Vicki Thompson: Werewolf in Alaska

Although her nerves were stretched tight, she congratulated herself on behaving like a relatively sane person. That was until she almost poured the coffee down the drain instead of carrying it into the dining area. Maybe she wasn’t as cool about this as she liked to think she was.

But Jake wouldn’t have to know that. She’d stopped herself before dumping the coffee in the sink, so she carried it out of the kitchen and poured each of them a steaming mug.

“Smells great.”

“Thanks.” She returned the pot to the kitchen and came back to sit at the table with him. “Is it a burden, dealing with a super nose?”

He laughed, which was her intention. She didn’t want to let the mood dip all the way into gloom and doom.

“I don’t think of it that way,” he said. “But I’m used to it.”

“But you haven’t had that ability all your life, right? Because if you had, that would be a clue that someone had been born Were.”

He put down his coffee and gazed at her. “Good observation. You’re absolutely right. Until young werewolves hit puberty, their senses aren’t any more developed than a human’s.”

“That’s too bad, in a way.” She dug into her omelet, which wasn’t half-bad, if she did say so. “If they showed that tendency earlier, wouldn’t that help sort things out?”

“Maybe for the mixed-species couples, but think about it. A baby is enough of a challenge. What if you had to worry about whether your little baby girl would suddenly turn into a wolf cub as you pushed a buggy through Central Park? Then what?”

“I see how that might be a problem. But if the werewolf tendencies showed up slightly sooner than puberty, that would take the mystery out of situations like the Wallace brothers have.”

His green gaze sharpened. “You got pretty far into MacDowell’s book, I see.”

“Couldn’t help it, Jake. With an imagination like mine, how could I resist something as exotic as rich werewolves? Is it true that Wallace Enterprises owns the Chrysler Building?”

“I believe so. It’s through a dummy corporation, but that sounds right. The Wallaces have major holdings in New York. Howard Wallace was elected president of the Were Council last fall in Denver.”

“And yet both of his sons have mated with humans. I find that amazing.”

Jake sighed. “I find it depressing. Don’t Aidan and Roarke understand that they’re Wallaces? It’s the proudest werewolf name in North America, and they behave as if they have no sense of tradition or solidarity.”

“Apparently they fell in love.” The minute she said it, she wished she hadn’t. Last night had been all about the love between her and Jake, and that statement might make him think she wanted to use that love as an excuse to defy tradition. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“I know.” He pushed away his plate, even though he’d eaten only half of his omelet. “The Wallace brothers are a sore spot for me. I grew up hearing about the mighty Wallace dynasty from my mother. I could hardly wait to meet members of the Wallace pack because I just knew we’d hit it off and share common values. Not so much.”

“Jake.” She shouldn’t say anything, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “I’m trying not to take offense, but you’re sitting at the table with a member of the other species, the one you so object to the Wallace brothers taking up with.”

He glanced at her and had the decency to look embarrassed. “You’re right. I apologize.”

The mood was permanently ruined now. Maybe that was just as well. Anger at his attitude could keep her from feeling the pain when he left. “It’s probably time for me to drive you over to your cabin so you can rendezvous with the Hunters.”

“I’ll help you with the dishes first.”

“Never mind the dishes, Jake. Let’s get this over with.” That was harsh, but damn it, every word out of his mouth since they’d sat down to breakfast had made her feel like a second-class citizen. She wouldn’t tolerate that, not even from the one she loved.

Jake took the hint and left the dishes. The trip over to his cabin was made in silence, a heartbreaking contrast to the closeness they’d felt all through the night. But Rachel felt Jake moving away from her and closer to his new pack. They wouldn’t want him to have close ties to a human female. Jake might choose to give up that little mental telepathy trick they’d discovered last night.

The Hunters’ SUV was parked in front of Jake’s cabin when they arrived, and that irritated Rachel even more. They were too blasted eager, in her estimation. Jake had lived in Polecat for many years, and they seemed ready to pluck him out of there as if he had no roots in the community.

So maybe it was a human community and not one of their precious Were packs. Rachel realized her attitude was deteriorating rapidly, but the sight of that black SUV sitting in front of Jake’s cabin got her back up. They had to know she’d be bringing Jake home, and apparently they didn’t trust her to deposit him and leave.

When she pulled in beside the SUV, Jake cleared his throat. “You can just drop me off.”

“I don’t intend to do that, Jake.”

“Why not?”

“Because if I drop you off and drive away, it’ll look like I turned tail and ran away from those two werewolves. I realize I’m not supposed to know they’re werewolves, but I do, and I don’t want them to think I was intimidated by them.”

“Does it matter what they think?”

She glanced at him. “It does to me. At this point, I represent my fellow humans. I’m an emissary for my species.”

“All right, then. Let’s go over and say hello.” He opened the passenger door, picked up his duffel, and stepped down.

“Fine.” She climbed down from the driver’s side. She hadn’t been expecting to meet the Hunters when she brought Jake back around the lake, so she hadn’t taken much time with her appearance.

But as she walked around the front of her truck toward their vehicle, she reminded herself that she was an internationally recognized artist. Collectors from all over the world, including a few werewolves, according to Jake, gladly paid high sums to have her work in their homes and office buildings.

She didn’t know what the Hunters had going for them, but she refused to let them treat her like some riffraff that the heir to the Hunter throne had been dallying with. Jake loved her, even if he might not ever admit that to them. Maybe he shouldn’t, come to think of it. She was still a little worried about the dungeon and the maggot-infested crusts of bread.

The Hunters, who were apparently gifted with good manners, got out of their SUV to greet Rachel and Jake. They both wore designer sunglasses. Ann smiled at Jake first and Rachel second, but that wasn’t so surprising. She knew Jake better. They had history.

Bruce was more reserved. He shook hands with Jake without smiling and nodded in Rachel’s direction. Bruce telegraphed brisk efficiency, as if he hoped they could dispense with the pleasantries and get this show on the road.

Rachel wasn’t inclined to indulge him in that. “We didn’t have much time to chat yesterday,” she said, directing her conversation mostly to Ann. “But I’m thrilled that Jake is reconnecting with family again. I’m sure he’s missed that.”

“His family has missed him, too,” Ann said. “Having him back in Idaho will be wonderful.”

“I’m sure it will be.” Having him leave Polecat would be quite a bit less than wonderful, but that was her problem.

“We should probably get in there and start packing,” Bruce said in an ill-disguised attempt to move Rachel along.

Rachel chose to let herself be moved. “Yep, don’t want to hold you up.” She had no interest in a prolonged visit with these two. “I should be going, anyway. I have an important project to finish, so it’s time I got to work.” She glanced at Jake and her heart constricted. His jaw was clenched as if anticipating a blow. She understood the feeling.