Authors: Marissa Dobson
Jinx
sat there listening to Lukas go over the rest of the security details, but he
was completely uninterested. For the first time in longer than he could
remember he wasn’t interested in the figures, or what was happening. He just
wanted to know if Lukas was going to take the position. He started to ask him
but each time he bit his tongue.
Knowing
his brother as he did, he was aware that pressing him would only delay the
answer. Lukas needed time to work things out for himself. He had never been one
that could be pressured into something, and he never let family or friends sway
his decision. It was one of the things that made Jinx want Lukas as his
Lieutenant.
“Jinx…”
Lukas waved a hand in front of Jinx’s face, and it was clear that he had missed
something. “You’re not even listening to me.”
“I
apologize, Lukas, that was rude of me. To say I have a lot on my mind would be
an understatement, and though true, it’s no excuse. I should have been paying
attention.”
“Thinking
about your mate? I know I’m keeping you from her, but I thought you wanted me
to go over this stuff to bring you up to date.”
“Summer
is always on my mind. You’ll find out just how much your mate is in your
thoughts once you’re mated.” He shook his head. “That wasn’t what I was
thinking about now. Beyond what my tiger is telling me, there is more to life
than just mating.” Since finding Summer, his tiger had paced within him, always
demanding he touch her, then never being satisfied when he did. The tiger
always wanted more, more of his mate, more of everything.
Lukas
leaned back against the sofa and stretched his legs out. “Would it help if I
said I was considering your offer?”
Years
of training were the only thing that kept what he was feeling from showing on
his face. That and the fact he didn’t know if he should be smiling or frowning.
Lukas was too hard to read for Jinx to get a clear picture of what he was
thinking.
“I
guess that depends on which way you are considering it.” He couldn’t help but
let out a nervous laugh. This could be the moment that defined things between
them. “Are you considering telling me to screw off and shove the clan? Or are
you interested in the position?”
“I’d
be lying if I said I wasn’t interested.”
Jinx
could feel there was a
but
coming, even when Lukas remained silent.
“But?”
“My
time in Alaska allowed me to discover me. I love working with Connor, and I’m
good at it. I can put my skills to use and help our kind.”
“The
Nerd Crew won you over.”
Lukas
shook his head. “That’s not what I’m saying. While you were downstairs I had an
interesting conversation with your lass.”
He
wasn’t thrilled that Summer and Lukas had been talking about the decision while
he was away. It was Lukas’s decision to make and he didn’t want her pressuring
him just to make him happy.
“I
hope she didn’t press you into anything.”
“No
pressure. She suggested we find a middle ground and compromise.” Lukas smiled.
“So if this compromising crap doesn’t work, then you know who to blame. You’re
sweet lass has a way of making you believe things will work out.”
“I
believe I’ll be having a word with my mate later. Alphas do not compromise
well, neither do stubborn little brothers.”
“Well,
let’s go against everything in us and at least try it, for our sake and the
sake of the clan. What do you say? It’s worth a try, isn’t it?”
“Fine.”
He wasn’t sure he liked it, but it couldn’t hurt. “Put your cards on the table
and we’ll go from there.”
“I’m
not asking much.” Lukas leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’ll
take the position if I can continue working with Connor remotely. I’m useful
there, and you know Ty needs all the help he can get when it comes to the Nerd
Crew.”
“What
about when I’m away? How are you going to balance the responsibilities of the
Nerd Crew with your duty to the clan? How long until one begins to suffer, and when
that happens, which one will be neglected?”
“I
can do both. I’ll work it out with Connor and Ty. You know I can do this.” He
dragged his hand over his face. “Damn it, the clan means everything to me just
like it does you. I wouldn’t neglect them, and you know it. This can work if
you just give a little. Everything I do for Connor and Ty can be done from
anywhere.”
“What
about the commitments you made to Tex? The website?”
“Come
on, Jinx. You know that’s not going to be anything time consuming. Hell, you
could do it in your sleep.”
