CHAPTER TWO
Gabe thought he’d prepared himself for the various reactions Margo might give to his plot, but she’d taken him by surprise. He could see the New Year well-wishers making their way around the room to their dark little corner. They wouldn’t have any more privacy in a few moments, but he was at a loss as to how to recapture the seductive mood he’d been coaxing along.
She’d made him laugh, and although, he, personally, found laughter among lovers just another aspect of a fully rounded relationship, it was probably too soon for her to feel the same. The mood was broken, but maybe that was for the best. On reflection, her words indicated that she hadn’t really been seeing him before.
That he’d been able to take her so unawares was food for thought. Oh, they’d talked a number of times over the past weeks, but never about anything serious. They hadn’t shared stories of their pasts or dreams of their futures. They’d been mere acquaintances, rubbing along together in space…along with the rest of her Pack and his extended family.
Her question meant she hadn’t really been seeing him. He’d surprised her. Lulled her to the extent that she went along with his plans almost to the very end. He’d caught her off guard, which wasn’t really fair of him, but he’d take what he could get with a cunning Alpha female like Margo.
He’d caught her attention now. She’d be looking at him more closely. That, perhaps, was the best result he could have hoped for in this scenario. First, he had to make her aware of him as a man. A man who wanted her on every level. Then, maybe, they might be able to approach each other on more even footing.
He could see well-wishers heading their way, all wanting to spread the cheer of ringing in another year. His alone time with Margo was quickly coming to a close, so he tried to recapture what he could and leave her with a parting thought. He raised his glass, which still had a bit of champagne in it. She reflexively did the same.
“Happy New Year, Margo. I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”
They clinked glasses, but she still wore that sort of half-stunned, half-curious look on her face as she watched him down the rest of his bubbly in one swallow. Time was up as her Packmates surrounded her, crowding close in the way wolves sometimes did and giving each other hugs and friendly nuzzles like wolves in human form.
Gabe backed off, allowing the werewolves their moment. He disappeared into the crowd of his family, who were all exchanging hugs and kisses on the cheek, as was their custom. He tracked her in the crowd, stealing glances at her every once in a while as she danced in the New Year surrounded by both of their families. It was as if, now that they’d kissed, he was able to home in on her signal no matter where she was. He found that even more intriguing than the woman herself.
He’d already pretty much decided that she was the one for him. The kiss had only confirmed what his magical senses had been telling him since the moment he first laid eyes on her. Phase one of his plan had been a success. Now, on to phase two.
Margo felt Gabe’s eyes on her over the next hour as the adults kept the party going, first with loud cheers and happy embraces then, as the first hour of the New Year wore on, growing quieter and mellower. The kids were bedded down in human-sized puppy piles, a few of the younger set having shifted into their wolf forms to snuggle with their friends and siblings.
The older couples were swaying together gently on the dance floor, and some of the singles had paired up to enjoy the party. Margo danced with everyone who asked, spreading good wishes for the year ahead, even as one very large part of her mind was preoccupied by thoughts of that amazing kiss.
Gabe had surprised her in every way. He was passionate. Skilled. Suave and much subtler than she ever would have expected. The ardor that had risen between them was startling in its intensity. She’d never felt such a quick-fire conflagration of desire before. He’d taken her breath away. Literally. Both physically and mentally.
The man ought to come with a warning label!
He’d kicked her awareness of him into high gear, and her inner wolf was intrigued. Not good. Her wolf hadn’t been all that interested in any man. Not like this. They were either too predictable, too overbearing, too wimpy or just too…not the right guy to make any sort of lasting impression on her finicky inner wolf.
Then, there was Gabe.
But this would never do. Margo left the party, deliberately not glancing toward Gabe for one last lingering look. She wouldn’t be that sappy. She refused to give in to the unprecedented feelings inside her. Feelings she didn’t quite understand. Feelings she would rather have remained unstirred and asleep.
She went to sleep that night, and against her own conscious will, her last thoughts before unconsciousness claimed her were of that amazing kiss…and the puzzling man who had given it to her.
*
January first dawned bright and clear. It was cold, to be sure, but nothing like their home territory in Canada. Compared to their mountains, rural Pennsylvania was positively summery. Any time the winter temperatures were above freezing, it felt downright balmy to the hardened and hearty members of the Stony Ridge Pack.
Everyone was a little slower moving this morning than usual because of the holiday. Plus, they were all away from home, essentially on an extended vacation trip. That would be changing soon, however, as the Pack migrated back to Canada. The newlyweds didn’t need a lot of family hanging around during their honeymoon period, after all.
Circumstances, though, had required a big demonstration of acceptance for Evie and her son, Josh. They’d been lost to the Pack for far too long and needed the reassurance of this grand gesture.
