***
Several hours later, with the shifter refugees dispersed and cared for, and the reunions and introductions of far too many people for her remember over with, the pair retired to Ajax’s place. The thought of it sounded relaxing, but her nerves were at an all-time high.
It was time for her to meet his Crew.
She swallowed hard as they passed under a beautiful hand-carved sign that read Silverlake Resort. This was it. Now or never, she was going to meet them. The ones that called Ajax their leader.
No, that wasn’t right, she corrected. They called him their Alpha.
“Ajax,” she said softly.
He glanced over at her from behind the wheel of the pickup. They had traded the big rig in for a much more practical-sized vehicle before ascending the mountain to meet the Kedyn brothers, who she now knew owned practically the entire valley through their company Lionshead Mining.
So many people to remember.
“Yes?” he asked when she didn’t immediately respond.
“I’m nervous. What if they don’t like me?”
Ajax laughed, but he didn’t dismiss her fears. “I can’t see how they would. You are just too perfect for them.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “But what if they do?”
Her head bobbed as Ajax shrugged. “That is their prerogative, love. I can’t force someone to like someone else. That’s not the mark of a leader. But they will respect you, and they will be kind to you. But I wouldn’t worry.”
“Why not? You sound so confident about it.” She didn’t understand how he could be so serene about introducing her to his extended family.
Ajax worked his jaw. “I don’t know quite how to put it,” he admitted. “Saying that ‘shifters seem to attract a certain type of woman’ is a little, uh, brutish, I guess,” he laughed. “But our mates tend to be similar. Strong-willed and smart, able to get along well with other men and women, to better the crews as a whole.”
He shrugged again. “You fit that, even if you don’t wholly believe it yourself.”
She frowned, but her rebuttal was lost as they emerged from the winding road in the forest.
“Oh Ajax,” she gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
The trees thinned as they approached a lake she hadn’t known actually existed, having thought Silverlake was just a name. Built in and amidst the trees were a number of log cabins, beautifully designed to flow with the forest, tucked in amongst small copses of trees.
A big central campfire dominated an open space to her left, around which several small children ran shrieking from each other, chased by a big dog whose tail swished back and forth frantically.
To her right, several men stood around an extra-long barbecue, tending meat even as they watched her arrival, beers in hand.
The sun was high and glittering across the caps of the waves on the lake, the reflection dancing amid the leaves of the trees to create a kaleidoscope of color and light that gave the whole place a good vibe.
“Perhaps you were right,” she said softly. Anyone who lived here couldn’t hate. That would be impossible.
Ajax slipped out of his side and strode around to her door, opening it for her even as she continued to stare.
“I could live here,” she told him, taking his hand as she hopped down, even if she didn’t need it.
“I was hoping you would say that,” he told her, leading her toward the gathering of people near where the food was being prepared.
“Ajax,” one of the men said, stepping forward. “Good to see you.”
Something flashed through air, clinking as Ajax snagged it mid-flight. He turned his wrist swiftly and raised the beer to his lips.
“Ahh,” he said after a sip. “Thank you Cedric.”
“You’re welcome, but it was meant for her,” the big man said. “I figure she needs it after putting up with you for as long as she has.”
There was a brief moment of shock. Arianna prepared herself for a massive outburst of anger from Ajax. Instead, almost as one, the whole group burst into laughter.
“Damn, it’s good to have you back,” Cedric said as he slapped Ajax on the back. “Now quit being a dick and introduce us to your lovely lady.”
“I’m Arianna,” she said, playing a hunch and stepping forward without hesitation and taking his hand. “Good to meet you.”
The shifter paused for a moment, then beamed. “Oh Ajax. You are in trouble. She is going to be running this place in a matter of days!” he boomed.
Arianna blushed at the backward compliment. She wouldn’t be timid around these people, no. They would respect her for being a straight shooter.
“This is Cedric, my second-in-command,” Ajax explained. “He’s been looking after the place while I was gone.”
“More like partying to celebrate,” the big shifter joked, then grunted when Ajax elbowed him in the ribs.
“Come on,” Ajax said with a smile, taking her hand as others crowded around. “Let me introduce you to the family.”
Not “my” family. Not “our” family. No, just “the” family.
Sometimes, she thought, it really could be that simple.
Arianna smiled and let herself be sucked into the burgeoning celebration, learning everyone’s names and promptly forgetting them, only to learn them a second time.