“There’s
a reason I don’t do the computer stuff any longer. It’s too time consuming with
my duties as an Alpha.” There were days when he missed geeking it out with
Lukas but those days were in the past. He had responsibilities to his clan, to
Ty, to Tex, and now a family.
“That’s
because you were trying to do it all on your own. Even small clans are starting
to promote Lieutenants so the Alpha isn’t doing everything. What about Eric?
What if I bring him on to help with the Nerd Crew duties, the website for Tex?
I’ll oversee him, and pick and choose the projects I work on personally but at
least my hand is still in it.”
“Eric
is good, but he doesn’t have your skills.” Jinx thought about Eric. He was a
true computer geek, and it showed in everything from the way he talked to his
clothes. He was a good kid, if someone that was twenty-two was even considered
a kid.
“He
has the skills. With some direction he’ll pick up on what he doesn’t know. The
website won’t be any problem for him.”
“I’m
not concerned about the website.” He stood and paced the room, careful to avoid
the piles of Summer’s belongings. “He can’t do much until Tabitha makes her
announcement, and he’d have to be approved by Connor and Ty. You get them to
approve him and it’s fine by me. Otherwise if you take the position you’re
going to have to cut down on what you do for them. You put in long hours on the
computer, it’s not something you can do full time along with the clan duties
you’ll have.”
“See,
I was right, a compromise wasn’t so bad,” a soft feminine voice intoned.
Jinx
turned to find Summer standing in the doorway in a pair of plaid pajama bottoms
and a black tank top, her wet hair curling slightly.
“What,
you didn’t expect me to miss everything, did you?” She smirked.
He
held his arm out to her; she came and snuggled next to him and he turned his
attention back to Lukas. “Does that mean you’re going to take the position?”
“I
wanted to say yes when you offered it, I just didn’t want to give up everything
I’ve been working for these last few months.” Lukas smiled at them and gave a
little nod. “With your agreement that I can work with Connor as long as it
doesn’t interfere with my clan duties, then yes, I’ll take it.”
“You
have my word, but the first sign of neglect when it comes to the clan, you give
up your Nerd Crew duties. Understand?”
Lukas
stood. “Yes.”
“Very
well.” He slipped his arm out from around her and held his hand out to Lukas. “You’ll
need to come home to West Virginia with us, and we’ll announce it then.”
Once
they shook hands, Summer beamed at him. “Congratulations. I told you it would
work out.”
“That
you did.” He stepped back, gathering up his stuff. “I’ll let you get some rest.
We’ll have a lot to do to get things finished for us to leave.” Lukas strolled
from the suite, leaving them alone.
“Let’s
go to bed.” He slid his hand down her body, pulled her close, and slipped
beneath the material of her pajamas.
“Oh
no, none of that. We’ve got a sleeping little girl in our room,” she reminded
him.
“I
just want to feel you next to me.” He took her hand, tugging her to the
bedroom.
* * *
While
snuggling with her mate, she couldn’t believe how quickly things had changed.
Weeks ago she had been a prisoner, scared of everything, now here she was full
of life and love. She had a mate she adored with all her heart, and a daughter she
was devoted to.
“What’s
on your mind, lass?”
She
cradled her head in the nook of his arm and looked up at him. “I’m just
appreciating how everything turned out. I have to say I wanted to but never
believed Autumn when she said Tex would come back for us. He’s made sure we
were safe.”
“Why?”
“I
guess I felt that if he had a chance to get away and put it all behind him that
he’d take it. That he wouldn’t risk coming back and getting stuck under Avery’s
thumb again, or worse yet…killed. I never thought he’d find people to help him
free the clan.” She let out a deep sigh. “I guess with all I saw, I lost faith
in people. That was until I found you. Now I believe there’s good in people. That
others will do the right thing.”
He
ran his hand down her arm in long lazy circles. “I’ll be honest, some days it
seems like an endless battle, that there’s more bad than good in the world. When
I see how far people have come after our help, I can’t help but feel honored to
have a part in it.”
“I
heard Tex putting straight one of the clan members today. I guess some believed
that you and Ty were overthrowing all the Alphas who were against you and
putting your own people there instead.”