Now that family ties had been reconnected, it was time to leave the happy couples in peace. At least for a little while.
There was still the matter of Mathias Bolivar. The fact he remained at large was a thorn in Margo’s side. As far as she was concerned, Bolivar had to answer for his crimes. She had vowed to never let the case rest.
Finding him had been one of her highest priorities since she was just a girl, with no real investigative skills or experience. Now that she was older, she had exactly the right knowledge to get the job done. All she needed was a lead.
The trail wasn’t just cold. It had been obliterated by Bolivar’s magic. He’d run off after chasing Evie away and making it impossible for her family to find her. In the same way, he’d made his own trail disappear, and all of Margo’s attempts to find the evil mage had come to naught. That didn’t mean she would ever give up trying.
No, Bolivar still had a date with destiny coming to him. It was just a matter of time. Margo felt confident that, at some point, she would get a break. She just had to have a little more faith.
To that end, Margo was making plans to return to Canada and her job as head of the Canadian branch of Collin Hastings’ very exclusive private investigation firm. She’d been his lead investigator in Canada for the past couple of years after serving an apprenticeship with the man himself on the West Coast of the United States.
Collin was truly a master at finding people who didn’t want to be found. He knew every trick in the book and had probably written most of the chapters in that proverbial book himself. He’d taught her just about everything she knew, and more than that, he’d given her a chance to work at a job she loved in her home region where she could be near her family.
Hastings was a bird shifter. A giant hawk, when he chose to shapeshift. His people weren’t as big on extended family as werewolves, but he seemed understanding of Margo’s desire, and need, to be back with her Pack as much as possible while still working for him. He’d been more than fair with her and had been glad to have her open a branch of his agency in Canada. The fact that he’d trusted her with his reputation in that way meant more than she could say.
She often wished her inner wolf had been attracted to the sandy-haired werehawk, but it wasn’t meant to be. Collin was a compelling man. A former Army Ranger with skills she couldn’t even guess at, but, although he was a good friend and great boss, he just didn’t spark any interest in her wolf. There wasn’t any flaming attraction between them. They were more like siblings than possible romantic interests, unfortunately.
She regretted that, because he would have been perfect. He treated her with respect and didn’t try to mollycoddle her in any way. He’d always been fair in his dealings and truthful—which was very important to her. He was also a shifter, which would have made things easy. If they’d felt drawn to each other and formed that elusive bond that would tie them together for the rest of their lives as mates, she wouldn’t have minded at all. Even though he wasn’t a wolf. She could have made it work. But there was nothing. No spark.
Not like the immediate attraction she felt for the most unsuitable Gabe Llewellyn. The very last thing she needed in her life was a magic user. After all, it had been a mage who had caused so much misery in her Pack. She didn’t like mages on principle, though she had to admit, Deena and the women in her family were okay. They were priestesses. Blessed and consecrated by the Mother of All. Even Margo couldn’t doubt their innate goodness.
The men in the Llewellyn Clan… She wasn’t so sure about. Especially that handsome rogue, Gabe. The more she thought about it, the more she realized he had to be a master manipulator to have concocted that entire scenario at the party last night. How could she have been so easily led? Had he used his magic on her? If so, that was a really low blow and totally unethical as far as she was concerned.
Margo was working up a good head of steam when her cellphone rang. She knew the customized ringtone. It was her boss.
Margo frowned. Why would he be calling her on a holiday when he knew she was on vacation with her family? Something must be up.
She tapped her phone to answer the call. “Happy New Year,” she said quickly. “What’s up?”
“A lead. It’s not much, but I know how important this is to you, so I figured you’d want to know right away.” Collin wasn’t much on idle conversation when he was in search-and-rescue mode.
“Okay. Which case?” She had several open cases right now, but nothing that couldn’t have waited until her return to Canada. Or so she’d thought.
“Your case… Your family’s case… Bolivar,” he told her.
Her heart almost stopped for a moment, then she caught her breath. “What have you heard?”
Margo was all business now. She might finally have that lead she needed so desperately. On today of all days, her patience and tenacity might finally be rewarded.
“I put some feelers out since your last call, and I got a response from a friend in Seattle. Seems there was a mage problem that was rumored to have been solved by a fellow named Hiram, who is the Master vampire of the Seattle area.”
“A bloodletter?” Margo didn’t like the sound of that.
Some of those guys were so old they were completely unpredictable and prone to sudden changes in mood and intent. Shifters didn’t often mix with vampires because shifter blood was like a drug to them.
“This one is okay. In fact, I have it on good authority that he’s the silent partner of a bear shifter in a little town down the coast a ways from Seattle. I think you should start with Hiram, and if you need any kind of support—trackers, muscle, paramilitary troops, or even magical help—I might be able to get you an introduction to the Alpha bear in Grizzly Cove. It’s a new community made up mostly of bear shifters from an ex-military unit.”
