Chapter 2
The Flower Shop
Andi Olsen sat on the stool in the back of her shop fixing an elaborate arrangement for a wedding anniversary. The order had been specific and not one of the usual catalog orders. The lady apparently loved irises and this was a good time for them. The gentleman loved violets but they were a little harder to get, but she had found them. It helped they had ordered a month ago.
Her little shop had a brisk business. She’d owned it for three years now. Andi was paying every extra dime she could get on her mortgage. Owing money was not something she was comfortable with because a slow year could cost her the business. Andi lived upstairs so she didn’t spend much money on herself. Ariel had helped her get her credit established which she would be forever grateful for.
Two part-time employees helped her and one was a college student, the other a mother. Harry, the college student, worked thirty hours most weeks, but it was the flexibility of being able to take off for exams and special events at college that made the job perfect for him. Mary wanted hours that allowed her to pick up her kids from school in the afternoon or drop them off in the morning.
Andi mainly needed someone to run the cash register as well as answer the phone. She did nearly all the arrangements filling the cooler or making special orders, either in the evening or early in the morning. The store was her life. Once it was paid off, she would consider expanding the store. There was already a gift section where she sold any items she thought would be popular that she could get at a good price.
She also had art on the walls that she sold for local artists, which got her a commission. Sometimes, like around certain holidays, she did exceptionally well. Other times, when there weren’t any holidays, she coasted, barely managing her bills. Andi was closed on Sundays, but she still made deliveries to funerals and hospitals for a small extra charge. No one had ever complained about the charge, they were always just happy to discover she would do the delivery.
Other than that, Sundays were the day she caught up on her work at the shop. It was the day she did the cleaning, the reorganizing, and sometimes, the shopping for the gifts she sold. A social life, she didn’t have one. It would only interfere with the success she was working so hard to get.
It wasn’t easy to be a small business owner and compete with the big stores that had sections that sold flowers. Luckily, her town wasn’t one of those. Her flower shop was the only one here and that helped her. She hoped it would stay that way until she had her business paid for. At that point, everything would be so much easier.
As Andi worked on the large arrangement, her mind wandered to the new group of shifters moving into the area. She’d never been around cat shifters, at least not that she knew of. Somewhere in her ancestry, she knew she had white wolf blood. This she was certain of, but her mother had always told her that her great grandpa had been a lion.
Maybe that was why she’d felt drawn to the big guy Ariel had sent the gift package to. Why else would she feel that way? Even the lions lurking about in their animal forms hadn’t alarmed her as much as they should have. Most people wouldn’t have exited their vehicle knowing they were nearby. They had been big and she’d seen their sharp teeth. The lions had been beautiful and graceful, but she knew they could be deadly. She’d been cautious, but not truly scared.
That male needed to get out of her mind. She needed to concentrate for just a little longer so she could get this done. It was a special order she was delivering tonight at a restaurant in Eureka Springs. It happened to be her favorite restaurant. It was her intention to stay and eat one of the marvelous meals they made before she headed home. Once she smelled their food, she had to eat there.
Finish, she ordered herself. If she didn’t hurry, she wouldn’t have time to clean up and change clothes before she delivered the order. The lady that ran the place Andi considered a friend, would be excited to see a couple celebrating there with their family and friends. Andi was already getting excited since she was so close to being done. It looked spectacular already, with just a few more touches before she’d be done. She pushed her memories of the handsome stranger to the back of her mind and finished the arrangement.
Finally, it was done and the colors contrasted nicely. The arrangement was displayed in an extra-large oblong green ceramic pot with flowers that had a sweet aroma that scented the air around it. A huge deep purple bow graced the front with a figurine of an older couple mounted on a stick was placed in the center. She could load the arrangement since the SUV was cool because it was spring.
Now she rushed around to look as good as possible for her solitary meal. She even wore a dress, one of her sexier ones. Why she bothered when she didn’t have a date, she didn’t know. Maybe a girl had to fix herself up occasionally, even if it was just for herself. Her black dress with gold trim, her sexy heels with matching clutch, and the lovely gold jewelry she’d chosen made her feel pretty.
Carefully, she made her way out to the SUV so she could get on her way. She made good time pulling into her favorite restaurant early. As she entered, her favorite hostess greeted her warmly and she asked to be seated in her favorite waiter’s section. So far so good, she thought as she sat down keeping the arrangement shielded so it was hard to see. In thirty minutes, she would deliver it so she would have her obligation dealt with.
“Did you sneak out without the others or are they hiding somewhere?”
“Just me tonight. I’m delivering this arrangement to the party in about thirty minutes. Since I’m here, I can’t resist a meal.” She smiled. She’d known Michael for several years, he was good people.
“Do you know what you want? That’s a silly question. I’ll go get your soup and bratwurst to start with. I’ll bring you your drink too.” He hurried away. Things were starting to get busy.
He brought her a drink with her appetizers. She ordered her meal and when she was done with her appetizers, it was time to deliver the arrangement. She’d been watching the guests come in one or two at a time, making their ways to the party room in the back.
Picking up the gift, she carefully made her way to the back. Michael pointed to the happy couple and she set the arrangement down at the center of the table they sat on. “Oh my God! Is that for us?” The lady cried. “Who is it from?”
“There’s a card with a message,” Andi stated while pointing to it.
“Thank you for delivering it,” The husband said.
