Chapter 6
His Mate
Channing’s sizable shaft speared into her and she gasped with pleasure. He hesitated to allow her to adjust before he began rocking into her wildly with his need more than evident. His thrusts speedup until he was driving her crazy and she froze as she screamed his name and her orgasm caught them both off guard. His fangs dropped and his cat was in control as it sank its teeth into her neck tasting her wonderful blood.
Once he was done, he licked the spot clean and felt a sting on his own neck realizing she’d bitten him back with her blunt human teeth. How cute. That’s when he began to realize exactly what he had done. His cat snickered. It was pleased with the results. She’s ours now. That’s what his cat insisted.
If she doesn’t run away. He pointed out. His cat just pranced away, his tail high in the air leaving him to deal with the mess he’d made. Viv had fallen asleep and he held her in his arms as he went to sleep with her. When he woke, it was with a feeling of complete contentment until he remembered he had mated her without her approval. Damn, double damn! Once she woke, he would have to admit to what he had done and hope she was the forgiving kind.’
Yes, she had forgiven her ex-husband, but she had children with him and had known him for many years. They hadn’t known each other long and until recently, she hadn’t seemed to care much for him. This mating without her agreement wouldn’t help his cause. While he couldn’t be sure how she would react, he suspected it would be bad. As he lay there holding her, he watched her as her eyes began to move.
His mate was waking and he still had no idea what to say. Her eyes popped open and she stared at him. “Good morning, Beautiful.”
“Oh, no. What time is it?”
“Around eight and it’s Sunday fun day. I don’t believe you’re working today.” He guessed.
“Maybe not with the crew, but I have many projects and things at home to do.”
“Why don’t we get ready and go downstairs to eat breakfast?”
“I haven’t anything to wear but what I had on last night.” She admitted.
“Maybe my sister has something that will fit you? I’ll go ask.”
He hurried to find Tamra who was in the dining room eating breakfast. “I need some clothes for a woman.”
Tamra raised an eyebrow. “What did you do, rip them off her?” She giggled.
“No, she wasn’t expecting me to bring her here and she didn’t bring a change of clothes.”
“She’ll have to wear her clothes from last night. That’s why they call it the walk of shame.” She giggled a little more.
“There is no shame. She’s my mate.”
Tamra sniffed the air. “Human?” She asked in shock.
“So?”
“You’re the leader. That was a terrible mistake.”
“It’s not your decision.”
“Too bad, I would have made a better one.”
“Enough! Either find something for her to wear or keep silent.”
“Fine.” She got up and ran to her room. She brought her oldest T-shirt and a raggedy pair of jeans. He looked at them in disbelief but took them anyway.
Now he headed to his room to bring Viv the clothes. Surely it would be better than nothing. Viv was sitting on his bed wrapped in a towel waiting for him. Handing her the items, he realized there was no underwear. When she dropped the towel he saw her wearing her own underwear. That was alright.
“Thank you.” She said once she was dressed. “This is comfortable.”
“Would you stay for breakfast?” She nodded so he escorted her downstairs to eat.
Unfortunately his sister was still at the table probably waiting to see his mate. He gave her a hard look hoping she would at least try to be pleasant. His sister had a sour look on her face. Sadly, many of his kind were racists especially where humans were concerned.
He held out a chair for Viv and she sat as he pushed it in. The cook somehow realized he was there and came out to see what he wanted. “What would you like, Viv?”
“What’s already done or easy to do?” She asked looking at the cook.
“I have eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes.” The cook said.
“That sounds wonderful. Just fix me a plate with a bit of everything.”
“Me too.” He said.
The juice and a carafe of coffee were on the table with cups so he poured her some coffee. She got herself some juice. “Thank you.” She said as he handed the coffee to her.
His sister watched in fascination. He wished she wasn’t there. In about ten minutes, the cook brought out two plates piled high. “Thank you.” Viv said as she took her plate. She began to eat with a good appetite, almost as good as a shifter. It seemed too soon but what did he know about changes? Tamra finally got tired watching them eat and left.
“She doesn’t like humans much, does she?” Viv asked.
“Our kind has not always be treated well by humans. Mating them can cause problems too.”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?” He was confused.
