Chapter 6

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“Oh, dear goddess!” Twila exclaimed. “That’s a house? It looks like a small castle.”

“It’s about the size of one inside.” Janey agreed. “The owner is eccentric, and he just kept building. There’s the pool I mentioned to Raz and a bowling alley. I found the place to be amazing and fell in love instantly.”

“It looks like he’s got a fortune wrapped up in it.” Trail determined.

“He does, but he priced it to sell. Now it looks like he’s having second thoughts.” Trev mentioned.

“If I had a place like this, I’d never want to let it go.” Twila said dreamily.

“Isn’t it great?” Janey asked. Twila just nodded and the both of them stared at the house. It seemed males weren’t as easily impressed with the exterior. Raz and Trail would love parts of the interior, though.

“How can anyone afford to build something like this for a private residence?” Trail wondered.

“That’s easy to explain. Remember the wonder kid who researched the cure for that odd illness hypthoria?”

“I remember hearing something about that.” Janey said. “Didn’t a diluted form of the cure relieve the pain and inflammation from arthritis and a dozen other age related conditions?”

“Exactly. He’s filthy rich and has enough money to do pretty much whatever he wants.” Trev explained.

“Why would someone research a cure for an illness less than half a percent of people worldwide have?” Janey asked.

“He was one of the people that had it.” Trev remarked.

That made perfect sense. It gave her an insight into the man she was about to deal with. The disease if she recalled correctly, was painful, but not life threatening. Except the pain became so severe, later in life, that some ended their lives because of it. She was glad he had found a cure especially since people with rare diseases often felt hopeless and were overlooked.

Janey had a distant cousin who had died of a blood disorder that had been rare. She knew now that it had been related to the supernatural blood they carried. Had they known then, it could have been cured. Knowledge was power, which was something she’d learned early in life.

Trev pulled up to the front of the house and stopped. Everyone just sat there staring at the huge house for a moment. The spell was broken when Trev suggested they get out and knock on the door. They trooped out of the truck and up the stairs. Trev stood ready to knock when the door opened. Richard must have brought employees with him since Janey didn’t recognize the man.

“You are expected. Please follow me and I’ll take you to the master’s office.” The man directed them.

The man led them along the hallway to the office that Richard sat waiting in. They were a few minutes late, but other than checking his watch, he didn’t comment. “Thank you, Miles. That will be all for now.”

The butler exited and Richard said nothing until the door closed behind him. “It’s nice to see you again, Trev.”

“Great to see you, too. This is Janey and she’s the one who put the offer in on the house. The others are Twila, Raz, and Trail. They work for Janey.”

“I see. You certainly brought a crowd with you.” Richard observed looking neither happy nor unhappy about it.

“She requires bodyguards.” Trev explained.

“I suppose anyone with the means to purchase this place would.” Richard remarked.

“Have you given the offer more consideration?” Trev asked trying to get the conversation on track.

“I have. Of course, the wife is all for it, but it’s not really her decision. Her pushing is getting annoying.” Janey wondered if Richard was hinting that pushing wouldn’t work with him.

“I love the house. You’ve created a masterpiece.” Janey praised.

“You’re the first one who hasn’t seen a need for a great deal of change in the place.” Richard said.

“The house is wonderful. I see some need for more land to make the place more self-sufficient. A place to hunt for game, grow a large garden, and have some stock would go a long way toward doing that.” Janey suggested.

“That was my plan as well when I first built the house. The land next to it has just come up for sale. This place would be perfect with that added to it.” Richard remarked.

“You’re right. The possibilities are endless with such a large piece of property. The only thing I’d change about the house is the way it’s powered. Solar and possibly wind energy would be so much better than generators.”

“I had that in my plan too. The generators would stay, but only as emergency backup. You seem to share my dream for this place. No one else has ever seen it as the perfect home I felt it to be.”

“I love to swim, and I was taught to bowl when our physical education class took trips to the local bowling alley. Perhaps we could bowl a game or two while we continue our discussion?” Janey asked.

“That sounds wonderful.” Richard admitted and he took Janey’s arm and escorted her to the elevator. She felt like she’d met a kindred spirit. Under other circumstances, they would have been great friends.

Richard continued to give her background information on the house including some interesting stories about when it was being built. When they dug the basement, some old bones had been found. A local was called in, and they decided the bones were those of a small tribe that had been massacred during the gold rush of 1896.

The sad part was the area wasn’t where gold had been found. The Klondike gold rush was along the Klondike River, but some con artists had sold nearby land to a group of ruthless men. When they didn’t find gold on their own land, they moved to neighboring properties.

