It was about five when Shawn and Vaughn brought out the ingredients for taco dogs: Mexican chorizo, pico de gallo, and shredded lettuce with melted Mexican cheese, as well as hot dogs, cheese, buns, and condiments for the party, wanting something more substantial to roast over the fake-money bonfire than marshmallows.
In the meantime, Brock and Natalie were telling the pack about running into the man at the airport’s baggage claim. Brock hadn’t planned to tell about the elevator ruse, but he was glad to see Natalie feeling more comfortable with the pack and everyone laughing about what he had pulled off. They were drinking beer while his brother started roasting hot dogs, although others just stuck to the sweeter stuff.
“I’ve never been with a tactically trained guy who’s good at evasion. I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d been alone. Probably walked back inside the building and tried to lose him there. So I was glad Brock was with me,” Natalie said.
Vaughn was smiling at Natalie, and then he raised his brows at Brock. Brock hadn’t changed his mind about her. He was a sucker for offering assistance to a woman who needed extra protection. He definitely wasn’t looking at this as a possible courting. He was damn glad Natalie didn’t tell about their kissing each other to throw the wolf off. Though he figured staying in the house longer with her might have led to some gossip.
When it came to males interested in a single she-wolf, gossip was a natural consequence.
“Well”—Natalie paused to sip some of a rum toddy—“we suggested we were close friends, so he might believe I had come back home here and that I wasn’t from Amarillo. I really should have said something to that effect. You know, like ‘I’m so glad to be home!’ But I didn’t think of it until it was too late.”
Angie was eyeing Natalie with speculation, but she only smiled and didn’t say anything, thankfully. Brock figured she knew her friend well enough to realize something more had happened between him and Natalie. He thought about the remarkable kiss they’d shared and how he really hadn’t wanted to end it. Even now, his gaze drifted to her soft mouth, parted in conversation, her easy smile, and again he thought of kissing her.
Brock was drawn inexplicably to the she-wolf, her blue eyes hypnotic, making him lose all thought of anything but her. Gauging her expression, he felt she was enjoying herself.
“That would have been a good idea.” Devlyn squirted a neat line of ketchup on his hot dog wrapped in a bun. “What I don’t get is why the wolf was drunk going onto the flight. And an ugly drunk. That would be a sure way to get into trouble, like he did.” He took a bite of his hot dog.
“Some people who drink too much are happy drunks. Some get ugly,” Natalie offered. “Maybe he was having a really bad day.”
“But why before a flight when he had all that money to protect?” Devlyn shook his head. “If it were me, I certainly would have waited to have a drink after I arrived at my destination, and once I had secured the money.”
“That’s you, dear.” Bella leaned over to kiss him. “That’s why you’re a pack leader.”
Several agreed.
“I’ve been pondering it too,” Brock said, grilling a hot dog for himself. He had offered to make one for Natalie, but she was happily eating s’mores. He thought she was cute. “Was he angry about something? Afraid of flying, and he hoped drinking would calm him? Or maybe he was celebrating.”
“I think it was more likely he was angry about something. He was angry the whole time I saw him. Of course, he could be like that all the time. Some people don’t seem to have a kind word to say to anyone.” Natalie made another s’more.
Brock motioned to her s’more with his hot dog. “Do you want to go running after we finish burning all the money?”
She tilted her chin down and smiled at him. “Are you trying to say I’ll need to work this off?”
Everyone chuckled.
“Sounds like a great idea to me,” Angie said. “A nice run as wolves to finish off the night properly, then time to go to bed for the big day tomorrow.”
Brock was glad he’d suggested it. He hadn’t had time on the last assignment to stretch his legs as a wolf, and he was eager to do so now. With Natalie.
Everyone agreed.
“What do we do with the suitcase? I hate to throw out a good bag, the clothes, and the shaving kit, but he’d know it was his if he ever caught up to it,” Natalie said.
“We can donate them to a charitable organization,” Brock said.
“Good idea. I hated the idea of destroying a perfectly good suitcase.” Natalie removed the guy’s name card from the tag holder and tossed it into the fire. “To think, if he hadn’t been drinking, we would never have known about this, and we would have just been enjoying the pre-wedding party.”