“Yeah,
Tex told me about that. You know it’s not true, right?” He didn’t want her to
answer. “The Ohio clan was being abused just as you were. You haven’t met him
yet, but Felix is Tabitha’s Captain of the Guards. His brother was in Ohio
suffering their tortures. It’s how we found out, and part of the reason Korbin
is now Ohio’s Alpha. Under Korbin’s command, the Ohio clan has come a long way.
They are even planning to open a resort like Manetka, but on a much smaller
scale.”
“I
knew you and Ty weren’t the type to overthrow other Alphas.”
She
snuggled deeper against Jinx, letting her hand run down his chest, feeling the
muscles constrict under her touch. He was everything she needed, and more she
didn’t even know she wanted.
She
wanted to lose herself in his embrace, to forget everything that happened and seize
what her future held.
Her
last day under Avery’s rule would haunt her until she died, but she had to put
it behind her for the sake of her family.
The
next day and a half flew by, leaving Summer wishing for more time. She had been
running around trying to get everything done, make progress with Claire, checking
on a few people close to her, and still deal with packing. It left her
exhausted and glad to be about to board the plane for West Virginia.
The
only good thing that had come out of the last forty-eight hours was Claire had
made some progress especially where Ben, Jinx, and surprisingly Jackson were
concerned. There was something about Jackson’s voice that the little girl
loved. She’d bring him a book, and force him to hold her while he read it. It
was sweet seeing Claire climb into Jackson’s strong arms. She looked so small
and fragile in the big man’s lap. Even with the progress Claire had made, she
had yet to speak.
There
on the landing strip was where everything was going to change. Summer stood
with a very sleepy Claire on her hip, about to board a plane to take her to her
new clan. Never again would this be her home. She might be welcomed at the
resort, but it would never be her clan again. West Virginia was about to be.
Or
I guess it already is since I’m Alpha Female to the clan.
She
pushed her thoughts away, and tried not to dwell on the negative.
“I’m
going to miss you,” Ben said, giving her a hug.
Feeling
Ben’s arms around her almost made her lose it. He had been her protector for
years, and now she was leaving him to go to the other side of the country. It
didn’t matter that they would visit, or that she could have the clan’s private
plane bring her here anytime she wanted. All that mattered was she was leaving
him, and it was breaking her heart.
“Don’t
cry. This isn’t goodbye. I’m going to see you soon for Tabitha’s announcement.”
He playfully tugged Claire’s thumb out of her mouth. “Same with you, little
one. You’re going to remember your Uncle Ben when I see you in a few weeks,
aren’t you?”
She
nodded, her little hand reaching out to cup his cheek. When he leaned closer
she kissed him. It was a perfect ending to their days in Texas.
“I
couldn’t have asked for a better goodbye.” He kissed Claire’s cheek before
looking back up at her. “I love you, and if you ever need anything day or night
you can call me. Got it?”
She
nodded and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you too.”
“Lass…”
Jinx stepped away from where he’d been talking to Tex, and walked over to her.
“We should go.”
“What
about Ashley? Isn’t she coming?”
Tex
moved up to stand next to Ben. “We decided it was best for Claire that she
doesn’t. Next visit we can try again, but right now Claire is making progress
and none of us want to set it back.”
“I’m
doubtful Ashley went along with it quietly.”
“She
was upset but finally agreed. It might be nice if you consider emailing her
pictures of Claire from time to time,” Tex suggested.
“Okay.
I also promised I’d call her with updates. I don’t want to take Claire away
from her family. I only want to do what’s right for her.”
“That’s
what we all want, lass,” Jinx reassured her.
“Carson
and Garth are already on board,” Lukas told Jinx when he came to stand by them.
“Tex, if anything comes up with the security, let me know, otherwise Larry can
finish what needs to be done and can handle most problems.”
“Very
good. Thank you for all you’ve done for my clan.” Tex held out his hand and
Lukas shook it.
“My
pleasure.”