“You’re welcome.” She smiled then quickly left so she wouldn’t interrupt the party. She was ready for the meal now and it came just moments after she sat down. Her waiter had held it to keep it warm for her.
She’d ordered the Jaeger Schnitzel this time. It was a breaded and fried pork with hunter gravy and mushrooms. It had buttered cooked potatoes with peas and carrots. The meal was absolutely mouthwatering. Andi ate slowly to savor every bite, then Michael asked about dessert. There was no way to turn it down because she loved the tiramisu ala Michael. Her favorite waiter had magical ways with the already incredible dessert taking it to amazing levels of deliciousness.
The dessert she got with coffee so she could enjoy it fully. It made her feel spoiled, yes, it was that good. By the time she was done and paid the bill, it was time to go. The party still raged on and she heard laughter and fun coming from the back room. It was an honor to be able to be part of something that made someone happy.
There was a chill in the air so she hurried to get in her SUV. She closed and locked the doors before she looked in the rearview mirror so she could back up. A pair of glowing eyes met hers. Since she had the room to back up, she went ahead moving back slowly. The eyes just disappeared. Andi headed on her way, but the experience left her nervous with a ball of dread sat in her stomach. Ariel always cautioned them to take no chances, so in the morning she would call her cousin to discuss it with her.
Andi drove home her mind besieged with worry. Would the danger follow her home? Was it even a danger or just a wild animal that had wandered there? She saw no signs of anything worrisome the rest of the way home, so she felt relieved. Not so relieved that she forgot about it or planned not to mention it. Ariel would still hear about it and hopefully she would have an insight into what she’d seen. Until then, Andi would fret over the glowing eyes hoping they weren’t as scary as they’d seemed.
Once she made it home, she relaxed a little. She needed to or she would never get to sleep and her regular week started in the morning. Eighty hours or more a week wasn’t an easy thing to pull off. Andi valued what sleep she managed to get because it helped her stay calm, cool and collected. Once she was in the house, she undressed to get into bed. When she closed her eyes, she saw the glowing eyes in her mind. It was time to meditate, something she had a hard time doing.
Her breathing slowed as she thought of Hawaii, a place she’d always wanted to visit. In her mind, she could see it almost as if she was there. The sandy beach, the beautiful blue water, and the palm trees moving in the breeze. There were lovely exotic flowers with their sweet scent that came to her on the breeze.
At some point, she fell asleep because her alarm went off at the usual time. She needed to get up, get ready, eat breakfast and then start her work day. Once she was dressed, she headed to the kitchen where she fixed a bowl of oatmeal. She rarely used the coffee pot up here since she made coffee downstairs for her employees and customers. After she finished eating, she headed downstairs.
First, she put on the coffee then she pulled up the website that listed any orders she might have. Often there were some, sometimes there were several. People used flowers, plants, and the other gifts she carried to show love, celebrate, and send their sympathies. Today would be busy, there was a funeral and a baby had been born. It was sad that someone had left this world but they’d been well known and loved, judging by the orders.
She’d only be delivering a couple flowers to the new mother, but she probably received most of her gifts while still in the hospital. There was no hospital in her town. Andi immediately got on the orders. Unfortunately, she lacked the flowers for one of the custom orders and had to substitute. When that happened, she upgraded them to a bigger more expensive arrangement. For funerals, most people didn’t mind, especially since it was a better deal.
The coffee was finished brewing right after she got the orders printed off. She poured herself a mug in self-defense. Andi needed something to reinforce her, coffee usually worked best. After setting the mug near her work station, she gathered the supplies she would need for several arrangements at once. The potted plants came ready to go needing only the card, although she did do some custom work in those too.
After a couple hours of hard work, Harry came in to start work. All the pre-ordered arrangements were done and she was already working on some arrangements for people that wandered into the store. “Good morning, Andi,” Harry declared.
“Mornin’ Harry. Grab you a cup of coffee.”
“Glad you have some made. I brought a dozen donuts so we can snack until lunch,” he explained with a smile.
Harry often brought donuts when his favorite donut shop had day old ones available. He had a crush on the cashier and it gave him an excuse to visit her. One of these days he would actually ask her out. The young man was sweet and cute as a bug. Maybe that wasn’t the manliest way to describe a guy, but it fit. The girl he crushed on was a sweetie too.
“How’s Sandy?”
“Pretty as ever. I just can’t get the nerve up. You know what I mean?”
He often asked Andi for advice, even though she was only a few years older and had never been in a long-term relationship. She hadn’t even dated since she’d opened the store. How would she find the time? Between making her floral creations, putting in order, and delivery, there was little time left. It was okay because she had her eyes on the prize, a business plan she was getting closer to every day. At the rate she was going, two more years then it would all be paid for.
“She’s so sweet. I bet she would be nice about it no matter how she replied.”
“I know you’re right, I’ve started to ask and just chickened out.”
“I wish you luck. Maybe next time you’ll ask. I better grab a donut then get back to work. You want to grab some of these flowers and take them to the cooler?”
“I’m right on it.”
He was and now that he was here, the day would speed right along. It was a couple hours before anyone came in, but then it was crazy until lunch. Harry took lunch first while she covered the desk. People often came to put in orders or picked up flowers while on lunch break. Once she looked at the cooler to see what had sold, she made more to fill the empty spots.