“Yeah, but this made for a nice finale.” Bella finished the last of her hot dog.
“Ready to go for a run?” Devlyn asked.
“I sure am,” Bella said.
“Me too,” Angie said. “If I eat anything more tonight, I won’t be able to fit into my wedding gown tomorrow.”
The women headed inside the ranch house to strip, while the men did so outside. Normally, they wouldn’t have been shy about stripping and shifting in front of the others, but Natalie wasn’t familiar with the pack, and Angie was still new. Before long, the she-wolves were bounding out of the house as wolves, all gray except for Bella and her twin sister, who were red wolves. Brock couldn’t help but look for Natalie, the only wolf of the bunch he didn’t know when in her wolf form.
She was a pretty gray wolf with black tips on her fur and a blonder chin and underbelly, running next to Angie, a pure-black wolf.
For a second, Brock thought about keeping his distance to prove he didn’t have the hots for Natalie like some of his cousins did, though he noticed they were staying away from her, as if they thought he had already laid claim to her. But he was her bodyguard, so he was sticking close to her. He suspected a lot of the others would be watching out for her, too, because she didn’t know this area and they didn’t want her to get lost, should she get separated from them.
They took off running, Bella and Devlyn following behind, watching for stragglers. Natalie was sticking close to her friend, but Angie was playing with her betrothed, nipping and biting, and Brock thought Natalie looked a little lost. He had been keeping a watch over her, but now he joined her and brushed up against her to let her know she could rely on him to be her friend. That she was not alone.
She smiled at him, showing off her pretty canines. In that instant, he thought something special passed between them. He hoped she didn’t feel quite so much as if her friend had left her behind. He realized being here was probably hard for Natalie because she didn’t seem to be all that outgoing and it might be difficult for her to make new friends. Without knowing anyone, she had to feel like an outsider. Wearing a wolf coat didn’t automatically change someone’s underlying personality.
They ran with the others, but Brock stuck by Natalie’s side, and she didn’t bother trying to stay close to Angie and Aaron any longer. Brock was glad he’d made her feel more comfortable on the run. Then she started to really explore the area, not worrying so much about who she was with. The pack had dispersed, so they weren’t all on top of one another. Though the land was their pack’s property, they still had to watch out for trespassers—hunter types—and they made less of a target if they weren’t all bunched up. Plus, they could let the rest of the pack know if they saw someone who shouldn’t be on the land.
Natalie headed straight for the river. Others did too, but spread out from her and Brock. They were still within eyesight when the trees and shrubs didn’t block their view, so it wasn’t as though she and Brock were alone together. He knew his brother would give him a hard time about saying he wasn’t interested in the she-wolf. But if the roles had been reversed, his brother would have done the same for Natalie, and it had nothing to do with his interest in her as a wolf.
Brock found himself hoping she liked the area, but he scolded himself for even thinking about it. She wasn’t from here and she wasn’t coming back, except maybe to visit her friend. He should just be hoping she was having a good time while she was here.
When she reached the bank, she stepped into the water and drank. He joined her and drank his fill.
He was thinking again about how he was going to locate the rogue wolf once he made sure that Natalie was home safe—if someone else from the pack didn’t do it first. Natalie suddenly headed into the river. Their double coat of fur would keep them warm. Brock just hadn’t expected her to go swimming. He joined her, as a good bodyguard would. She glanced over at him and smiled.
They swam for a bit together, then heard Angie and Aaron howl. It had been an hour, and they were heading back in. Natalie bit playfully at Brock, surprising him before she headed for the shore. He swam after her, and when they reached the shore, she shook off the water on her fur. Then he shook his off and got her wet again. She barked at him.
He laughed. The sun began to set, casting yellow and orange across the trees, and he couldn’t have enjoyed the end of the day any more than he did now.
Then they raced each other back to the ranch. Brock stayed outside with the other males to shift and dress while the ladies went inside to change.
When he entered the ranch house, Angie was wearing pj’s already, looking tired and ready for bed. Natalie was wearing jeans and a shirt but was barefoot.
“You might want to stay in Natalie’s room to really protect her,” Angie said. She smiled, gave Natalie a hug, and headed off to Aaron’s master bedroom suite.
“That won’t be necessary,” Natalie said. “Night, Brock. Thanks for sticking around. And for the wolf run. That was so much fun.”
