Kristal Hollis - Charmed By The Wolf

“Your husband owns a wolf?”

“No one owns the wolves. Brice is his wolf’s handler. Co-op members are tasked with safeguarding the health and well-being of individual wolves.”

“Is his wolf tame or did you use a telephoto lens?”

“The Co-op wolves aren’t tame, but they aren’t dangerous, either. Unless you threaten their families.”

“Could I go into the sanctuary to take some pictures? I’d love to expand my portfolio to include wildlife.” So what if she didn’t exactly have a professional portfolio. Never even considered one, since showing her work to anyone had been something she hadn’t dared.

Only learning to paint after her parents’ deaths, Penelope had received art therapy as part of her own recovery. She fell in love with turning swipes of color into pictures and dreamed of being a professional artist. But Penelope’s aunt and uncle had convinced her of the impossibility of such a foolish notion when she was without a modicum of talent.

“For the safety of the wolf pack, only Co-op members are allowed access.”

“How does someone become a member?”

“One is either born into the Co-op or marries into it.”

“That exclusive, huh?”

Cassie offered a sympathetic smile. “There are great scenic views in the area and your cabin is up the mountain near a river. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of inspiration.” She flipped through the signed papers. “Everything looks good, but I’ll need a copy of your identification.”

As Cassie turned away to scan Penelope’s driver’s license and social security card on the printer behind her desk, Penelope used her phone to capture a snapshot of the wolf photo. If she couldn’t get into the sanctuary to photograph the animals herself, at least she could use the one in Cassie’s picture for inspiration.

“I heard Tristan call you Nel. Would you prefer that on your name tag?”

“Sure.” Why not? It would be easier for the kids to say and remember.

“Welcome to the Walker’s Run Resort family, Nel.” Cassie returned the identification cards to Penelope. “I hope your time with us will be memorable.”

Considering that, in her first few hours in the area, she’d met a naked man with the face and body of a Greek god, Walker’s Run already had the memorable part down pat.

* * *

“I wanted to be the first to tell you.” Behind the large mahogany desk, Gavin Walker leaned back in his leather chair and stroked the short-cropped white beard framing the unhappy curl of his mouth. His dark brows, a contrast to his snow-white hair, frowned.

Tristan’s stomach instinctively clenched and the feel-good high the encounter with Nel had given him plummeted.

“Jaxen’s release from Woelfesguarde is being finalized this week. I’m granting your father’s petition for Jaxen’s reinstatement into the pack.” Gavin paused, as if expecting Tristan to respond.

At the moment, it wasn’t possible. Tristan’s brain was emulating a train wreck. With the jumble of thoughts and emotions crashing and exploding in his head, coherent words weren’t possible.

Jaxen Pyke was a criminally minded, narcissistic bully. He was also Tristan’s blood-kin. A cousin. The only one on his father’s side. Both Tristan and the majority of the Walker’s Run pack had heaved a good-riddance sigh when Jaxen was eventually booted from the pack. The time on his own apparently hadn’t fostered any remorse or a need for reconciliation, because Jax eventually took up with a rogue pack and continued his merry criminal path. Until three years ago when an assault charge landed him in Woelfesguarde, a wolfan-owned-and-operated penitentiary.

“Do you understand?” Gavin continued. “Jaxen is coming home.”

“When?” The single word sounded clipped and tight and full of hostility to Tristan’s ears. No doubt the Alpha heard it, as well.

“Saturday.” Gavin’s calculating gaze seemed to target every twitch Tristan’s jaw made as he ground his teeth. “I am allowing him to reenter the territory, but he’ll need to earn back his place in the pack.”

“Does Aunt Ruby know?” Tristan rubbed the furrow between brows. Of course she didn’t know. Ruby’s first call would’ve been to Tristan. His ears would still be ringing from the tongue-lashing she served every time something happened concerning Jaxen.

Gavin affirmed with a shake of his head. “I wanted to tell you before Cooter and I pay her a visit this afternoon. I’ve asked your father meet us there.”

The Alpha and the pack’s chief sentinel delivering the news would leave Tristan with one less worry on his mind. He eased into his next breath, thankful he’d have time to psych himself up before dealing with Jaxen’s arrival.

“If that’s all.” Tristan stood.

“There’s something else.” Gavin leaned forward, rested his arms on the desk and steepled his fingers.

There always is.

Tristan remained standing. “Yes?”

“Considering Jaxen’s history, he’ll need someone to help keep him out of trouble.”

“I agree.” Wholeheartedly and without reservation.

“Notify me immediately if he inches one paw out of line.”

“Wait—” Tristan stepped forward. “You’re putting me in charge of Jaxen?”

“You’re the most logical choice.”

“Like hell I am.”

“You’re a sentinel and his blood-kin.” Gavin’s stony expression usually meant the matter was settled.

“If Jaxen screws up, it’s on him. I don’t want to be in the same position I was last time.”

Fifteen years ago, Jaxen’s fate with the Walker’s Run had rested on Tristan’s shoulders. The truth led to banishment, a lie to freedom.

Tristan had chosen the truth over family. Neither his father nor his aunt had forgiven him.

“I’m hoping your influence will keep him from backsliding.”

“You have no idea what you’re asking of me,” Tristan forced out.

“For god’s sake, Tristan. You’re both adults now. You need to let go of that grudge.”

A searing-white flash momentarily blanked Tristan’s vision. What he harbored was a hell of a lot more than a little grudge.

“Everyone makes mistakes, especially young people.” Gavin walked around the desk and laid a hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “Be the better man. Help Jaxen because it’s the right thing to do.”

“For whom?”

“For you and your family.”

Family?

Disgust slithered into the pit of Tristan’s stomach.

His family was the epitome of dysfunction. His parents could barely stand to be in the same room with each other and they had little or no regard for him—the product of an accidental mate-claiming. Ruby only barely tolerated him and Jaxen, whom Tristan had once hero-worshipped, had left him to die.

“I’m not asking you to police him.” Gavin leaned against his desk, his hands folded against the silver buckle on the belt fastened around the waist of his jeans. “Be his friend again. Let him know he can count on you.”

Good ole dependable Tristan.

How that character trait had come to him was beyond his understanding. No one else in his family had been plagued with it.

The alarm on his watch beeped. “Gotta go.”

Wearing an expression indicative of an Alpha who expects his orders to be carried out, Gavin tipped his head.

Tristan walked out of the office, quietly closing the door with a greater appreciation for the Alpha’s son’s door-slamming habit. Instead of externalizing his anger or frustration like Brice, Tristan always internalized. Mostly he tried to ignore those feelings. His family was too loose with their tempers. He hated their arguments and outright fights. As soon as he was old enough to live on his own, he’d moved out.