The small group of natives resisted and were wiped out by the miners. When the miners realized there was no gold and the law was coming for them, they scattered to the four winds, never facing justice for their heinous crime. It made a good story, but Janey wondered if there was really any truth to it.

By the time the story was told, they stood in the bowling alley in front of the lanes. Richard had a nice selection of bowling balls to choose from and everyone picked one. It seemed everyone knew how to bowl, not a surprise since it was still popular in the area she had grown up in which was where Raz and Trail were from.

Twila was older than she looked so the only one she was surprised knew how to bowl was Trev. It made her wonder how old he really was and where he’d grown up. That was a conversation for another time. Right now, she intended to enjoy herself. She hadn’t been bowling in a few years and she used to be a good bowler.

They separated into two teams of three. Richard was on her team with Trev while the other three formed the competing team. Richard went first on their team, while Twila went on the other team. It was clear why Richard loved bowling and that Twila was rusty, an effect of her abduction no doubt.

Richard had a strike and Twila a gutter ball. Trev managed a spare as did Raz. When it was Janey’s turn, she had a strike and Trail managed to knock down eight pins. By the time, the first game was over, Twila and Trail had improved, but Richard and Janey were clearly the best with Trev and Raz trailing because they made mostly spares.

“I like that you enjoy bowling.” Richard commented. “I feel like the bowling alley would see some use if you bought the house. You and Trev seem to have some chemistry between you. Is it anything serious?”

“We’re dating. He wants to get married, and I think we might, but I don’t want to rush into anything.”

“Take my word for it and take your time. My wife and I aren’t well matched. She seems to hate everything I love. For the child’s sake, I hope that’s not always true.”

“The child will be hers as well. Most mothers bond with their children.”

“Most wives don’t systematically take everything away from their husbands.”

“Maybe she’s jealous and just wants your attention.”

“I hope that’s the case. If it is, in time she’ll see there’s nothing to be jealous of.”

It was a weird conversation to have with a man she’d just met, but Janey saw that he loved this house. She thought he just wanted to be sure whoever bought it loved it as much. Not an easy task these days when everything was about money and only a handful of people could afford a house like this.

“I’ve decided to sell the house to you. I may never find someone else that will love this place the way it deserves to be loved. Just don’t wait too long to marry Trev. This house is made for a family.”

Janey hugged him. She couldn’t help herself because it made her so happy. They would work out the details, but she wanted in the house as soon as possible. Furniture wasn’t an issue, Richard was leaving most of that. The cost of moving it was astronomical and he wasn’t attached to any of it. There were no antiques or anything really that he couldn’t purchase where he lived.

“I’ll need to stay a few days to clear out personal possessions, but then it’s all yours. If Trev has the papers handy, we can sign them before you leave.” Richard offered.

“I do happen to have some papers with me.” Trev admitted. “They’re in the truck.”

Janey was so thrilled a buzz of pleasure ran through her. The house had completely captivated her. It looked like it wouldn’t be long, and it would be their new home. Now that the decision was made, Richard seemed ready to get on with it.

They went back upstairs, and Richard had a nice lunch fixed for them. As they waited for it to be prepared, Trev went to get his briefcase from the truck. When he returned, everyone else was eating. It reminded her of a favorite saying her grandpa used to have. We were waiting on you like one pig waits on another. Trev looked at her, but she just shrugged. He ate faster than she did anyway so they would be finished at the same time. She wasn’t being rude by starting without him, just saving time.

He sat down in the seat where his plate sat ready. The guys finished first and Trev, Twila, and Janey finished about the same time. Now was the moment she’d been waiting for and they followed Richard to his office. The terms had been worked out in the offer that had been submitted except for how long it would take before she could take possession. Richard agreed to ten days. It was a generous offer since thirty days was usual. Janey jumped on it.

Finally, things were going right. Trev finished the contract, they both read it, and they signed on the dotted line. Janey felt fantastic even though she only had ten days to get the money in Trev’s business account. When the smoke cleared, all this would be hers. Since she had decided to complete the mating tonight, she would talk to Trev about putting the place in both their names, after all, mating was forever.

It was time to head home once they said goodbye to Richard. She liked the guy and felt a lot of sympathy for him. Janey hoped his wife became more loving once their child was born. The thought made her wonder if Trev wanted children. They had never discussed that. Maybe they would talk once they got back home.