The day was pretty typical since Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays were the biggest days. Wednesday was often so slow unless she had a wedding or a funeral, she didn’t have any help come in until the afternoon so Andi could do deliveries. That was one of Mary’s days because she could come in early if called. She also worked Thursday and half the day Saturday. Both her employees could help with arrangements, they knew how to check the website for orders just in case of emergencies.
Harry wasn’t the best at making them and preferred not to do it even though he could make them look okay. Mary was an artist so hers looked lovely. She also loved doing it so sometimes Andi would cover the sales desk to let Mary make arrangements. It gave them both a change of pace. Tomorrow, Harry would arrive at ten and work until six which was closing.
Now that Harry was back from lunch, she would grab a bite to eat and begin deliveries. Once she was back, they would see how business went, but usually he left at four. Once she closed at six, she would make more deliveries if necessary. If she had flowers that looked like they wouldn’t last, she called her cousin, Phyllis, who worked with senior citizens. She’d come over to help her fix arrangements using them and take them to the hospital or a senior citizens center.
It was nice that nothing was wasted, every flower brightened someone’s day. It was rare that she had any left over so once in a while, she would order extra so Phyllis could have something to work with. It was one of the benefits of being the owner, she liked to give stuff away to people who needed it. No, it wouldn’t feed or clothe anyone, nor would it put a roof over their head or keep them warm, but the spirit needed sustenance too. There was no doubt it would put a smile on someone’s face.
She was too busy to do that today, but maybe later in the week. Phyllis had a list of people at the nursing home that needing cheering up and several of them were regulars. Some had poor families who just couldn’t afford much, but some had families that had turned their backs on them, they’d forgotten them. One poor old lady even cried every day about how her family had thrown her away, placing her there so they could take her money as well as everything she owned. Sadly, Phyllis admitted it was true.
That sweet lady, Francis, was on the top of the list. Several others had conditions where their families visited when they could, but they never remembered them. They forgot the visit before the family was even out the door. So much pain and suffering to be found in that place. At least Phyllis had assured her the people were well cared for. The employees were sweet and caring, which counted for a lot.
Her back hurt, today had been challenging with some of the heavier pots being used. It would be nice to have a teenager help with deliveries, a strong young man preferably.
Andi just didn’t feel she could pay out that extra money until she had her business paid for. To her, paying it off was the most important thing. That would give her a sense of security and allow her to expand the business in ways she had been considering.
If there was any possible way to do it, she would pay even more on her loan. Right now, she doubled the monthly payment meaning some months she had little to live on. At least she knew how to make it on a small budget. Andi needed little, her business was her dream. She’d gotten an associate degree in business while she worked for a florist saving everything she could. Now, she was living her dream.
The week progressed much like usual except for a big wedding she handled on her usually slow Wednesday. She didn’t get many large weddings, so it was some welcome income. Andi somehow managed to push Sebastian, the lion shifter, to the back of her mind except at night when her dreams ran rampant. What was a girl to do? He was so damn sexy; it was hard not to think about him.
There was a strange guy that came in to buy some cut flowers. He pumped Harry for information being so obvious, Harry teased her about her new admirer. Andi had no idea who the guy could be. He came back on Wednesday, Mary said he gave her the creeps. She refused to answer his questions, so he bought a single rose then left. It was beginning to bother her. What was going on?
This guy was acting like a stalker. Andi didn’t know who he was nor did she want to. Things like this didn’t happen to her because she didn’t get out that much so she never met guys like him. Since he paid with cash, she didn’t even have a name. If he came back, she would get a picture of him just in case. For now, she needed to get back to work. It was just her and Harry, so there was no extra help to be had with lots of arrangements to be made.
The one she was working on right now was red roses and white orchids. It was for the wedding supper tonight. A family member would pick it up in an hour so she needed it done. The whole thing was huge with a bride held in the arms of a groom in the center. They were made out of glass so they could be kept as a keepsake. The ribbon was a double weave. Both red and white were used and clear crystal wedding bells were attached to the ribbon’s center.
The whole effect when she was done was gorgeous. A guy came to get it, the bride’s brother. He was attractive with the same coloring as the bride but he looked manly while she was cute. If she was honest, she was glad to be rid of it without having to deliver it. The figurines and the bells were delicate. That made it an accident waiting to happen.
Harry left early, but everything was in hand. It made her wonder what she would do when he was gone. Maybe a couple part time high school kids could be trained to help fill in the gap until a full-time worker was hired. They would still be able to work later, it just wouldn’t be as much. Sometimes being the boss was great but when it came to these decisions, it just sucked.
Once the day was done, she would be glad to get off work so she could sleep. Yesterday had been demanding and she had worked late. Mary’s kids had the flu which meant she’d had to leave early. If she got the flu, Andi might have to close the store for a couple hours to do deliveries. She still took calls by having them forwarded to her cell phone. That would be the best she could do.
No one came in the last hour and she got all the wedding arrangements for tomorrow done. There was no way to describe the relief when things worked out. Knowing she could deliver gave her piece of mind. Since she was so tired, she quit early then turned in for the night after setting her alarm. Hopefully her tiredness wasn’t a sign of an impending illness. The last thing she needed was to get sick when business was up with weirdos lurked about. She drifted off to sleep thinking only good thoughts.