“It was my pleasure.” He hadn’t had that much fun with an eligible female wolf in forever.
Natalie smiled and retired to her room. Brock sighed and made up the sofa sleeper. This sure wasn’t how he had thought his cousin’s wedding was going to play out. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have any issues during the big day.
* * *
Early the next morning, Natalie was excited for Angie, though the whole business of the counterfeit money was a black cloud hanging over her head. She didn’t have to worry about anyone coming for her and the money though. Not with all the pack members here, setting up for the walk across the grass to the dance stage, which was the altar for now. It was a cool, clear morning, the sky blue with white, puffy clouds drifting across the expansive view, mountains off in the distance.
The stage was decorated with white lights and wildflowers mixed with roses all in pinks, reds, yellows, and blues. Natalie wished she could have been here earlier to help out with the decorations, but everyone in the pack had assisted, from the guys building garden arches and a gazebo and hanging the lights to the ladies decorating with flowers, ribbons, and lace.
Brock approached Natalie before everyone dressed for the wedding. “The pack paid for the gazebo and arches as a wedding present. Since Aaron is so gracious about letting everyone come here for pack parties, it was the least we could do.”
“That’s really nice. Angie said one of your more senior wolves is walking her down the aisle. A former pack leader, she said.”
“Yeah. When we were young, a fire spread through the area, killing most of Bella and Serena’s family and some of the Greystoke pack members. Many of us were youngsters. At the time, Argos was our pack leader. He helped to gather our people and lead them to safety across the river, where we stayed until it was okay to return to our land and rebuild the homes that had been destroyed.
“Some of the homes had been spared, but no one could have remained there during the fire and lived; the smoke had sucked the oxygen out of the air. We buried our loved ones and started anew. Argos was a great and fair leader, until Volan fought him to remove him as the pack leader. But the wise old wolf continued to teach us how to live and prosper and always knew that Devlyn would one day have the strength to lead. Devlyn finally killed Volan, freeing the pack from his tyranny, and Bella proved she also had what it took to be a pack leader, showing a female gray she wouldn’t rule at Devlyn’s side as his mate. In honor of everything Argos has done for us over the years, Angie asked him to walk her down the aisle since she has no male relative to give her away. She said your dad would have, if he could have come to the wedding. Devlyn would have, had Argos not wanted to, but Argos was thrilled to be asked.”
“That will be so special.” Natalie noticed everyone was going to the guesthouse and the ranch house. “It must be time to get dressed.”
“Yeah, see you in a little bit.”
Everyone in the wedding party had dressed with a western theme for the big event: cowboy hats, boots, flouncy white skirts, and blue jean jackets for the bridesmaids; blue jeans, white shirts, and denim jackets for the guys. Angie was absolutely glowing in a lacy white gown with an overskirt of blue denim, the front of the denim cut in a V to show off the lace. She also was wearing a white cowgirl hat and boots. Natalie swore she was more nervous for her friend than Angie was for herself.
After everyone was dressed for the wedding, and before Angie walked down the grassy aisle between the chairs they’d set up for the event, she pulled Natalie aside in the house. “One of Aaron’s other cousins was supposed to walk you to your place, but Brock insisted he escort you, and the good doctor, his cousin Heath, will escort another of the bridesmaids instead.”
Natalie thought Brock was so sweet to insist. He was total SEAL wolf material.
Angie was looking at her curiously, waiting for a response.
“Sure. Good thing. He’s serious about being my bodyguard.”
Angie smiled. “That’s what he said.” Then she laughed. “Okay, just wanted to make sure you were fine with it, and he wasn’t pushing to do this while you were unaware.”
“Was the doctor upset with the change of plans?”
Still smiling, Angie shook her head. “He said he knew that while Brock was denying he would be hooking up with another woman in the next millennium, he really didn’t feel that way.”
“He’s not hooking up with me.”
“He kissed you, right? When you said you were trying to pretend you were ‘together’ together, I know he had to have kissed you. And I imagine Brock is like Aaron—a consummate kisser.”
“I kissed him.”
Angie laughed. “You go for it, girl.”
“We’re not hooking up.” Though if Natalie had the chance to get to know Brock Greystoke, who knew how things might evolve?