“Larry’s
staying?” Summer asked, feeling like she missed a shred of something.
“With
Lukas stepping up as my Lieutenant, he won’t be able to stay here. So for a few
weeks, Larry’s going to be here, and we’ll get you a replacement guard until he
returns.” Jinx slipped his arm around her, and Claire pressed her hand against
him. “We’ll see you again soon, and if anything should arise you know how to
reach me.”
Summer
pushed the tears away and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.
With one last halfhearted smile, she let Jinx lead her up the steps and into
the plane, Jackson and Lukas at their heels.
“I
know your heart is breaking because I can feel the pain as if it was my own,”
Jinx said, his voice soft. “Distance isn’t going to change things with you and
Ben. He’ll still come running if you need him. The bond between you isn’t one
that will be broken easily.”
“It’s
just so sad.” She let herself take comfort from his embrace. “I’ll be okay. I
know you need to get to the cockpit.”
“Actually,
I’m going to let Lukas handle this one. My family needs me more.” He led her to
one of the small sofas. Sliding into their seats, he put his arm around her and
let her snuggle against him. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“I
know.” Claire snuggled between them, half on each of their legs, nearly asleep.
“Claire must think so too, or she just has faith we can protect her from
anything that might come up.” She nodded to their now sleeping daughter.
“She
knows we wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.” His finger teased along Summer’s
jawline, bringing her face to his and kissing her. When the kiss ended, their
faces still close, he whispered. “You should get some sleep, you’ve been doing
too much lately.”
“I’m
not tired…”
* * *
The
plane touched down but Jinx couldn’t bring himself to wake Summer until the
last moment. She looked so peaceful sleeping there with Claire curled around
her. Their kind always enjoyed sleeping in a big pile.
“My
sweet lass,” he whispered, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Umm.”
“We’re
here, lass.”
Her
eyes shot open and she started to jump up before she realized Claire was on her
lap. “Oh. I’m not ready.”
“Lass…”
He picked Claire up, careful not to wake her, and pulled Summer to her feet.
“They’re going to love you. Come meet our clan.”
“I
should freshen up.”
“You
look great. Now come on.” He tugged her to the door and down the steps. Jackson
and Carson stood at the bottom of the steps waiting for her. Everyone else
stood gathered around the landing strip. “Look, everyone’s here to meet you and
Claire.”
“Why?”
“Because
this is your clan, you’re Alpha Female. They are happy to have you here with
us. Now come meet our family.” Climbing down the steps, be felt like the world
was his. He had everything anyone could ever want. In that moment he didn’t
worry about the rogues that were still out there, or the future of their kind.
He only enjoyed what he had with him.
“They’re
all here,” Summer mumbled, stifling a yawn.
“We’ll
go inside to the ballroom, that’s where we’ll make our announcements and mingle,”
Jinx said. “We have a busy few hours ahead of us while every tries to get a
moment with you. I hope you are up to it.”
“I’ll
be fine.” She glanced at Claire in his arms. “Wonder if she’s going to be okay
with so many new people.”
“If
it becomes too much, we’ll end it. I think she’ll be fine as long as we’re with
her. She’s going to have to get used to the clan. This is her home now. Our
home.” He squeezed his arm around her waist tighter and they descended the
stairs.
At
the bottom of the stairs, with Carson on his right and Jackson on the other
side of Summer, he stopped. “I’d like to thank everyone for coming out on this
cold evening to welcome Summer and Claire to the clan. I ask that we make our
way into the ballroom. I have a couple announcements, and then I promise we’ll
mingle giving everyone a chance to meet her.” Some of the ground guards began
to urge everyone toward the ballroom.
Summer
glanced over the land, surprised how much it reminded her of Texas with the
farms surrounding it, and the rolling hills of endless space. The biggest
difference was the cold. It was freezing. They arrived at the perfect time. The
sun was just setting, casting an exquisite glow of reds and yellows over the
area.
“I
can’t believe I didn’t ask before. Where are we?” Summer wondered.
“Just
outside of Snowshoe, West Virginia. We own over nine hundred and fifty acres.”