The next morning, she got up to take care of the wedding order first. Someone came to the church to let her in and she set everything up quickly. As was often the case, they’d also rented some decorations that she would have to pick up tonight when the wedding was over. When she was done two hours later, the church looked gorgeous. The bouquets had been placed in a spare fridge the church had. Relief washed over her, she was done.
Andi got ready to leave when she noticed someone hanging out in the parking lot. It was a guy, all alone. He was big like a football player with a threatening look on his face. She went to get the deacon who had let her in to the church so he could peer out at the man.
“I don’t know him, but I have to agree, he looks threatening. I’ll call the local cop so he can come to check him out.”
The town only had one cop because it was so small. The city cop worked days, the sheriff’s department or the state patrol covered emergencies that occurred outside of regular business hours. Since it was nearly eight and the deacon knew the cop personally, he agreed to come and check out the guy. As soon as the cop pulled into the lot, the car started driving off. To Andi, that looked suspicious. She left immediately and was only a few minutes late opening the store.
It was clear to her that she had gotten busy enough she needed another even more part time worker. The job might develop more hours later. If things kept picking up as they tended to do in the spring and summer, she would be busy enough to need two. Today, since she had no one coming in to help, she closed an hour for lunch. It wasn’t to eat either, she had to make and deliver two arrangements. With just a few minutes to spare, she grabbed a sandwich upstairs and an apple to eat for lunch.
Once she was back downstairs, she opened the door right away. When she looked out the door, she saw the cop car drive by. It made her feel much better that he was checking on her. She’d mentioned her concerns about the guy in the parking lot. The cop knew Ariel, they were good friends from way back. Ariel had talked to him as well.
This whole thing was becoming alarming. The only thing that had changed locally was the cats building a community near town. They’d all seemed alright so she wouldn’t assume it was them. Andi needed to take some time to visit Ariel. Maybe if they talked this out something would come to light. This guy made her nervous. That was something she didn’t need as busy as she was.
Ariel had always warned them, all the cousins that was, that danger lurked nearby for all white wolves, especially unmated ones. Andi wasn’t on the list the wolf council had, so how would anyone find her? It was a mystery and Andi didn’t know if they were after her as a white wolf or for some other unknown reason.
Business was slow so she had time to stock up her cooler, fix the arrangements for online orders, and clean up the store. Once it was closing time, she prepared to deliver orders carefully scanning the area around the store but not seeing anyone who shouldn’t be there. It seemed, for now anyway, everything was back to normal. She was sure that it wouldn’t stay that way. Someone wouldn’t go through all this trouble to stalk her, just to quit because they were noticed.
Once the deliveries were done, she went to Sara’s diner to eat supper. It was a rare treat she gave herself. When Sara saw her, she sat with her to talk. “Ariel said you’re being bothered. I had a situation but it resolved itself without too much trouble. They weren’t true rogues, or at least their hearts weren’t in it.”
It seemed like most mated white wolves had a story about an abduction or at the least, an attempted one. Ariel had even been abducted after she had mated. That was unusual, but Ariel was the white wolf. She was considered the strongest and most powerful of their clan as well as the matriarch, once sweet Aunt Daisy had passed on.
“It’s a bit scary since the guy came into the flower shop twice. I also saw golden yes following me one night. Now, I have what I suspect is the same guy following me around. What will I do if he tries to take me?”
“We’ve all had training, don’t forget it.”
Sara was referring to the training Ariel had made sure they had gotten in self-defense. Sara had gotten scared and not used it. Luckily, her mate had saved her. Many of the other white wolves had used their training to avoid being taken. A few had used it but been overwhelmed. Those few had been taken anyway. Her food came so Sara left her to eat her meal in peace.
The food was good making this a worthwhile splurge. It was rare that Andi had a good meal like this. She could cook but didn’t bother to fix a meal often. Sometimes it just seemed like too much trouble when she was tired from work. Cold cereal, a TV dinner, or a heated can of soup or pasta was often her go to meal. That was easy as well as filling. Often, she had to tell herself life would change once her business was paid for. It was a worthwhile sacrifice to make. When it was paid for, a down swing in the economy or a bad cycle for the business wouldn’t cause her to lose it.
Now that she’d eaten, she paid then left. Her bed was calling her, an early morning would see her work done. Sometimes a good meal with a good night’s sleep after it would make her feel much better. Arriving back at her shop, which wasn’t far from Sara’s diner, she looked around to be sure no one was there watching her. As far as she could tell, no one was there. At this time in the early evening, the parking lot was empty and since it was a week day, there was little traffic driving by.
The shop looked just like it had when she’d left. When she woke in the morning, it would need to be cleaned up before she started fixing the needed arrangements. Maybe she was just getting spooked unnecessarily. It could be she was worried without enough reason. Still, Ariel cautioned them that they could be victimized by these groups that prayed on the white wolf clan. That wasn’t a made-up worry, there was proof that it was a real concern.
Ariel wasn’t one of those crazy females that was always paranoid. She had real, proven issues. To ignore the facts just to set her mind at ease would be foolish. As soon as she turned off her security system, she heard a loud crash as someone tried to break in the door. Her car keys were still in her hand, they were the electronic kind so she set off the alarm. It blared loud making more noise than her house alarm would.
Her eyes met those of the crazy guy through the heavy glass that hadn’t broken. The sound of the alarm shook him up and he ran away. Pulling out her phone, she made a call to Tyne first. Most white wolves, especially those with businesses used Tyne’s services. She had several cameras including one on the porch. They now had a picture of the stalker. Maybe Tyne could take care of this mess.