“Mate one?”
Channing turned red. It was time to admit to what he’d done. “I did. My cat wanted you and lost control.”
He began to eat since her plate was nearly empty. She wasn’t saying anything and that worried him. She leaned back now that her plate was empty and sighed heavily. “Any way to nullify it?”
“No.” He said outraged that she had even asked.
“I thought not.”
“Why would you want to? We are fated mates, do you not feel it?” He asked.
“I feel drawn to some extent. What that feeling is, I can’t be sure. Is it possible you’re wrong?” Viv asked.
“No, and be glad I’m not. We will be together all our lives now.”
“I need time. It’s too soon for us just to live together.”
“Being away from me may be hard on you. It’s likely you’ll go into heat, soon.”
“I’ve only heard a little about that. It doesn’t always happen.”
“You’re right. Those who change without mating don’t always go through it. Those already expecting may not either. You have just mated and I’d expect it to come on quickly.”
“This was not the best time for this.” Viv declared.
“Is there ever a good time?”
“Yes, when the need for housing lets off.”
“I could never wait that long.”
“Obviously.”
“Where do you need to go now that breakfast is done?”
“To Ariel’s.”
“You are still avoiding letting me take you home? I know where you live now anyway.”
“It’s not that. I need to talk to Ariel about something.”
“Very well. Let’s go.” He led the way holding the door open for her. Maybe she would adjust and accept what they were to each other. It was all he could hope for.
He held the car door open and she got in. It was his plan to show perfect manners to lure her in. They drove toward Ariel’s and he wasn’t sure what to say. It was a relief when she spoke. “I’m not sure what we’ll do.”
“We’ll do what other mated couples do.”
“You have to realize we aren’t like those other couples.”
“Our mating is much like those of your cousins. They all worked things out. I’ve heard it said that white wolves never have anything easy. Is that true?”
“I have to admit most of us have more than our share of trouble. How did you hear about that?”
“It’s just a story that is going around. People like to gossip. That doesn’t mean there’s not truth in it.”
“I suppose that’s true. Especially the gossip about white wolves. They tend to tame some of those stories because they’re so wild.”
“I’m beginning to see the truth in that.” He admitted as he turned on the road that led to Ariel’s.
“What can Ariel tell you?”
“She gives the best advice about just about anything.”
“Because of her gift of foresight?”
“She rarely gives advice about what she sees for the future. You usually get a riddle for that. No, her advice is thoughtful and based on common sense. She’s got that in spades.”
They pulled into the parking lot behind her house and got out to go in. Breakfast had been late and it was now lunch time. The wonderful aroma of good food hit him as someone opened the door and they entered. Ariel was there at the table eating as she invited them to grab a plate and join her. Of course they did that quickly.
Once seated near her, Ariel sniffed the air. “I see congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you.” He replied followed by Viv. She didn’t make it sound like she meant it though which hurt his feelings. It didn’t matter he had taken their mating upon himself, they were fated and she should accept him, right?
They ate as they spoke and there wasn’t much to talk about. As he’d thought coming here was to escape going home. “Now that we’re done here, let’s go to your house and get your daughter and your clothes.” He suggested. It was clear Viv didn’t know what to do now or how she felt about things. “We’re together and nothing will ever separate us. It’s time you accept that.”
“Easy for you to say. You made the decision for us both.”
“Fate made the decision. We were meant to be together and you know it too. You’ll find it hard to be away from me. Trust me in this.” He suggested.
He saw she was having a hard time making her choice. It hurt his feelings that she didn’t care more for him. Hopefully time would change things.
“I explained I needed to think things through. Why should that surprise you? Just take me to my SUV and I’ll drive home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
If she couldn’t tell that hurt him, she was blind. He dropped her off at the coalition house where others worked hard making amazing progress. Her sister seemed to be in charge today and while he watched a while, he left not long after she had. Now he was home feeling lost and depressed.
“Where’s your mate?” Tamra asked. He shot her an ugly look.
“You mated?” Hector asked. “She’s human? They take a little longer to settle in or so I’ve heard.”
“Why should she? She caught our leader and a rich male at that.” Tamra said with an ugly look on her face.