They all loaded into Trev’s monster truck and headed down the back road. Janey’s mind was on how she could manage to buy the property next door as buying the house wiped out all her funds except her trust fund. Unlike some of the white wolf cousins, she didn’t want to rely on that money.

It wasn’t that she was poor so much as it was that buying the house was such a major purchase it would set her back for a while. Her recently released game was doing well and breaking worldwide sales records. It was available in every major language and even a few less well known ones. All the decisions she’d made relating to it so far had been right.

Janey was zoned in on her own concerns, but she heard the buzz of conversation going on in the cab of the truck. Wolf hearing was often too good, and she would speak to Trev, but they would all hear. She needed to talk to him about the decisions she had made and let him make some of his own.

Their relationship was ready to go to the next level. She couldn’t deny the mating pull anymore and she could see he’d be willing to do anything for her. Wasn’t that all any female wanted? True love and commitment from a male that was sexy as hell and made her want to howl?

She was lucky and wouldn’t fight it anymore. Once the mating bond was in place, maybe these shifty wolves would leave her be. If they did, she and Trev would have the privacy that newly mated couples needed.

“We’re almost home and you’ve not said a word the whole trip. You’re happy, aren’t you?” Trev asked.

“Yes, I was thrilled he agreed to sell. I’ve been thinking about how we’re going to move forward with our life.”

“I hope that means you’re wanting to make things permanent.”

She just flashed a quick grin at him. “We’ll discuss that at home.”

“I can’t wait.” Trev said and it appeared he couldn’t since they moved down the road faster.

“That was scary.” Twila admitted as they stepped out of the truck at the house.

“What the hell was the hurry?” Trail wondered as he glared at Trev.

“Must be time for a booty call.” Raz guessed.

“You guys were never in any danger.” Trev insisted.

“Tell that to the guy hauling logs in the semi.” Trail accused. “He almost lost it on that curve when you slid into his lane.”

“I had it all under control and we’re back safe and sound.” Trev insisted.

Twila snorted. “Oh, goddess. It’s like having Moe here. Don’t be picking up her bad habits.” Raz said. Twila’s gaze slid to Trail.

“I’m no bad habit. It was just a joke Moe liked so she called me Bad Habit.” Trail insisted.

“Yeah, because of your reputation with females.” Twila accused.

“Come on Twila. Let’s get some wine and hang out until supper time.” They entered the house to the smell of the stew cooking. It had been left on low and would be really good now. Janey’s mom always said certain foods got better the longer they simmered. Stew and beans were two of those.

Janey pulled out a bottle of wine that was in the fridge. There was half left, plenty for just the two of them. She poured two glasses and handed one to Twila. The guys hadn’t come in, they were probably on a run. “Let’s sit in the living room and you can tell me all about it.”

Twila followed her and they both sat in easy chairs. “I managed to escape after twenty years of slavery. It wasn’t easy, but the guy died, and I slipped away in the confusion. My folks weren’t where we used to live so I went looking for old friends. One of them steered me to my brother. He didn’t say much about my parents. I hitchhiked to Missouri and it was pretty easy to find Tyne since he had his own company. Long story short, Moe was kidnapped, but we got her back. She talked me into going to work with her and I met Trail. I knew something was up, he affected me. He claims we’re mates, but he’s a total whore dog. How can I date someone like that much less mate him?”

“Do you know much about Trev?”

“No. I know you two are involved and he’s sells real estate. You two are a cute couple. That’s about all.”

“The first thing I found about Trev was he hit on Joey as soon as he met her. The next thing I found out, was he did shit like that all the time. I doubt there’s a female within easy driving distance he’s not been with.”

“Oh.” Twila said, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide.

“It’s a male wolf thing, most of them are whore dogs. Naqi was probably worse than either of them before he met Joey.”

“Really?”

“The local barmaid warned Joey off of him. Said when his whoring around days ended, Naqi was going to be with her, not Joey.”

“How awful.”

“It was, but it wasn’t true. Once a wolf finds his fated mate, he settles down. No more different females every night and closing down the bar. If you really are the one for him, he’s already made changes.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Twila, you watch him. There are feelings there. If he were out every night, you would know.”

“It’s not like he has the same opportunities when we’re on a job.”

“Your male is gorgeous, I bet he could find company if he wanted it. If he’s not out, it’s because of you.”

“It’s been good to talk to you, but I’d better go run before we leave. I’ll think about what you said.” Twila said and then she was out the door.

Janey was alone and she’d left her computer, the one she hadn’t looked at all day, in Trev’s truck. That in itself was amazing since she never stayed off the internet for long. It would be quick, just go outside, grab the computer, and get back in. What could go wrong?