Chapter 3
Foundations
It was a hard job, but someone had to do it. Why the hell did it have to be him? Sebastian had a good work ethic, but people seemed to forget he was also running a billion-dollar corporation with dozens of smaller businesses under its umbrella. Laying the foundation of what would be Cat Nation, as some people had nicknamed it, or the Feline North American Alliance, FNA, was no easy job.
Seven groups, with the Lynx taking on several of the smaller wild cats, like ocelots and bobcats, just to name two, there was plenty of personalities to deal with. Seb, as his friends and family called him, didn’t want to get bogged down with the demands of a single group, but he didn’t want anyone to get ignored or feel left out. That was what the wolves had done.
They ran things for shifters without giving any of the other kinds any say. Of the different kinds of shifters, cats had the next largest numbers to wolves, but all shifters should be heard when major decisions were being made that affected them all. Cats numbers were about thirty percent that of wolves. Bear were next, then coyotes. Exotic shifters, ones he’d never seen but heard rumors of like Phoenix, dragons, unicorns, and so on, were probably next if they were all combined.
The exotics supposedly had large numbers on the other side of the veil, but he was dealing with those trapped on this side. It wasn’t fair not to give all shifters a say in the laws that governed their kind. Damon McDougal was in agreement. Seb liked the guy, even would go so far as to say he was fair. He’d brought it up to the council but couldn’t get support. Ariel agreed to help. He’d asked why and she’d surprised him.
“I have a cousin, Billie, who I haven’t seen in ages,” she began making Seb wondered what kind of story this was going to be. “She has a theory that magic attracts magic and I have to say I’ve seen it time after time. Many of the white wolves have mated with humans, that’s true. What’s also true is many have feline, witch, exotic shifters, fae, and other supernaturals in their bloodlines. The strength of our blood didn’t just pull in the interest of the werewolves, it grabbed everyone’s attention.”
“I believe I understand. You clan has the blood of many kinds running through their veins. In the interest of looking out for your clan, you are willing to help all kinds,” Seb observed.
“I’d like to think I would want to be fair regardless,” Ariel declared.
“We all like to believe that,” he agreed.
If he was going to have to battle the werewolf council, at least he had powerful allies. Ariel had gotten him in touch with a bear, Tank, that worked with the council and many thought highly of. She also had contacts with the witches’ council. It was amazing how many white wolf females were witches. The exotics, she had said, wouldn’t want to be contacted. Did that mean she assumed it or did she actually know some? She also told him she had contacted the leader of the coyotes. He would call Seb if he was interested. It seemed Ariel knew most people of any interest in shifter or even paranormal politics.
If he was able to go forward, he would need to set up a meeting with the interested parties. It seemed everything he touched became a massive time sucking project. Also, he often remembered the woman who had brought the gift pack to them. He wanted to see her, to get to know her, to have her. If only he could make a little time, that’s what he needed to go see her.
Maybe he should ask Ariel about her? The woman was human so she wouldn’t be a good mate, but she would make a good lover. A human mate that wasn’t a fated one would grow old at the regular human rate. If they were a fated mate, it would slow their aging plus give them some added strength. They might also get other added benefits, it was hard to say. As the Feline King, he had to be careful who he chose to mate because of his people. That’s what his father had always told him.
His mother had not been his father’s fated mate, but they’d had several offspring. Seb was the oldest. Four sisters came next, but two died, one was a miscarriage and one died as a cub. Once a cub made it to a year old, there were few diseases that could kill them. Violence was the way most cats died. Sadly, most males died in hierarchy battles. Lions in particular were blood thirsty, fought hard and often. He had two younger brothers, the older of the two was the one running the company in New York now. Seb had fought daily when he’d first taken over for his father.
He’d not killed his opponents, their kind already had low numbers. When opponents with no chance to win kept challenging, he began to humiliate them. Maybe it wasn’t nice, but he’d not had a challenge in years. The first one he’d done it to, he’d knocked him out and shaved his mane. It was a terrible embarrassment to a lion to lose his mane. Sometimes he cut their tail off or had their claws dyed pink and added glitter. If that doesn’t sound so bad, male lions are very masculine.
Once it’s done, the teasing never ends. Some dropped out of the pride moving to the far corners of the Earth. He didn’t mind one challenge from someone that thought they had a chance. Repeated challenges from someone with no hope wasted his time and had to be punished. Seb was a dominant lion, he trained heavily so he would never lose. It may have helped too when the word got out that his wealth was family money, the pride had little.
It seemed some of the challengers thought they’d be wealthy if they won, instead of still being as poor as they were, but with a lot of responsibilities. Seb’s family gave a lot of their money to the pride. It helped keep many of the programs going. He’d like to talk to Ariel about some of her programs like childcare and employment. It was impossible to deny that he found the female impressive but it wasn’t because of her reputation, it was because of the reality he saw working in their pack.
The pack was healthy as well as happy. Almost everyone had a job that wanted one. Children received a good education including college. No one was hungry or homeless. The pack took care of pack even to the point of taking in strays from time to time and turning their lives around. Even more impressive, the pack didn’t seem to be burdened by taking on those in need. They still met all their obligations without anyone feeling slighted or doing without. It was possible Ariel was using her own funds, but she’d said anything she used was a loan she got back. How did that work?