“You don’t have to like her, but you will show her the respect of her position.”
“What position? She’ll never lead at your side. I’ll do you a favor by taking her out in the first fight.”
“Her position as my mate. That she will always be.” He explained. Right now he was glad he hadn’t been around this sister much. She was difficult and hard to like. A house would be found for her quickly if possible. It might be time to call Mairi.
Lunch was served and though it was good, he didn’t enjoy it as much as he usually did. Once he was done with eating he was ready to go. “Come Hector. We have work to do.”
Hector worked with real estate and he intended to hire him to deal with the properties he had. Only his would not be enough for his brother, but maybe he would work for Roger in his office. It would be good to introduce the two of them. His sister would have to find her own job. They each covered a small business for him, but that was a small part time job. Hector also worked with real estate, but what else she did as far as work went was a mystery to him. As long as she could support herself, he didn’t really care.
Now he and Hector made the rounds looking at those houses he had bought that were already rented or ready to move in. Most of the houses farther away or in the lake area were on that list. A few others waited for the construction crew he hoped to gather and two were both being worked on by his mate.
Once they had toured them all, he turned to his brother. “What did you think?”
“It’s a nice selection of houses. Are you wanting my advice on whether to buy them?”
“No, I already own all these. I’m wanting to know if you are interested in managing them and any others I might acquire.” Channing explained.
“I would be. It could start the business I wanted to begin here.” That was exactly what Channing had hoped for.
“I can give you a list of people that need housing. Most would be willing to pay a small finder’s fee I’m sure.” His fondest hope was to put that responsibility on Hector’s broad shoulders.
He’d shown him the land for the subdivision and would let him manage that too. Now he was feeling that progress was being made in the great move his people were making. Jobs were something Viv seemed to manage easily so far. Speaking of Viv, he missed her.
Breaking down, he gave her a call. “Hello?” She asked and he could hear the sounds of work progressing in the background.
“Hi, I just needed to hear your voice.” He admitted. There was a pause.
“It’s nice to hear from you too.” Was someone listening and she was embarrassed to speak intimately?
“When will you get through with work? I’d hoped we could eat supper together.”
“Probably at seven then I’ll have to clean up and change.”
“Do you want to meet me or have me pick you up?”
“We can meet at the coalition house.”
He sighed heavily. She refused to let him go to her home even though he knew where it was now. What the hell was that about? It was something he just couldn’t understand. “I’ll see you at eight.”
They hung up and now he would moon around for hours thinking about her. Would she think of him at all? There was no way to know. He got back to work and gave Hector all the information he needed to get started. At least something seemed to be going right.
It was finally time to get ready for their date. Showering, he dried off and dressed in nice jeans and a dress shirt. He didn’t want to be too dressy, but he wanted to look good. Now he left to meet her and he arrived only minutes early. She pulled in right on time. Getting out, he greeted her and held her door open. Once she was in his car he gave her a sweet kiss.
After he closed her door and got back in, he took off for his house. She was his and he was ready for her to live with him. Caro was welcome too. There was no reason for her to put off this move. Breathing in deeply, he scented change in the air. It wouldn’t be long before she couldn’t resist him like he already couldn’t resist her.
“Where are we going?” She asked.
“Where do you want to go? What would you like to eat?”
“I’d love a steak, juicy and medium rare.”
He pressed the button on his phone. “Cook? Could you add two steaks medium rare to the meal?” Then he hung up.
“We’re eating at your house?” Viv asked.
“Why not? There are few places better to eat and you can have whatever you want.” It was clear she was nervous now, but she didn’t say a thing. She might as well get used to staying at his house. This woman was his. They made it to his house and the lights on the porch were on welcoming them home.
Hurrying round, he open her car door and helped her out. Together they walked to the stairs and up them. Opening the main door for her, they both entered. The aroma of an amazing meal hit him and he led her to the dining room table. There sat his sister already eating her meal. Anger rolled over him but he hid it.
“Tamra, I thought you would be out tonight.”
“No, I had no plans and Cook made such a wonderful meal. You two should get your plates now before it’s all gone.”
