Shaya began the introductions. “Everyone, this is Gwen. Gwen, this here is my mate, Nick. Ignore the scowl. It’s nothing personal. He’s just not much of a smiler.”
Gwen just nodded at the blond, indomitable-looking male near the fireplace, refusing to be intimidated by the alpha energy emanating from him. She turned back to Shaya. “I’ve been around Zander for a few days, so I’m sort of used to the intense stares at this point.”
Shaya’s smile widened. “Good, that helps. Near the window are Eli and Roni, Nick’s siblings.”
Gwen met Eli’s analytical gaze, thinking he was just as daunting as his brother even though he wasn’t quite as tall. “I see you’ve got the scowling thing going on too.”
Roni snickered, flicking long ash-blonde locks over her shoulder. “He’s not upset with you. I put salt in his coffee.”
Gwen’s mouth curved. “I did that to my brother once. It’s every sibling’s right.”
Roni smiled. “I totally agree.”
Shaya pointed to a small brunette standing at the rear of the room, arms folded in a way that was almost petulant. “That’s Nick’s mom, Kathy. As you can see, she’s good at the scowling too. Lastly, we have Jesse and Harley over there by the door. They’re a mated pair.”
Gwen could already sense they were mated by how intimately close they stood. She studied the golden-eyed female closely. “You don’t seem like a wolf.”
One dark, perfectly plucked brow arched. “I don’t?”
“Walking around the shelter—which I think is pretty awesome—I noticed different kinds of shifters seem to have different . . . airs about them. You have a feline air.”
Harley’s mouth curled and she bowed her head slightly, making her dark hair fall forward enough that Gwen noticed the burgundy highlights. “Very good,” said Harley.
“Perceptive,” agreed Jesse.
“She reads Zander so well it’s not even funny,” said Bracken, a smile in his voice.
Zander shot him a hard look, but the enforcer just smirked.
“Did Andie settle at the shelter okay?” asked Shaya.
Gwen nodded. “Yeah. She said she’d give it a try but that if she changed her mind she’d give me a call.”
“Give you a call?” echoed Zander.
“So I can go pick her up and bring her back to Oregon,” Gwen explained. “I don’t think that’ll happen, though. She seemed comfortable there.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” Bracken yawned. “Any chance of a coffee before I go pack more of my shit, Kathy?”
The woman humphed as she crossed the room. Her eyes danced from Gwen to Zander. “I suppose you both want one too?” she said snottily.
“No, thanks.” Gwen touched her stomach. “I’m bloated after my meal at the shelter.”
Shooting Kathy a “back-off” look that she was wise enough to heed, Zander said, “I need to go to my lodge. I don’t want to stay here long in case the Moores or any people they hire turn up at the B&B while we’re not there.” Ally and Derren would need backup.
Bracken nodded. “I’ll go get my stuff once I’ve had my coffee.”
Zander cupped Gwen’s elbow, ready to lead her out of the lodge. “Anything more from Rory?” he asked nobody in particular. His wolf curled his upper lip at the mere mention of Rory.
“No,” replied Jesse. “We left a camera at his apartment. He returned to it yesterday and took a few things. He was gone before we got there.”
“We haven’t seen him lingering around,” Eli added. “Derren told us about the goshawk attack.” His eyes cut to Gwen. “Must have been pretty scary for you.”
“I’m not gonna admit to fear in front of a bunch of predators,” she said with a smile.
Eli’s mouth twitched. “No one would blame you for being freaked by such an attack.”
Zander looked at his Alpha. “I want to know what flock it was.”
“We’ll find out, and they’ll pay,” Nick stated firmly.
With a satisfied nod, Zander ushered Gwen outside. He had to admit that she’d handled his pack like a pro. She hadn’t let the unwelcoming vibes faze her or bristled at the scowls directed her way. She’d let it all wash over her, dismissing the behavior but not in a way that was snarky or disrespectful. His wolf was impressed.
As they crossed the lush land toward the woods, grass rustling beneath their feet, Zander noticed her looking at the outdoor play area on their far left. “Shaya designed that. We all pitched in to build it for the pups.”
“How many pups are there?”
“Two. Both girls.”
“It’s pretty cool. I’ll bet the kids love it.” She took a long breath. The air was so fresh here, so alive with various scents. Wildflowers. Pine. Moss. Sun-warmed earth. It all spoke to her on some level. “I like your pack.”
“There’s a lot more of them.” He glanced back at the lodge. “It doesn’t bother you that some were a little curt?” It had bothered him. It had bothered him more when Eli’s eyes took a long scan of Gwen’s legs, although some weird part of him had gotten off on it too.
“This is their home. They’re protective of it. I wouldn’t expect them to welcome someone here who they didn’t know or trust.” Gwen jerked back at the whine of a bee as it rushed by. She didn’t like anything that buzzed. It just wasn’t normal.
As they walked into the trees, escaping the glare of the sun, she exhaled a happy sigh. “Listen, I got the impression by what was said that your pack’s having trouble with some Rory-person. If so, maybe you should stay here with them. I can have Marlon come pick me up.” She didn’t realize how much she wanted him to decline her offer until he actually shook his head. Relief poured through her. Too much relief. It was disconcerting.
“They don’t need my help dealing with Rory.”
“Is he an Alpha of another pack?”
Pleased that she’d asked a question without adding something like ‘You don’t have to answer,’ Zander replied, “He’s not an Alpha. He’s my identical twin. Lives in another pack.”
“Really? Huh.” Gwen skimmed her hand over a birch tree, feeling the rough bark. She liked it. Liked the sound of the twigs crunching beneath her shoes, the twittering of the birds, and the branches shuddering. Noticing Zander was looking at her funny, she frowned. “What?”
“I’m waiting for you to ask me dumb questions.”
Her frown deepened. “Like what?”
“Like can me and Rory hear each other’s thoughts? Can we feel each other’s pain? If you pinch me, will he feel it?
“I’m assuming by the cynical note in your voice that those things definitely don’t apply to you and your brother.”
“Your assumption is right, but people tend to automatically assume we have some kind of mystical connection. They’re often surprised to hear we don’t get along, let alone that we don’t find it hard to be apart.”
“I always figured it would have been fun to have an identical twin.”
“It isn’t always as much fun as people assume.” He paused as they stepped over a crumbling log. “Think of someone who pisses you off easier than they can breathe. Now imagine living with them, seeing them every day, sharing a room with them, having to deal with them doing whatever they can to irritate and goad you.”