Seb took care of his pride, none of his people did without. The issue was there were others in need that were asking for assistance. So many that it could be an issue. How had Ariel managed without going bankrupt? How would he and the pride manage? It wasn’t that a few couldn’t be accommodated. They would have job openings for a limited number of people. It was the overwhelming number of requests he’d received from around the world. As the king, he felt the responsibility to help his people. As a pride alpha, he had to put his pride first.
He’d already accepted a small number of people who would be coming before anyone else did so they would be in place when his pride moved. With them in a position of knowing the area, it would help them make friends when they assisted the others. That much he’d managed to work out, but that was fifty applications out of thousands. Many were not full bloods, but even so, he was amazed at the number of people with some feline blood.
That told him many of the males had been spreading their seed far and wide. That was against the laws of their kind. It was against the laws of all supernaturals. Having mixed blood children out among the humans that knew nothing of their kinds wasn’t a good thing. Was it only the felines or was this problem one all kinds had? Seb didn’t need any more problems but they seemed to pile up on him. He hadn’t dealt with the ones he already had, now he had more.
“We’ve got the security store ready to open. Four of the guys will be staying there for now. Two in the upstairs bedrooms, one on the couch, and one in the downstairs bedroom. That should help, right?’ Riley asked. Yeah, it helped and since they were unmated, they wouldn’t mind the tight quarters since they all could sleep on a bed.
The trip to the furniture store two days ago had gone well. Because he’d bought so much furniture, they’d delivered free. He’d selected the sleeper couch for visitors and hadn’t really thought about them using it semi-permanently. His emphasis seemed to be on comfort, but he needed to get it on practicality for their current situation.
If the sale for the old motel went through, he’d be able to bring more people down. The old motel had been a collection of small cottages that people taking a fishing vacation had rented. Some were no larger than a hotel room, some where the size of two. Some of the single sized ones had two beds, a few had one. Most of the fishermen that came at least had a buddy with them. It wasn’t even unusual for a family to stay there. It was a bit rundown, but still livable. The owner rented out the rooms by the week now, but they were an older couple, which was why they just wanted to sell it.
It was possible if everything went well that he could own the place by week’s end. There were twenty units ready for occupancy plus the owners home which was where the office was located. The motel sat on fifty acres with direct access to an arm of Table Rock Lake. The land had gone to hell with even the path that led to the lake overgrown and inaccessible. Having a wooded area that led to the water would be heaven for his lions.
Two of them could take charge of this place to begin to renovate the cottages so they could work on the lake access. He didn’t want the land cleared of trees, only the access restored and the woods tamed a bit. The thought of all the possibilities the property had made him excited. His youngest brother, who happened to be the pride attorney, was working out the deal. Soren, his brother, was interested in visiting him down here. Who knew, he might even move down here.
He missed his brothers, Soren and Sevon. His sisters, Seleste and Sindy, both planned to move down here with him. Neither were happy that they hadn’t gotten to move as soon as he did. Sebastian worried about the females, he wanted to protect them. That protective feeling was even greater for the single females like both his sisters were. Once things were established, they could move, but not until then.
Yes, it was weird all of his siblings, himself included, had names that started with an S. It was a quirk his mom had which his dad had gone along with. Proud to have so many cubs, he’d let his mate have her way. When she’d wanted him to step down as alpha to take her all over the world when the cubs had been grown, again he had let her have things her way. Sebastian had been ready, so he hadn’t minded.
The transition of power had gone smoothly since he’d worked at his father’s side since he was a young cub. Now he’d been alpha for fifty years and planned to be for many more years. Even the responsibilities which sometimes weighed heavily on him weren’t enough to make him step back. It wouldn’t stress him out so much if he didn’t care about his people so much. Soon, he would be in a position to improve the lives of not only his people, but all felines and even other shifters that had been ignored in the wolves’ power struggles.
Truly came into his office, well, their office. The porch they were forced to use as an office wasn’t as private as what he was used to. His PA had her own desk out here, but not her own office. He suspected she would be thrilled once he and the others moved to the compound to leave them to their home. Her children ran past them to the door that went out to the yard. Back where they’d lived before, Truly had a big beautiful house with a pool and a fenced in back yard.
Here she didn’t even have the humble three-bedroom ranch for herself and her family. She was sharing it with seven other males. Steve was a great guy the way he accepted it all without getting upset. “Here’s the advertising package for the security store. It is scheduled to be up and running in a week. The gym will have to be built new. There’s nothing suitable to use, but Soren found the land that will work. By the way, he closed the deal on the motel. You can move in within the week. Apparently, the couple are downsizing and they have been selling off things for months. Anything else you’re concerned with?” Truly asked.
“What do you think about us buying a few local homes? If we can get a good deal on something that will work for someone in the pack?”
“You’re going to do as Ariel did?”
“Why not? Her pack runs like a well-oiled machine.”
“Can’t argue with you there.”
“I also want us to work on a list a possible business for those who don’t fit in our usual ones.” Truly looked like she wanted to say something. “What? Go ahead and tell me.”
“Well, you know my guilty pleasure.”
“The paranormal and sci-fi romances you have stuck in all the drawers of your desk?” He thought it was cute that she blushed.