He saw Viv fighting a smile. Maybe she wasn’t aware of how angry he was at his sister? A note had been left for her but she’d ignored it. They would have a talk soon, but not in front of his mate. It was time for his sister to get her own place and there was no time to waste.
“I need to go freshen up.” Viv said.
“You know where to go?”
“I do. I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she was out of sight, he turned to his sister. “What is the matter with you?”
“I’m trying to help you avoid a mistake.”
“We are already mated.”
“I’ll take care of her for you. She smells like she would taste good.”
“Are you crazy? Do you eat humans?” He asked.
“Of course not. It was just a little joke.”
He looked at her suspiciously. Did he believe her? No, he wasn’t sure she was being honest. “Next time I want a private meal with my mate, you better not be here.”
Viv came back about that time. He helped her to her seat and worried about what she might think of his poor relationship with his sister. The white wolf clan was close. They loved and supported each other without exception.
“Come let us eat. Tamra has a date and will have to go. Maybe you and she can get to know each other another time.” His sister knew better than to push him anymore. Once she said goodbye, she left quickly.
Cook brought the food, a plate for each of them and some extra food set out on the table. He got drinks and he had high hopes for dessert of more than one kind. Still, in the back of his mind he planned to contact several people to find Tamra a place of her own. Thank the goddess Hector was alright. He wondered if his other siblings would be alright or a problem? There might be regret that he’d invited them.
Right now he and Viv sat alone and he was enjoying the meal and her company even though neither of them spoke. Sometimes a companionable silence was better than speaking just to break the silence. The meal was excellent and he could see his mate was enjoying it. Maybe it would help convince her to move in with him. He needed all the help he could get. So far all outside forces seemed to have a negative effect like Tamra.
A little positive assistance would be most welcome. Now that he was almost done eating, he thought they could talk a little. “My sister is almost desperate to find a place of her own. I think she’s messing with me because she feels I’m not trying hard enough for her.”
Viv shot him a look. “I’m sure you’d also like her out of your hair?”
His face turned red. “Maybe a little bit. We’ve not been around each other much on many years. I’m not sure what to make of her.”
“That was hard to miss.”
“Any ideas?”
“It shouldn’t be too hard to find a small lake house. Is a small place what she wants?” Viv asked.
“I’m pretty sure. She said something about a two bedroom but she never gave me her requirements for a job. Maybe she doesn’t need another one. Her position for me part time pays enough to get by, but most of our kind like to live well. Without knowing her budget, it’s harder to match her up with a house.”
“Maybe she already has a job?” He shot her an incredulous look. “The work at home industry is quite large.”
“Maybe.” He grudgingly agreed.
“It might help if you ask her so we knew for sure.” Viv pointed out and he knew she was right.
While Hector would eventually want his own place too, right now he was fine with staying here and he didn’t mind it either. His brother kept his mind and his tongue in his own business. Cook brought out a cherry cheesecake and it was amazing. Viv liked it especially well so hopefully Cook would make it more often.
“We need to discuss our living arrangements soon.” He suggested.
“I’ve not been divorced long. Having another male in my life wasn’t in my plan.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but we are fated mates and that means our connection came from a higher authority.”
“I just need time. Can’t you understand that?” Viv asked.
“I need time too. Time with you so we can grow closer. We were always made to be together. Let’s go to bed now and I have clothes for you to wear tomorrow.”
He wasn’t sure what her feelings truly were, but she gave him her hand and he led her to his bedroom. Maybe she had fears, but her needs were stronger than that. In time, he would win the battle, but he hated to wait that long. Once inside his bedroom, the world outside shut down and all their attention was just on each other.
Stripping naked, he looked at Viv seeing she hadn’t undressed yet. That was okay because he didn’t mind unwrapping his gifts. There were signs of the change she was going through and she seemed ten years younger. He suspected she would have more energy and that possibility thrilled him. Pulling her to him for a kiss, he closed his eyes and noted her raised temperature. Her scent was changing, he could just barely pick up the feline scent under her human scent.
