4

4

Ranger

“It’s Friday night.” My Beta, Mattox, stared at me as if that was supposed to mean something.

“And?” I kept packing my suitcase, motioning for him to hand me the slacks hanging in the mahogany armoire. It, like the rest of the dark wood furniture in my bedroom, was picked out by some designer my sister hired when I took over the McCaw Pack as Alpha.

Mattox let out a frustrated growl as he grabbed the pants from the hanger. “It’s the first Friday in Goddess knows how long that you aren’t working. We should be out celebrating,”

“Celebrating what?” I folded the slacks and zipped up the suitcase.

“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up further, as he shrugged. He took that hipster clothing style to a whole new level with his flannel shirt and washed-out jeans. Looking at him now with his trimmed beard and bright blue eyes, you couldn’t tell he was a prized cage fighter back in the day besides the one bump to his nose that hadn’t been set before it healed.

I was… looking at him.

And waiting for him to elaborate.

“Your impending nuptials?” he offered.

My lips curled in disgust. “I’m not looking for a mate and you know it.”

“Well maybe you can pretend?” He followed me like a tick on a wolf as I carried my suitcase out of the room. “You never know. It could be your last weekend as a free man.”

“It’s not.” I set the suitcase by the front door and headed to my office. The contract the lawyers worked up was printed out and stacked in the manila folder on top of my desk. Mating Season would be the bane of my existence until I got what I needed from it, but I wasn’t planning on walking out of there with any ball and chain attached.

“Okay.” Mattox blew out a breath through pursed lips. My wolf perked his ears inside me, picking up on the anxiousness radiating from my second in command.

“Will you spit it out?” I was tired. It was already dark and I needed to get on the road sometime before midnight. I could have left earlier, but there was no way I wanted to drive through Seattle traffic in the daylight.

“I don’t want you to go alone,” Mattox mumbled as if I couldn’t hear him.

“Afraid I’ll choose someone over you?” I batted my eyelashes, much to his horror.

“Shit. No. That’s not what I meant.” He backed up slowly. “The whole pack is worried sick and you won’t listen to us.”

I rubbed my hand down my face, feeling the tension from the day still buried deep in my muscles. “The pack will be fine.”

They would be. I may have been the youngest Alpha this side of the Pacific Northwest had ever seen, but I knew what I was doing. My first mission had been to take out the mean old bastard who ran McCaw Pack to the ground and the second I did, I turned the pack into a well-oiled machine.

One that could function without me if I wanted it to. That was the problem with these hierarchy Alphas. The packs fell apart once they handed the reins to their lazy sons. Dominant wolves got too comfortable in their positions, thinking they were invincible. All it took was one big, bad wolf to come huffing and puffing and blow the whole organization down.

That was me, I guess.

The stuff of nightmares.

I preferred to think of myself as an opportunist though. I’d seen a problem and fixed it. Simple as that. And it was what I intended to do again by accepting the invitation to Mating Season this year.

“At least swing by the club with me first,” Mattox said. “You haven’t been there in months.”

It had been a while, but that particular itch wasn’t scratched as well as it used to be by visiting the clubs. The long hours and responsibility were wearing on me, making it difficult to stay out as late as I once did. Besides, I could only play out the same scene a hundred times before it lost its luster.

“I’m good.” I unplugged my laptop and stowed it in the carrying case. I would have liked to go over the details with the team I’d sent to implement security measures at the resort, but I’d have to wait until the morning for their report when they left.

I turned to the door and Mattox was standing there, blocking it. My eyebrow arched. “What now?”

“Well, you see…” If he was a teenage mutt, he’d be digging his toe into the hardwood floors. “There’s this girl and she…”

Amused, I leaned back against the desk and folded my arms over my chest. “Are you asking for my advice?”

Mattox nodded, seeming relieved. “She’s never been seriously into the life. We’ve only met twice so I might be reading too deep into things, but I get the feeling she wants more from me.”

“Do I know her?” I scratched my jaw, feeling the shadow of stubble I needed to shave. Many of my inner circle frequented the clubs. We’d grown up with certain… tastes.

“I don’t think so,” Mattox backtracked. His nervousness was making my wolf growl. “But I’m trying to think of a way to approach the conversation without making her feel pressured to do anything.”

“You can’t demand submission,” I stated firmly, fully aware of the irony of someone in my position speaking that way. But it was a policy I lived by when it came to relations. Alphas either earned dominance or they shouldn’t be in charge.

“I know.” Mattox ran a hand through his hair again as his gaze flicked briefly to the front door.

Attack. The sound of my wolf growling vibrated through my chest as my claws extended and I stalked forward, sending my senses outward.

“What’s going on?” My beast flashed in my eyes as we worked as one to assess the threat. There was noise in the acres surrounding my cabin. An influx of shifters out of breath and sloppy as they ran.

They’re coming.

Mattox immediately bared his neck. “Damn it. I’m sorry. They’re late.”

“Who’s late?” I bit out, pulling my claws back when I sensed my pack gathering outside.

“Surprise?” Mattox smiled.

I inwardly groaned, marching to the front door and throwing it open.

Bursts of confetti flew and champagne corks popped in a disorganized panic as hundreds of my wolf shifters came running through the woods on my property, spilling out of the trees and cheering for me. They surrounded the driveway, climbing up the stone steps and waving homemade farewell signs.

I raised my eyes to the stars in frustration.

The earsplitting squeal of a party blower sounded behind me and I turned, seeing the shit-eating grin on Mattox’s face.

“We weren’t going to send you off without a proper goodbye, boss.”

Remind me again why I made him my second?

*

After swearing up and down that I would at least try to enjoy myself and untangling my arms from the group of old dams who wouldn’t let me leave without some heartfelt advice and a few pinches to my cheek, I tossed my house keys to Mattox.

“This place better be clean when I get back,” I warned, eyeing the younger pups as they carried a keg over to the firepit.

“Of course, Alpha.” Mattox caught the keys and hurried along behind me. “Oh, and Jimmy needs you to approve the new power of attorney he’s sending over for the payroll signatures next week.”

“Why would he…” I looked around the party. My wolf shifters used any excuse to gather so I wasn’t getting sentimental about the surprise intrusion to my property. But I just noticed someone was missing.