Margo’s curiosity was piqued. Collin wasn’t usually quite so chatty. He talked when necessary, of course, but he didn’t usually volunteer so much extra information. News of a community of notoriously solitary bear shifters was startling enough. The fact that Collin seemed to be on good terms with them was even more intriguing.
Perhaps some of the bears were old friends from Collin’s days as an Army Ranger. She’d run across former colleagues of his before. They were usually quite helpful with whatever case she was pursuing, and they always had extraordinary skills—and not always the ones you would expect.
“I assume you can also get me a meeting with this Hiram guy?” Margo asked.
“Yeah, I can. I’ll set it up as soon as you have your itinerary. You’re going, right?”
“You bet I am. It’s been a long time since I had even a hint of a lead on Bolivar. Even if this turns out to be nothing, I have to pursue it,” she told him honestly.
“I figured that would be your answer. I’ll text you the details. Text me back with your ETA to Seattle. I’ll set up the meet with the vampire.” Collin sounded resigned. He knew he wouldn’t get her back working on his cases until this lead was followed to its end. “Just be careful. Hiram’s a good guy, by all accounts, but you know how bloodletters can be. Don’t take any chances.”
“I won’t,” she promised her boss. “And thanks, Collin. I owe you one.”
Margo ended the call, contemplating what she should do. Sir Rayburne, the fey warrior who was Josh’s dad, had suggested rather strongly that she team up with Gabe for this hunt. She’d even gone so far as to meet with Gabe to discuss the status of the case about a week ago, but since then, there had been no further progression.
Until now. After meeting with Gabe, Margo had called Collin and asked for a favor. Oh, her boss had always known about the mystery that had inspired her to become an investigator, and the personal stake she had in finding Bolivar and bringing him to justice. Werewolf justice, that is.
Bolivar had messed with her family in one of the worst possible ways. He’d severed familial bonds that should never have been tested. He’d done so with apparent disregard for the fate of the shifters involved.
Because of Bolivar, Josh had grown up without a family. He’d been forced to be a lone wolf. That wasn’t a normal state of affairs for their kind. Margo could only imagine how difficult it must’ve been for him as a child, and for his mother, to be shut off from their family when they needed them most.
For that, Bolivar needed to pay. It didn’t matter how much time had passed. What had been done to the Stony Ridge Pack had to be avenged, and Bolivar had to be stopped. Who knew what other grief he had caused in the intervening years. Margo felt as if her inability to find the troublesome mage might have caused incalculable harm to others that she would never know. It was a burden of guilt she carried with her always.
She had always intended to end this hunt on her own, but all the advice she had been given recently pointed to the fact that she would need magical backup. Gabe was a mage, and he also had a personal stake in finding Bolivar. His family had been harmed, as well. He had a right to the hunt, too.
That didn’t sit too well with Margo. She’d become something of a lone wolf herself—at least when it came to her work. She didn’t often need backup on her investigations. She was a bit of a maverick, and liked it that way.
But now, she had a decision to make. Should she ignore the advice and counsel of her elders? Or should she suck up her pride and share the hunt with Gabe?
Just a few weeks ago, she would never have imagined herself teaming up with a mage. Nope. Never in a million years.
Now? After getting to know Deena and the rest of her family, Margo had radically revised her opinion of magic users. She was willing to concede that not all of them were bad. In fact, some of them were aligned with the Goddess, like Deena and all her priestess relatives. You couldn’t find better people. They served the Light. There was no higher recommendation or qualification.
And Gabe was of that family. He might be a guy, and therefore not specifically part of the long, unbroken line of priestesses in his ancestral line, but he was of that stock. He had been raised by a priestess. His sister was a priestess. If he was a bad guy, they’d know it, and probably fry him into submission or something. Margo smiled at her own silly thoughts.
So. Should she call him? Did she really want a partner on this hunt? Did she need one?
According to those who should know, she did. To hunt a mage, she would need a mage. It made sense. Particularly in light of the fact that Bolivar seemed to have a special ability to hide his trail. After all, he’d hidden Evie’s trail so well all those years ago that her family—an entire Pack of werewolves—hadn’t been able to track her.
Much as Margo hated to admit it, her skills alone might not be enough this time. And this hunt was way too important to screw it up because of foolish pride.
Margo shook her head, even as she made the call. Gabe answered on the first ring.
“Are you up for a trip to the West Coast?” she asked him, feeling a weird sort of excitement just knowing that she was committing to traveling with him and spending a few days running down this lead with him at her side.
“I’ll go anywhere with you, Margo,” came Gabe’s seductively-voiced reply.
His daring made her smile. The rogue.