It wouldn’t be long and the cat would overwhelm any other smell she put off. He couldn’t wait until his mate changed completely. Now he slowly undressed her enjoying revealing every inch at a time. His woman was beautiful and he ached to join with her as quickly as possible. His shaft pressed against her hurting with need. Once she was bare, he positioned her on the bed. Normally he would take time to build their excitement, but he wanted her now and he could scent her readiness too.
Viv was on her hands and knees on the bed sending him a heated look over her shoulder as he got into the perfect position. As he sank into her the feeling of being exactly where he needed to be rolled over him. Her sweet sounds as she felt filled and joined with him made him feel even more delighted. After a brief pause so they could both adjust, he slowly began to move. His speed picked up as he saw she was encouraging him to move faster and deeper.
Her velvety sheath wrapped around him clutching at him sweetly. Her muscles gripped him much like a hand might. The aroma of her cat was building in strength and her change was taking on a life of its own. It wasn’t long before he drove in and out fast and hard. On the very edge of his bliss, he needed her to find hers first. His hand moved around her to the button that would set her off. Without even slowing down, his hand found the perfect spot and he circled it pressing harder and harder until she went off like a rocket screaming his name.
In seconds, he followed filling her full of his essence as he growled like the cat he was. Deep inside, he just knew she had conceived. If nothing else would, this child would bring them together. He fell on the bed then rolled to his back exhausted but so happy a smile was stuck to his face. Something was finally working out. The bad side was she wouldn’t know, not for sure, about the cub for weeks. There had to be a way to get her to the doctor sooner and get her a full physical.
While it was true Ariel had helped him some, he wasn’t too shy to ask for more help. His home and his life felt empty without Viv in it. Her mother might be an ally too. He’d take all the help he could get. Rolling onto his side, he watched Viv as she slept. The change was strong on her and she had little to go before it was complete.
Now she might be safe from others wanting to claim a white wolf especially since she was clearly some type of cat. Moving closer, he pulled her into his loving embrace. Her scent wrapped around him relaxing him more than anything else could. Was it any surprise they both fell into a deep healing sleep? When he woke dawn was well on its way to conquering the sky.
More often than not he woke around this time ready to do what needed to be done. His work often took him to midnight before he felt he could get away to rest. He knew many said that shifters needed less rest than humans, but that didn’t mean they didn’t crave more than they usually got. When he was with Viv all he wanted to do was rest in her arms. Goddess, he was getting sappy. His decision was made, he snuggled against his mate and went back to sleep. The day would take care of itself.
“Holy crap!!!” Viv screeched.
“Something wrong?” He asked as he lay there smiling at her.
“Shit yes! I should have had my day started a couple hours ago. Don’t you have things you need to do too?”
“Getting upset won’t get it done. Sleeping the night with you relaxed me and I feel ready to take on anything now.”
Viv rolled her eyes. “Then get to it. Where’s the clothes you said you had for me?”
“Look in the closet.”
She opened the door and looked stunned. “You got all this for me?”
The closet was half full of her items. He’d gotten Caro to buy a mix of things for her mom. That girl was a perfect ally. She didn’t want her mom to be alone anymore. There was no need for it anyway now that she’d met her true mate. They would be good together if Viv just let it happen.
“Who did you get to help you? Men aren’t good at this usually.”
“I asked Caro.”
“She knows about us?” Viv asked.
“Most of your family seems to without being told.”
“Scary, isn’t it?”
“Helpful at times. Let’s grab a quick breakfast and you can tell me what your plan is for your day.”
“I suppose that will work for me.” Viv agreed. It made him happy to get even the smallest agreement out of his stubborn mate.
Getting up he dressed in a few minutes and led her to the dining room. Cook brought out two plates right away. Both of them immediately began to eat. It seemed the hot sex between them brought out a voracious appetite for food as well. Neither spoke until their plates were almost empty.
“I’m not sure what I should do next. Haze has taken over the Coalition house. It’s nearly done anyway. Your guy has been working on some of the projects you have. I believe the house near the school is done.”
“When was that completed?”
“Yesterday if they didn’t run into any problems.”
“Why don’t we go inspect it before we worry about anything else? I think we have someone here that wanted that place. She’s a teacher and already has a job at the school. Since she’s a halfling being in town shouldn’t bother her as much.”
“Halfling? You really call them that?” Viv asked.