She went out the door and headed for the truck. Janey could still see Twila in wolf form as she ran away from the house. It brought out the need to run in her wolf. Her wolf was usually calm, unlike most wolves, but right now she was jumpy and restless. Morph and run to the others, was the message she was sending.

Ignoring her, she went to the truck. It was hard not to be impressed with the huge thing. It was jacked up so high it had handles to pull yourself up with on the outside and running boards. She was thankful for both those things as she opened the door and prepared to get in.

Her wolf was going crazy, and she didn’t understand why. Taking a deep breath, she listened, but only understood danger. Looking around, she didn’t see the danger right away. Holy shit! A dozen or more strange wolves were on the horizon. Janey locked and closed the truck’s door and morphed in an instant.

This was where she regretted not scouting out the area around the house more when she’d had the chance. Perhaps putting work first would now bite her in the ass. Her wolf was small, but fast so she’d try to work with that. Janey ran, she ran like she’d never ran before.

She went in the direction of Joey’s house where she was more familiar with the surrounding area because Joey had shown her pictures and maps, just in case. Janey was smart enough not to spend her time looking back at the wolves that she knew were gaining on her. At top speed, she ran over the open territory headed for the woods.

It was in the forest where she might lose them and hide out until they were gone. She made it to the edge of the forest trying to remember where the small stream was. Moving to her left she veered from the path that would lead straight to Joey’s house. If she kept running like that, they would intercept her, and all would be lost. Janey smelled the stream and ran right to it taking a quick drink to soothe her parched throat. Why did all this shit have to happen to her?

She felt like if something went right, then all hell had to break loose. That didn’t matter because she had to escape her pursuers. Janey ran down the stream that was a foot deep in most places. There was just enough water to confuse her chasers. Staying in the stream for as long as she could stand, her feet were numb from the cold. She got out on one side and ran on.

The sounds of pursuit were close, but the wolves were yipping and making sounds of confusion. Janey got back in the stream and ran for a little while longer before getting out on the other side. They were too close for comfort and she needed a place to hide. Taking off her shirt she ripped it and took one piece and dropped it into the stream. It stayed on top where it could be scented and rolled away with the water.

She knew she couldn’t count on that distraction, but she was desperate. Continuing on, she found a tree that she could climb. She took part of her shirt balled it up and threw it as far ahead of her position as she could. It was starting to get dark as she climbed the tree going up as far as she could go.

Janey tried to still her breathing once she was in position. It wasn’t long before she heard the sounds of pursuit growing ever nearer. They stopped near the tree and some of them shifted back to their human form.

“Herald, where the hell did she go?” A deep voice asked.

“How the hell would I know Ronny? I think she’s run in these woods recently and it’s confusing our noses.”

“It’s about to rain and that’s going to fuck everything up.” A third voice added.

Janey hadn’t paid attention to the weather, but if it started to rain, she was sure these people would leave. It might make her cold and miserable, but that was better than being followed by crazy wolves.

“Any idea what Mark wants with her?” Ronny asked.

“Hell no. You ask the alpha if you need more information.” Herald answered.

“Just curious. She’s pretty, but she’s got a reputation of being an odd duck.”

Someone chuckled. “So, do you.”

It sounded like a fight broke out and someone yelled, “Stop!”

“I didn’t start it.” Herald whined.

“It was your smart mouth.” Ronny accused.

“They both been spoilin’ for a fight, Brad.” The third voice insisted.

“Is that so? Well, you two can keep an eye out in these woods while the rest of us turn in at the hotel.”

“But Brad….”

“C’mon Brad!”

“It’s a fit punishment for losing the girl and fighting about it. See you in the morning and not a moment sooner.” Brad declared.

Some of the wolves moved away. “It’s your fault Ronny.” Herald said. “You never could take any teasing.”

“You’re a bastard Herald, but we’re in this together. We’ll wait a little while and then sneak into town. There’s two hotels that serve food. We’ll go to the one Brad isn’t at.”

“Ronny, sometimes I like the way you think.”

They stayed below her, one actually leaning on the tree she was in as she hung on for dear life, terrified they would figure out she was there. Finally, it looked like they were leaving. Quietly, she watched as they walked away. Not wanting to get their attention, she waited a while even after any sounds of them faded.