Still
glancing around, she tipped her head to the side. “Almost a thousand acres? How
do you keep it all safe?”
“There
are guard houses around the perimeter, where guards are always stationed. Every
piece of the board is covered with motion sensors, heat sensors, and cameras.
No one can get on or off the property without us being alerted. There is also a
second layer of security once you’ve come onto the property,” Lukas explained.
“We
are far enough way from any roads or houses that we are never bothered,” Jinx
interjected. “You can’t just stumble upon this place, you have to know what
you’re looking for to end up here. The guards are well trained and protect the
border and the clan.” Jinx led them forward at a slower place so they could keep
their distance from the stragglers making their way into the ballroom. “Our
homes are built in the center of the land, at the safest point. That building
you see just ahead on the hill is ours. From there, we can see almost the whole
compound.”
The
building he indicated was huge. It was a three-story log home, towering over
all the others. A beautiful winding pathway led to the houses below, with shrubs
that appeared to be the kind that would flower in the summer.
“That
can’t be just for us.” Summer gasped.
“I
have taken my quarters on the third floor. Lukas will once again take over the
second, and Jackson, I’d like for you and Carson to make your residence on the
first floor.”
“Yes,
sir. We’ll see to that once we have you and your family safely home for the
evening,” Jackson replied, his gaze scanning the area for any possible threats.
“Wow.”
It was hard to believe she was about to live in that house. It seemed like too
much just for them. “Doesn’t the clan ever have a problem with you towering
above them like that? Like you’re watching their every move?”
“It
has been like that for centuries. The Alpha is in charge of their safety and
the house allows me to watch over the land, and spot threats before they can
get close enough to do us any harm,” he explained. “I have no interest in
spying on my members, and before I started traveling to Alaska I was only in
the house to sleep. You’ll find the clan is always gathered. This building we are
going to has a ballroom for special occasions, parties, weddings, that type of
thing. It also has a large dining area that will fit all the members. At least
weekly, we take our meals together as a family. We’re very close.”
“You
mentioned that, but I guess I didn’t believe there could ever be a closeness in
a clan like you described.”
“Trust
me, lass, there is and you’re about to see it. Remember, I told you we believe
it takes a clan to raise a child, well that doesn’t change with families.
Everyone is always in everyone’s business, it’s just how we are. I might be
Alpha of the clan, but they are still in my business.” He let out a light
laugh, the first one she heard that was truly joyful. He was glad to be home. It
showed in every part of him.
“They’ve
never considered me higher than they are,” he continued, “and I don’t want them
to. I’ve always lived by the rule, never ask someone to do something you
wouldn’t do yourself. It’s why I have almost every clan male as a willing
guard. They know I wouldn’t risk their lives if I wouldn’t do the same, or if I
felt like it was a battle we wouldn’t win. The women’s rights movement is just
now trying to work its way through the clan.”
“Just
now?” She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.
“The
clan mainly keeps to our land. We grow and raise our own food. Very rarely do
any of us venture off the land. Some of the guards have gone on missions since
we’ve started working with the Alaskan Tigers, but before that we were
homebodies. Shifters have always protected the women and children. They are the
key to allowing our species to continue.” He paused as they neared the entry to
the ballroom. “Our protection of women and children make it hard for women to
be guards, or anything that puts their lives in danger. Too many of the men
would stop what they were doing and would go to protect the women. It’s too far
engrained in us. Ty has a woman guard, Shadow, and she’s the Captain of
Bethany’s guards, but in all the clans I know, she’s the only one and it took
her years to prove herself.”
“If
given the chance, others can as well.”
“I
agree, but to give them a chance the men must be willing to accept a woman can
handle herself. Any woman guard would have to prove herself before she would be
allowed to risk herself. Otherwise, too many could die.” He laid his hand on
her arm. “I realize it sounds like I live in a cave, and I’m not willing to
give women a chance, but that isn’t the case. I’ve seen what Shadow can do and
I’d go into battle with her any day.”
“But
things will change when she’s mated, won’t they?”