“They formed a community near our other one and that’s what they call themselves. I thought it was cute.”
“Only because you don’t understand that identifying them as a separate group fosters racism.”
“Alright. I suppose you are right. How do I change that?”
“You set an example by making them part of the group instead of a group that has a limited membership. What makes them considered halflings anyway?”
“It is any cheetah with a large amount of human or other blood. We have to track it because at some point they can no longer change form.”
“So at what, a quarter? Then they may or may not shift?”
“Exactly. Not unless they have a strong bloodline. There are only two of our kind that have that blood, mine and the Allingtons. I don’t know where any of them are. We need a historian to research and keep records. I’ve heard your family has one.”
“That’s true. Cousin Lucille is wonderful at it. She’s found family we had no clue about. Even those born outside of known relationships. I believe it may be her gift.” Viv admitted.
“Once my people are settled, we have many positions to fill like historian. Our hierarchy hasn’t even been started. The fights will be exciting.” Viv rolled her eyes making him laugh. “I’ve heard you were a scrapper when you were younger.”
“It’s true, but we fought for fun, over insults and slights. That was mainly among family.”
“Hm, sounds a bit like hierarchy.” He noticed she didn’t say anything. “Would you like a coffee to go?”
“Absolutely. You have travel mugs? I try not to use paper cups.”
“I actually bought you a travel mug. I’ll go get it.” Speedily he went to the kitchen and grabbed the travel mug he’d had washed.
Hurrying back, he smiled knowing she’d like it. “Here it is. I had it made.”
The mug was large the color purple. Cheetah paw prints were on it and Vivian was printed in fancy letters. She gasped in surprise. “I didn’t expect this. It’s perfect.” She stood and hugged him and kissed his cheek.
It was amazing how good it made him feel to please her. Never in all the experiences he’d had with females had he worried about pleasing them. Not that he wasn’t a considerate lover. He believed in giving them their joy first. But that wasn’t because he cared for them only because that was the way a gentleman did things. He’d had little to do with any of them outside of bed. There had never been a sense of companionship and none of his lovers had ever been his friend.
Viv was everything to him. His lover, his friend, his advisor and his soul mate all wrapped up in one. No one had ever meant more to him. It was his biggest dream that she would someday feel the same way. She had her coffee mug filled and ready to go. He quickly fixed himself a mug of juice and they left. Taking his SUV, she sat shotgun. That odd term came from the old days when one drove and the other person guarded whatever was in their wagon. They would sit there with a shotgun in hand ready to fire on any enemy that made themselves known. His father had lived through those times and told many stories, both scary and humorous.
They went to the little house in town first. “I can’t believe this is the same house.” He admitted as they walked to the door. The changes with this house in particular were stunning. “What is it? A two bedroom?”
“Yes, but it could have been more. We enlarged the kitchen slightly, put in a good sized utility room, and it has a nice home office. You can also see both the front porch and back deck give added room. They only had wooden steps before. The two bedrooms are upstairs and each have their own bathrooms. The one is plain the other for the master is nicer. There is also a storage room upstairs.” Viv explained.
“You did an amazing job. I’ll call the teacher and have her take a look. She already has a key.” It was a relief to have this shack rebuilt. When he’d seen it empty, he’d seen why no one wanted to take it. Now it was perfect for a small family.
“Where to next?” Viv asked.
“Where does that house with the land stand?”
“It too is nearly complete. The exterior is done and they are finishing up on the inside. Your crew is small, but with a few things outsourced, they do alright.”
That gave him something to think about. He could offer Tamra a choice of that or a small lake house he had bought. She’d even get a choice to buy or rent. That was how bad he wanted her gone. They pulled into the house that had a similar look to farmhouses when he’d bought it. The size and shape hadn’t changed, but the house still looked different.
It had been reroofed with metal roofing and stone had been put halfway up the front and used to make a larger more inviting porch. “This is great too. It’s amazing when you see them before and after.”
“That is part of what makes the job so satisfying.
“How large is this house?”
“It was a three bedroom two bath with an unfinished section in the back. It looked to be intended as a master. We finished it and not only does it have a nice master suite, but it has a walk in closet the size of a small room an office space and a storage room. That makes it an especially nice four bedroom three bath.” Viv explained.