“Uh, yeah.” Angie winked at her.
“Time for everyone to line up,” Bella said, getting the ladies ready.
Natalie gave Angie a big hug. “You are so beautiful. And I’m thrilled you met Aaron. He and the rest of the pack seem wonderful. I’m so glad for you.”
“Could be you too. Just hang around and get to know some of the guys. They’ve been so warm and welcoming. You’d love it here too.”
“They have been, but I’ve got to get back to work.” Natalie realized that’s all she’d been doing the last couple of years. Even when Angie had wanted her to go skiing with her, Natalie hadn’t felt she could leave her parents to run the garden center by themselves. For Angie’s wedding, sure, but not just to have fun.
“You know what they say about all work…”
“They say you get to eat and pay the bills.”
Angie smiled. “Right. But just think, you might have learned to ski under the tutelage of a hunky male wolf.”
Natalie could just imagine how badly her parents would have felt if both she and Angie had left them.
Then Bella took charge and had all the bridesmaids line up. Bella was in the lead, and the best man and groomsmen came to escort the matron of honor and bridesmaids to their places. Natalie thought Brock looked right dapper in his western wear as he escorted her to the front, her bouquet of roses and wildflowers in her hands.
Argos led Angie up the aisle next, and she truly was beautiful. The elderly man looked as pleased as could be to give the bride away.
It was lovely here, so special, and perfect for her friend who loved horses. Natalie got to thinking that when she got married, she wanted to have a garden wedding. And a honeymoon in the tropics.
* * *
Brock was glad the wedding had gone off without a hitch. Now everyone was ready for the afternoon feast and then dancing. He couldn’t help seeking out Natalie once the ceremony ended. He saw her talking with some of the ladies, and he didn’t want to intrude. But he was watching his bachelor cousins and some of the other males in the pack, ready to intrude if they made a move toward her.
Vaughn joined him before they all took a seat for the feast. “Taking your duty to heart?”
Brock should have known his brother would be watching him observe Natalie.
“Yep. Can’t call myself a bodyguard if I’m not guarding my client’s body.”
Vaughn smiled. “She’s safe here. Well, mostly. You just have to watch out for our bachelor cousins. If she falls for one of them, you’ll have to see her all the time and know you didn’t get the girl because you were still riled over the old flame.”
“She wasn’t a ‘flame.’”
“Not like this one could be, I betcha.”
“If I asked Natalie to be my mate, you would be shocked.”
Vaughn smiled at Natalie.
“You would.”
“Yep. I told you that you were thinking of her in that way.”
Aaron joined them as one of the pack members took pictures of the bride with her bridesmaids. “Thinking of who in what way?”
“Nothing.” Brock gave Vaughn a look that told him to quit talking about it.
Vaughn looked at Natalie but didn’t say a word.
“Ahh, I should have known. The ladies always fall for the SEAL wolves,” Aaron said. “I was damn lucky Angie hadn’t met you.”
“Not this time. She was much more interested in a rancher type,” Vaughn said.
Aaron laughed. “Looks like the weather is going to be perfect. We won’t have to move to the barn for the feast and dancing.”
Aaron had converted a large, red barn into a place the pack could use for social gatherings. In anticipation of good weather, the tables were set outside for the feast. Blue flax, wild rose, western wallflower, and columbines in the surrounding field provided a spectacular mass of color for the festivities, with the mountains nearby snowcapped, the sky blue, and the sun bright. A gentle breeze was blowing as the barbecued pork ribs and chicken, steaks, corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw, rice, and baked beans were being served. The large wooden stage was ready now for dancing, and band equipment was already set up.
Natalie was smiling pretty for pictures with Angie, giving her a big hug for one of the shots and turning to see Brock watching her. She smiled at him, and that made his day. As much as he hated to admit it, his brother was right. If Natalie hooked up with one of his cousins, or any of the other bachelor males in the pack, he wouldn’t like it. She wasn’t anything like Lettie. She had no hidden agenda. She was here just to celebrate her friend’s wedding. Natalie wasn’t trying to snag a male wolf’s attention either. And that intrigued him all the more. How could he win over the she-wolf who could only think about getting back to her parents and helping them out at the garden center?