“Yes, that. I keep up with some of my favorite authors. Catty Diva, she’s SFR which is science fiction romance, she told me it’s hard to find a press to print hard back books at a reasonable price for indie authors. I just thought maybe you could open a small print shop. They could do books and even other things like mugs, T-shirts, maybe even bookmarks.”
“Do we have anyone that can even do that? Can they be competitive?”
“Seb, I’m disappointed in you. Sindy worked for a printer for years when she was young. She’s always talked about opening a print shop.”
“My sister Sindy?” He was embarrassed he didn’t know, but that was probably when he had first become alpha and was being challenged every day.
“Yes, your sister. She would be so excited. I found a great building that would work near Sara’s café. It’s been abandoned for a while, but it’s big enough to hold a mini mall. You could establish several small businesses. It’s for sale, it’s been for sale for a long time.”
“Okay. Get Soren on it. If it doesn’t work out, it could be used as an apartment house. Anything else you’ve been stewing about?”
“Since you asked, I’ve talked to Moe, Tyne’s mate. She has that tourist mall she’s just recently got going. She needs some tourist attractions. I thought we could have a Safari tour through part of our land. Give them the chance to see big cats wandering around on a preserve.”
“That’s another good idea. It would give the younger ones a paying job and a chance to let their cats out.”
“Some of the older ones like to let their cats out too,” Truly observed.
“You want to be in charge of that? You could see what we’d need to get, like trolleys or whatever, get with Moe about tickets, prices, and finally get a list of who wants to work the safari ride. We’d need drivers and cats.”
“I can do that,” Truly promised.
Seb hated the idea of getting a new PA, but it was obvious Truly was being underutilized. She could be in management where she was challenged. There she would be an even bigger help to him, plus she would be paid accordingly. Holding her back wasn’t fair to her nor would it be the best thig for him in the long run. As a manager, she would eventually help take part of the burden off him.
“Truly?”
“Yeah, Seb?”
“I need you to find me a new PA.”
“What? What’s going to happen to your current one?” She asked looking confused.
“She’s getting a promotion and will need a PA of her own.”
Truly shrieked an unnatural sound that hurt his ears. “Why did you never tell me you wished to work in management?”
“I wasn’t sure if I would be any good at it.”
Seb gave her a disbelieving look. “What you do for me is like managing. A good PA will always be a good manager if they want to be. You should have told me. We would have had someone already trained by now.”
“I’ll get someone selected, but if we hire a lion, where will they stay?”
“Get some property bought, Truly.”
She turned to leave, there was plenty for her to do now. He could only hope she would find him a skilled PA to take her place. With all the things going on right now, he’d never needed one more. It was early with many more hours to work at accomplishing a long list of tasks. He took a sip of his coffee leaning back to relax for just a minute. Why was it that female kept coming to mind? Never in his already long life, by human standards anyway, had he ever been so obsessed with a female.
It was a bit unnerving to daydream about someone he didn’t even know. Maybe he would ask Ariel about her when he saw her next. What would Ariel think if he did? Would she wonder if he was interested? Maybe he shouldn’t ask her after all. In order to get his mind off her, he decided to work on his emails. Soren had sent one saying the motel deal was done. He already knew that.
There was another email from several of the lion females protesting being excluded from the move. Seb had to smile. He replied to their email explaining they hadn’t been excluded, their participation had simply been delayed. After he sent that, he sent Sindy an email asking if she might be interested in running a print shop if everything worked out. She replied almost immediately. It seemed Truly had picked up on something he should have.
Seb loved his family more than anything so maybe he needed to find out more about what they wanted. Sevon and Seleste might have unfulfilled dreams too. Sure, they were part of his management team, but did they really want to be? Maybe they harbored dreams of running a small business and living their dreams but he didn’t know. They might be doing what they thought he needed them to do instead of what they dreamed of.
He’d see what Truly knew since she seemed to know everything. Right now, she was working off some of the items on the list, but she would be back before the end of the day. That’s when he would find out all she knew. Seb would admit he liked the excitement of running the pride when good things were happening. Right now, he felt on the edge of some of those good things.
It had been a long time since Seb had fought. He didn’t mean sparring or a friendly tussle, he meant a fight where something was on the line making the need to win ride him. He’d also not been with a female in a year, since the decision for this move had come up. Maybe that was part of the reason he was so stressed and frustrated. His tension hadn’t been released in so long. When he thought of being with a female, only one came to mind. Seb needed to take her, to work the need from his loins so he could move on.
They would come together soon. His body needed the release. It never occurred to him he might have to work at interesting her. He’d never had to try with females, why would he have to now? Seb was sure she would be honored to be at the top of his list, right after all the things he had to get done for his pride. Slipping into his alpha persona, he began making calls to check in with Sevon so he would know how things were going in New York. This new place in Missouri might be the headquarters for the felines, but New York was still the headquarters for their company and probably always would be.
“Hello, Bro.” Sevon answered the phone. “Having fun down in the Ozarks?”
“It’s nice down here. How’s the business?”
“You probably know everything I do. Maybe more.”
“Is it a good fit?”
“I think so. What you think will depend on the quarter’s earnings.”
“True. I just want to make sure you really want to do it,” Seb admitted. Now that he saw what Sindy wanted, he worried that he’d pushed Sevon into the position.
“I was born to head a billion-dollar company. You were born to head the Feline Nation.”