Finally, sure they were long gone, she climbed down the tree and dropped to the ground. Shifting to her wolf, she raced toward Joey’s house because all the bad guys had gone in the direction she’d come from. Driving from home to Joey’s house took no time, running seemed to take forever. Maybe it was partly the fear that had hold of her. She had some names now, first names anyway. Tyne could at least try to discover more about this last group that was after her.

Even in wolf form, her breath was strained and her heart beat as if it wanted out of her chest. Joey’s house was nearby, it had to be. There were lights up ahead and Janey thought if it wasn’t there, she would just drop to the ground unable to move one more step. She burst through the woods into a yard and thank all the powers that be, it was Joey’s place.

Up the stairs and to the door, she couldn’t shift for some reason, so she yipped and scratched at the door like a pet that had been left outside. Footsteps sounded on the floor as someone came to answer the door. “Dear goddess, a white wolf.” He leaned down and she identified him as Gleason. Drawing a deep breath, he nodded. “Janey, come on and we’ll figure out what’s going on with you.”

“Is someone here?” Joey asked. “Oh, my God! It’s Janey isn’t it? Why is she in wolf form?”

“It’s just a guess, but a wolf new to shifting can sometimes get stuck when they’ve had a bad experience. Calming her will help because a clear mind is needed when you morph.” Gleason explained.

Janey nodded. That made sense, but she wondered how long she’d be stuck like this. It was almost like Joey could hear her thoughts. “How long if she is stuck?” Joey asked.

“That’s up to her.” Naqi said as he entered the room. “Apparently, she was outside the house when the last group attacked, and she ran into the forest. The whole group of them tried to catch her, but she escaped. I’ll call Trev, he’s going out of his mind.”

“That’s sweet of you. I didn’t think you liked him.” Joey mentioned.

“I don’t, but she needs him right now.”

“You know the two of you have a lot in common. I’m surprised you can’t be friends.” Joey offered.

“Maybe we have too much in common.” Naqi suggested as he pulled out his phone. She could hear him telling Trev to get his ass over here.

Janey hoped he hurried because it was freaking her out to be stuck in wolf form. Even her wolf didn’t seem happy about it. “He’ll be here soon, Janey.” Joey soothed and petted her. It couldn’t be soon enough. The room was filling up as people sensed something was going on and they all wanted to know what.

Naqi stood in the corner and Joey went to him to calm him down. “There’s just something about him I don’t like.” Naqi admitted.

“You need to find some common ground.” Joey suggested.

“Is that a white wolf prediction?” Naqi asked.

“If it was would you do as I suggest?”

“I just can’t make myself like him.”

“You may feel silly about that someday.”

“What do you know that I don’t?” He asked a hint of growl in his voice.

The door flew open, and Trev stood there wild eyed looking around. His eyes fell on her and he rushed to her falling to his knees and pulling her into his embrace. “You scared the hell out of me.” The rest of the team from their home followed him in.

“Damnest thing. She evaded a dozen wolves and made it here.” Trail said.

“She’s been taught to hide and getaway from enemies.” Trev informed.

“Who taught her that?” Trail asked.

“Damon, for one.”

“So, is she stuck in wolf form?” Trail guessed.

“That’s what it looks like. If we can get her to sleep, she might change during the night.” Trev suggested.

“With a dozen wolves looking for her, she needs to stay here.” Joey pointed out. She was right and no one argued the point. “Let’s rearrange where everyone’s staying and find a room for Trev and Janey.”

“Give them my room. I’ll sleep on one of the couches.” Trail suggested.

“I hate for you to do that, but there is a day bed in my office that is pretty comfortable. I tend to forget about it since I use it like a couch.” Joey admitted.

“It’s about bedtime so just show me the way.” Trail said.

“I’ll show you.” Naqi offered and Trail followed him out of the room.

“Janey knows where the room Trail was in is. She used it as an office so go ahead and go to bed. There are sheets and extra pillows in the closet.” Joey advised before she headed out of the room. As fast as everyone gathered, they dispersed.

Janey stood on her four paws and led the way to the bedroom. Trev trailed after her and opened the door when they arrived. She felt dirty and really wanted to get a bath, but she couldn’t imagine taking one in wolf form. It looked like that was what she would have to do.

She went to the bathroom that was shared with Twila room and yipped at the tub. Trev seemed to understand and started filling it. He added bubble bath and once it was a third of the way full, he motioned for her to get in. Digging in a cabinet, he found a long handled brush and began to scrub her fur. It felt nice and relaxing. Suddenly, she morphed back to her human form. The shift threw her off and she fell face first in the bath water. Janey pulled herself up coughing, choking, and spitting the water out.