“How does that work?”
“The master obviously has a well-appointed bathroom to itself. Two bedrooms share a bath and the other bedroom shares the bath that has access for guests. It’s the closest one to the living room.” Now she led him into the house and he was impressed with the old wood floors that had been brought to better than new condition.
“How were you able to save the wood floors?”
“It was pretty bad. We tore out the rotten ones and used some from another project that had floors that couldn’t be saved. The guy that does this kind of work is a genius. Now it’s got the character of several lifetimes and looks better than when it was new. He does all of Ariel’s wood floors and he’s first on my call list and Haze’s.”
“I’d thought about offering this too my sister, but this place needs a family. She never plans to have one and she doesn’t like kids.” He admitted.
“It does call out for a family. This place would be easy to add on to as well.”
“I’ll add it to my list of rentals for now. Are you ready to go to the coalition house to see how it’s progressing?”
“Are you willing to get recruited if they’re behind?”
“What do you mean?”
“Hazel’s been known to put people to work if she needs help even if they are untrained.”
“That might be interesting. Let’s go.”
When they arrived, everything seemed to be in chaos. “Where’s Haze?” Viv asked a male worker.
“Craziest thing I’ve seen yet. This guy walked up to her and asked her if she was the crew boss. She said, ‘Damn tootin I am.’ The guy picks her up and walks away with her.”
“Hank, you get everybody back to work. It’s just a guy trying to get a date. I’ll have Ariel run him down and we’ll see if it worked on her or not. Get to it.”
Viv pulled out her phone. “Ariel?”
“I already know. It’s our latest cat leader and he says he’ll bring her back. He’s a bobcat, most of the lynx are. She’s alright, don’t worry about her.”
“Okay. I suppose it will be alright.”
“It will be.” Ariel said cheerfully.
“You heard?” She asked.
“I guess you white wolves do have crazy lives.”
“You were warned but you jumped in anyway. Now you get to learn construction.” Viv said.
He followed her to the building where the crew was working, but not very hard. Viv quickly got their attention. “No one interested in a bonus around here? We’re almost done. Just get with it and everyone will get a nice bonus.”
Now he saw they were working harder and Viv went into a room that was being painted. “We’ll get the room done by quitting time. Only the walls need done.” They began to paint and he was impressed with her skill. He did alright, but she went over his wall before she let it dry.
“Hey, was I that bad?”
“No, but you’ll be glad I went over it. I just smoothed out a few spots. If this was a management problem, I’d be glad of your expertise. It’s a construction issue so you should be glad of mine.”
“I am, Beautiful. I just wanted to save you from having to do more work.”
“And you did by helping. Hopefully now that this room is finished except for the cleanup, they’re caught up.” They went out to the rest of the house to see most rooms were ready to be cleaned and the job was almost complete. People already lived in all but the bottom level. The wonderful thing was they were two weeks ahead even with all the issues and problems. “The cleaners will be in tomorrow and the crew will get their bonus and a day off before the next project.
“Who will take charge of the next project?” He asked.
“Haze will. If she needs help, Mairi and me will assist.”
“If you don’t help Haze, what will you do?”
“Mom has me starting on four more apartment buildings. There’s a housing shortage, not just here, but in the surrounding towns. Even if the other cats find their own places, humans may come in from the towns that need workers but have no places to live.”
“Does that happen a lot?” He asked.
“Sometimes when work is available, new people flood an area. Housing sometimes never catches up. It’s hard to drive in daily for long distances. Right now that’s happening in towns near here with major employers. We’ll either have cats grabbing the apartments first, or offer them to surplus people from the surrounding area. Ariel has started working on houses in Berryville and even Green Forest. There are several rundown ones empty and in need of lots of love. Once all the big houses are done, Ariel will go back to her usual work.”
“I thought this was what she did.” He said.
“No, new construction isn’t her thing. She loves to remodel old houses. It’s more challenging, but very rewarding.”
“I never heard that. Why is she doing this then?”
“It’s to help all of you. You’re houses would never get done if she didn’t help.”
“Is she really that nice?” He asked.