“We’ve not decided to call it that yet,” Seb pointed out.
Sevon grunted. "Why not? It fits perfectly.”
“We have to vote on it once the groups each get a permanent leader. Some haven’t had one since ancient times. They’ve been scattered and only had local alphas. Everyone wants to be in charge until they realize all the responsibility that will be on their shoulders and that the position doesn’t pay. Since most of the groups are poor, the power of the positions gives them nothing. It’s a true service job. Unfortunately, none want to be of service,” Seb explained.
“What about the tigers? They have an alpha and many of their people work for us. Most of them are reasonably well off.”
“There’s also the bloodline problem. All the groups have a royal line. Someone from that line should be put in the position.”
“What’s it matter if they can be removed if they lose a challenge?”
“It’s just the rules, Bro. I don’t make them, but we have to abide by them.”
“Fine. So, tell me what happens if no one from the royal line steps up or is found?” Sevon asked.
“Once a reasonable attempt is made, if a period of time agreed upon by the lesser alphas passes, someone can step into the position.”
“I’m glad you’re the king and I’m just a CEO,” Sevon admitted.
“That’s only because all the responsibility hasn’t fallen on your shoulders yet,” Seb declared with a chuckle.
“Huh?”
“Gotta go now. Bye.” What he’d said to his brother was true, he’d not dropped all the problems and decisions on him, not yet. His plan was to ease him into the stress of the job so he wouldn’t fold under the pressure.
Running the company could be an overwhelming task. It was easier on a mated male because he had the support of his mate. Seb found he craved that stable mated status. His mind went to the female from the flower shop. That was just crazy because she was human. Madness lay in that direction. A brief affair was okay, but nothing long lasting and certainly not permanent.
He was beginning to think he might have to make tracks in that direction to get that female out of his mind and into his bed. No one ever lasted long with him once it became physical. The females in his past bored him after a few days. Seb was sure this female would too. Maybe then he’d stop thinking about her.
Looking up flower shops on his phone, he saw there was just one in town, Andi’s. Before he changed his mind, he dialed the number. “Andi’s flower shop. May I help you?” A young man answered.
“I was hoping to speak to the owner.” Seb said.
“Okay, wait a minute and I’ll get her.” He could hear the guy yelling for Andi.
“Hello?” A sweet and familiar voice said.
“Hello. This is Sebastian Hunter. You delivered a gift from Ariel to me the other day.”
“Okay. I remember you. Was there a problem?”
“No, it was fine. I’m opening a new business, a security firm.”
“Alright. That’s nice.”
“I wanted to order some flowers for the desk for opening day. I’m not sure what would be appropriate.”
“Alright. I can help you with that. Give me your price point and the address. I’ll fix you something nice at whatever price you pick. You can also go online at Andisflowers.com to order there. It has several pages of options and their prices.”
“Why don’t I just let you pick something? I want to spend a hundred dollars and I need it delivered on Monday.” She took down his credit card information and told him the flowers would be there.
Once they said goodbye, he hung up. Hearing her voice had only made his interest increase. It was clear he needed to go to her store in person so he could see her. Maybe if he asked her out, he could get into her bed so this feeling of neediness would go away. Looking at his phone, he saw the address on it and saved it.
This was something he needed to do soon, very soon. The nervous anticipation he felt whenever he thought of the female was something new. His lion paced inside him that was never good. Why did this little slip of a female set him off like she did? If he understood it, maybe he could stop it. His only possibility was to take her until he no longer wanted her. That’s what he’d done in the past. Not that he’d ever held this kind of a fascination for any female before.
It was in a class all by itself which confused him. She wasn’t what he would have said his type was. Not that he could say he knew her or what she was like. All he knew was what she looked like, that she knew about parnormals, and he’d just discovered she owned the shop herself. He knew Ariel knew her, but not how well. All in all, that wasn’t much.
“Seb?” Truly was talking to him.
“Yeah?”
“Are you alright? I was talking to you and you didn’t answer.”
“I was just thinking. Is everything going alright?”
“Yes, I’m taking you to Sara’s for lunch.”
“Sara? Isn’t she a white wolf?”
“She is, a mated one. Sara owns the local diner. It’s one of the best places to eat. You might as well try out some of them. I know her so I can introduce you to her.”
“Alright. We can go over a few things while we eat.” Truly nodded as she led the way out to his SUV. She hooped into the passenger seat then put the address into the GPS.
“Where is this place?”
“It’s at the south edge of town and next to the place I told you about.”
Seb remembered something about a big building to put several small businesses in. He followed the GPS as it gave him directions. They pulled in to the diner which was a small building. It had some outside seating that might help in the summer. As they entered, the scent of good food hit him.
Truly suggested the special so that was what they both ordered. It was Salisbury steak, it was a large one. It came with a side salad, potatoes and gravy, corn, and a hot roll. His stomach woke up and growled with hunger. Had he even eaten breakfast? His meal disappeared quickly. He’d admit that the food was good. Another lady came to take the dessert order.
“This is Sara, Sebastian. She owns the diner.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sara,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you too. Truly speaks highly of you,” Sara mentioned.
He wondered when Truly had come here. It wasn’t like she had much free time right now. They both ordered chocolate cake for dessert. It was good and they finished quickly. “We didn’t even talk much.” He pointed out as he pulled the money to pay the bill out of his wallet. This was a place he’d come back to soon.