didn’t kill him, what did you do with him?”

“He’ll be imprisoned for a long, long time.”

“So I wouldn’t be killed. I’d just be thrown in a dungeon deep under some castle, chained to the wall, and fed maggot-infested bread once a day.”

“Good Lord.” Jake shook his head. “You and Lionel come up with the most incredible doomsday scenarios. First of all, no one’s going to find out you know anything, but even if they did, you wouldn’t end up in a dungeon.”

“Okay.”

“Look, you’ll be fine, but if someone suspected that you knew about us, I would never let anything happen to you.”

“That’s easy to say, Jake, but if you take this offer, you’ll be in Idaho.”

He gazed at her silently for several seconds. “Doesn’t matter. I would still know if you’re in trouble. I’d sense it.”

She drew in a sharp breath. That meant more to her than he would ever realize. He’d acknowledged the soul-deep link between them.

But soul-deep link aside, he’d still be in Idaho. “Even if you sensed something was wrong, you couldn’t get to me in time. I appreciate the sentiment more than I can say, but I don’t see how you can protect me from Idaho.”

“Of course I can.”

“How? Are you going to send your personal bodyguards? Because that’s not how I live, Jake. I don’t even like the alarms I had installed. Secret agent–type werewolves with sunglasses, buzz haircuts, narrow black ties, and little curly wires hanging behind their ears would freak me out.”

He stroked her hair back from her face and smiled at her. “You are so adorable.”

“Don’t patronize me. I mean it.”

“I’m not sending bodyguards, but even if I did, they wouldn’t look like that. Way too obvious.”

“I don’t care if they look like Betty White. I need my creative space. I realize that makes it harder to keep me safe, which is why I’m wondering how you would do it.”

“You’re assuming any of this will be necessary, which it won’t. But okay, if you want to play worst-case scenario, if it comes out that you have knowledge of us, then I will guarantee to the Were community that you’re completely trustworthy.”

“And the powers that be will just accept that?”

“Yep.”

“Is your word that powerful?”

He shrugged. “It’s pretty powerful, but I’d also put up everything I own as collateral. Well, and they’d have me. So you’d never have to worry.”

“Oh.” She let out a breath. “Then I guess it’s a good thing that nobody knows what I know.”

“Yes, it is.”

“But what a nightmare if they found out.” Everything he owned, and even Jake himself, would be held hostage to guarantee that she’d keep her mouth shut. She’d always known the stakes were high, but this laid it out for her in detail. “You don’t have to worry, Jake. I will never let you down.”

“I know that.” He gazed at her tenderly as he combed his fingers through her hair.

“Not even under torture. At least I hope not. I’ve never been tortured, so I might crack right away.”

“Fortunately, I can’t imagine why anyone would torture you, so I think we’re okay there. But wow, you do have quite an imagination.”

“So you say, but it took me several days to figure out you were a werewolf.”

“But you did figure it out. I should have realized you would, with the way your brain works.”

She studied him. “You know how in the cop shows it often turns out that the criminal really wants to be caught?”

“I guess. I don’t watch much TV.”

“Me, either, but I’ve picked up on that common thread. Anyway, my point is that you secretly wanted me to find out about you.”