Family meant the world to him, and he appreciated that she felt the same way about hers.
He winked at her, and she blushed.
* * *
Natalie had been afraid she wouldn’t fit in, that Angie and her mate would be too busy to spend a lot of time with her. They were, but Brock was always there for her instead. And she really appreciated that. He was cute when it came to serving as her bodyguard, yet she thought there was more to it than that. The cad winking at her made her blush to high heaven, and she noticed that Bella’s sister had snapped a picture of her and Brock. She sighed. Nothing could ever come to anything between them with them living so far apart. Still, she loved how he had made her visit here even more special.
As soon as she headed to get in line at the buffet, Brock joined her. They filled their plates with all kinds of great food. She glanced at all the starch on his plate: corn, biscuits, rice, and potato salad. Plus, a steak, pork ribs, and chicken. She smiled. Typical male wolf.
They took their seats at a long table with glass jars filled with wildflowers and bright-green linen napkins on plates decorated with wallflowers, which Natalie would love for her own wedding if she ever got to that point in her life.
“Don’t tell me I eat too many starches.” Brock cut up his steak.
Natalie glanced at him and laughed. “My mom always tells my dad that when he cooks. ‘You can’t fix corn and rice when you have mashed potatoes,’ she’d say.”
“I know that look. My mom always said that to me when we ate at buffets.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I wasn’t going to say a word.” What Brock ate was his business. Besides, he looked good enough to eat, so whatever he was chowing down on appeared to be good for him.
“Good, because I’ll burn it off anyway. You do realize that gram for gram, starches contain fewer than half the calories of fat of many other foods, and they provide energy, fiber, et cetera.”
“I didn’t realize that. My mom always said all that starchy food would make you fat.”
Brock shook his head. “Not true. Speaking of exercising, you’re ready for some dancing after we finish eating, aren’t you?”
“I haven’t danced since I was a little girl.” Natalie had thought some of the other single males would finally approach her and ask her to dance, though she hadn’t for eons, and she’d probably be kind of awkward.
“No problem. You’ll get the swing of it.”
“Don’t bet on it, but I’ll give it a try.” She would always try things once, or twice. She didn’t want to look as if she wasn’t enjoying the celebration.
After everyone was seated and champagne was served, toasts were made.
Both pack leaders made a speech, saying how fortunate Aaron was to have found a wolf mate who was as crazy about horses as he was and welcoming Angie to the pack. All of his cousins ribbed Aaron about being the one they figured would take the longest to find a mate, but he had beat several of them, to their chagrin.
Even Natalie got up to speak, hoping she wouldn’t tear up, but she knew she would. “To my best friend and her mate, I wish you many, many years of good cheer, lots of little wolf pups, and all the love you deserve. I’ll miss you so much, but I’ll be back!”
Everyone clapped. Brock smiled at her, thinking she’d made the nicest speech of all while he, his brother, and his cousins were giving Aaron a rough time.
“Enjoy the meal,” Bella said, and everyone began to eat.
Natalie was thinking how neat it was to be with a pack like this. Her dad had been so mistrustful of them that she hadn’t known what to expect. He’d warned her she could have trouble if a bunch of males were interested in her when she went to Angie’s wedding, that there could be fights even, but that hadn’t happened. Oh sure, the bachelor males all smiled and were polite, looking highly interested, watching her a lot, but she swore they were staying clear of her because Brock was around her so much. Which she appreciated. Not that Brock was even thinking of being her mate. She thought the other men were being ultra-considerate not to overwhelm her.
She loved how the wolves in the pack could go for wolf runs together, how they had a big party place for everyone in the pack. How wonderful to be able to have other friends who were here to enjoy their company. Even when Angie had her own kids, she could be part of a wolf community, not doing things on her own. With a mate, of course, but he wouldn’t know anything about raising babies either. Not like another she-wolf would who had already given birth. It wasn’t the same as having strictly human friends who didn’t know anything about their wolf half. How could a she-wolf mother talk about the issues of when their babies were running in their wolf coats with their mom, unless she was with a pack? Natalie could see the benefits of knowing others were close by to help out.
Even here, the other wolves were watching the kids of varying ages. Not just mothers caring for their own kids, but older kids assisting the younger kids, and some of the moms with babies were sitting together chatting it up. Some of the men were doing babysitting duty too. Just as wolves would.
“Angie said she had invited your parents, but they said they couldn’t come. She said you all have been like family to her, so I was surprised about that,” Brock said, catching Natalie’s attention.
She cut off another couple pieces of steak. “My parents don’t care for pack politics. At least when they were living with the last three. After the last one, they really swore off them. As to Angie’s wedding, mostly, my parents haven’t had any luck hiring anyone competent enough to run their business so they can leave. They’d do it if I were there. Angie and Aaron are staying with them when they come back from their honeymoon to celebrate their wedding there instead.”
“That will be great. From what Aaron’s said, she is really close to your parents too. I understand all about pack politics though. We had Volan, a beast of a wolf, in charge of our pack after Argos. Everyone wanted to get rid of him. A few died trying. No one was strong enough to best him. Not until Devlyn was old enough. Bella and Devlyn loved each other from the time they were young and growing up in the pack together. Devlyn had saved her from the wildfire where most of her family perished. Anyway, Volan planned to make her his mate, but Devlyn fought him for the right to rule the pack and offered his love to Bella.”
“How romantic.” To find a mate at a young age would really be something special.
“I agree. More recently, we discovered her twin sister had survived. When Serena came home, she mated one of our cousins. Everyone was thrilled to have her join the pack.”
“Oh, how wonderful. I noticed they are both red wolves. It’s amazing how similar, yet dissimilar the two sisters are. I bet Bella and her sister were thrilled to find each other again. I always wished we had a bigger family. It’s just my parents and me. Mom’s sister died young due to a cougar attack when she was little. Dad’s brother was struck by lightning when he was a teen. Just weird tragedies that befell their families when they were growing up. I had a twin, but she didn’t survive the birth. Because of that, it’s just the three of us. I can’t imagine having all the cousins you do.”
“We’ve enjoyed a strong friendship over the years. My brother and I left the pack to join the navy and became SEALs, just to do something patriotic. Shawn and a couple of his brothers were in the army. We had been gone a long time. We only recently came back and started our PI business, and then Vaughn went to work for the USF. It’s a great organization, but I was ready to settle down with the pack permanently and run the PI partnership with him here. Not that my job doesn’t allow me to visit other places, but I like going home after I finish a mission. He’s asked me to join up with them repeatedly, but I like where I’m at.” Brock drank some of his champagne and leaned back to study her.
“I don’t blame you.”
“What happened with the three packs your parents had belonged with?”
Natalie scoffed. “The first pack didn’t want Mom and Dad to mate each other. You know how it is when wolves find their mate. It’s more than a human interest in another human. Dad was a newcomer, and he and Mom just fell in love. Everyone believed Mom should have mated one of the pack members once she joined them. Her own pack had been lost in a flood. With the shortage of females, they weren’t happy about Dad capturing her heart.
“Mom and Dad left the pack and mated. They finally found another pack, believing it was safer to stay with one rather than be on their own. There was so much infighting that it was like a civil war between the wolves, with two alpha males posturing to fight each other for the role of leader. Both factions wanted Mom and Dad to side with them. My parents didn’t know who should be in charge since they were so new to the pack. They finally left, figuring the pack would have to sort it out for themselves.”
“That would do it for me. What about the last one?” Brock finished his steak.
“My parents finally found a new pack, which was important because my mother was pregnant at the time. We stayed with them until I was seven. Then the pack leader announced I would mate his son when we were both the right age. Can you imagine anyone being so unreasonable?”
Brock smiled. “If I had been the son, I would have wanted the same thing.”
“I doubt it. It’s ludicrous since we mate for life.”
“You must not have been impressed with his son.”
“I wasn’t. He thought, just because his father was the pack leader, he was some kind of prince of the pack. He didn’t have the alpha personality or leadership qualities to lead the pack. Last I heard, someone else had taken over from his father, and the son got mad and left the pack. If I’d mated him to keep peace with the pack, I’d be stuck with him in God knows where. After that, my parents just decided that they didn’t need to be with a pack.”
“No princes here. We have a great pack. I think even your dad would approve.”
Was the wolf who wasn’t interested in a she-wolf changing his mind about her?