Jonathan

The line drops. I can picture, all too well, why Vivian ended the call-a half-naked Rafe. Her husband distracts her way too easily. My worry of being so far from the couple's side grows, gnawing at my stomach.

Will he be quick enough, strong enough, observant enough to protect her and keep them safe in Argentina? I should be there to make sure her enemies don't get to her at a weak moment. A sigh escapes me as I slip the thin cell into my flannel shirt pocket. Time will tell-but for her sake, I hope they made a smart choice.

An ache in my chest has me knuckling a fist and rubbing a sharp circle. The sound of banging pots and pans pulls my attention from the quiet foyer to the activity in the dining room. Eric and Pat, balancing loads of cookware, move toward the side door leading to the hot tub grotto.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Pat looks at me-his crooked nose hanging over an infectious grin. "Dude, we're setting up a cooking station by the spas. Good idea, right? It'll be a great party spot for the Weres."

A glance out the window reveals they've already set up a large drum-like grill and three folding tables. I love the thought of grilling outside now that the weather is bearable-not warm, but not below freezing all the time either. I grunt my approval. "You won't need all the pasta pots and such. They'll be easier to use on the stove in here."

"Jerry lent us a grill station with three gas burners. We're setting that up next."

I nod, suppressing a laugh as Eric's broad shoulders ease sideways to squeeze through the doorway with his arms loaded full of supplies.

"Fine. But take care of everything yourselves. And no drunken cooking mishaps like last month, understood?"

Pat's face sobers at the memory of burning half their cabin's kitchen after passing out while boiling water. A Were has got to be pretty damn drunk not to wake up at the smell of melting cookware. Thankfully, they came to when the flames started and put out the fire before they lost any of their limited possessions.

"Yes, sir," Pat says in a serious tone. "Count on it."

I can never tell if the crafty little bastard's telling me what his new alpha wants to hear, or if he's genuine. Next time I catch the bugger in a lie, I'm going to pound on him a bit so he knows I won't take his irresponsible behavior like many before me. Eric has a harder time lying to my face and comes clean when caught. I think watching a whoop-ass session will work fine for him.

I shudder realizing the implication of my thoughts. My musings seem, dare I say, permanent in their tone. Christ, the little fuckers are growing on me.

Wanting to push any complex concepts out of my brain, I follow my ears toward the back of the kitchen where the buzz of a Sawzall rips the air. Dirt and dust on the once-clean tile floor scratch under my step. Maybe it is best not to cook in here for a while. Good thing werewolves aren't picky and will probably gorge themselves while in wolf form, if they catch anything.

I open the door to the small storage room next to the walk-in freezer and weave past the pushed-aside metal shelves and stacked boxes. Temporary work lights on hooks hang from the ceiling and illuminate the windowless space to a near-blinding brightness.

Asa angles the power tool blade through the exposed subfloor plywood. Within a week, the new spiral staircase leading into the basement command center should be completed. Framing a secure closet around the stairwell and installing locks will be the tedious part. But now, it's time for demolition. I rub my hands together, ready for some good, old-fashion destruction. Glad I didn't miss it.

The whine of the jagged saw shuts down when the young vampire sees me. "You need something, Jon?"

"Yeah, I came to help with demo. Where are the sledgehammers? Don't we get to bust through beams and shit?"

Asa's stoic face doesn't crack at my attempt of humor. "If you want to ruin the structure and create more expense to repair the damage, sure. But this isn't a wall we're tearing down-we're building inside a room we'd like to keep intact."

"Just kidding, man." I smile at his deadpan look. Guess my joking is lost on the undead bastard. "Did you clear the drywall and insulation from the basement side, and check for wires and pipes before you started cutting? Oh, and remember to turn off the power in that section?"

"No, I'm a complete idiot who didn't build out the entire command center and five basement rooms with you this past winter."

"Good. Glad to see you only need to cut through live wires once to learn your lesson."

Asa gives me a flat stare and raises one eyebrow toward the smooth bald expanse of his shaved head. "Can I get back to work, now?"

"Wait-did you print the file on the new arrivals for me?"

"Yeah. It's on the kitchen table in Rafe and Viv's apartment."

We've been using the suite in their absence, and I'm debating on temporarily moving in when the guests are here. I wouldn't have to trek from my cabin in the woods every morning.

I curb the longing to smash my bare hands through the subfloor Asa's cutting. The release of strength and call to action would drain the tension coiled in me... but might reveal my frustration from being away from her. Apparently, the eight-mile run this morning wasn't enough. God, I feel a syringe of adrenaline pricking at muscles below the skin, just waiting for the right moment to explode into movement.

I exit the construction site and enter the couple's apartment via the key-carded security door located in the rear of the kitchen.

The warm tones and bright jewel colors accenting the living room always projects a warm welcome. The scent of the happy lovers wraps around me, pummeling my gut with a boxer's right jab. Damn, I miss them. Our mind connection had strengthened since the hunt, but weakened when they were a few hours away on the plane.

Could I push and try to reach her? Should I? I need a break from them, mentally, but losing complete touch with her, even for a few minutes, makes me queasy. After I almost died when Vikram attacked me in the gym months ago, they've brought me much closer. I feel what they feel when they look at and think of me. They love me, and in Rafe's case, he hates me a little, too. I can't blame him, after all, for years I wished him dead and wanted his wife for myself.

When I pledged my loyalty to Vivian over seven years ago, I never expected any relationship between the three of us to evolve. That's what I get for jumping in with both feet without a backward glance. Granted, at the time, I was hoping she wasn't too attached to her human husband, but that didn't prove to be the case.

While sinking onto the cushy couch, I grab Vivian's favorite lap blanket, bringing the soft red knit to my nose. Images of our trio relaxing for another of Rafe's movie marathons fill my head. It took over two months until I felt comfortable joining the love birds on the couch, previously isolating myself on the chair closer to the TV.

I never would've believed we'd all let down our guards enough to build a connection. But damned, if those two didn't somehow pull it off. No sexual tension, no innuendo, no handholding-just pure admiration of the films and heated discussions of the plots. The pack bond grew strong among us, I felt content.

Content for the first time in years.

I'd lean next to where Vivian snuggled into a deep cushion, and our calves or thighs might touch. The comforting weight felt like a deeply loved friend, but not a lover. I never experienced that before, even during my time in Romeo's group.

Sexual undertones pervade most wolf packs. Unmarried partners are often swapped as young wolves try to find mates. Anger and resentment run close to the surface, fueling the blinding animal passion. I never understood the rationale-how were they supposed to pick a mate when they only wanted to bed hop? Love doesn't blossom instantaneously, for most.

The movie marathons allowed me the freedom to get past the mental hang-up of "all or nothing", and let my mind carve a place where I belonged in Vivian's life. Her intense love for me burns inside my core, and even though I know these emotions will never cross a physical line, I can't help but want them to.

My cock stirs at the familiar dreams of Rafe and me both taking Vivian. Too bad Diane took the summer to visit friends in the lower states. The witch had always been a willing bed partner and often helped me escape from my overwhelming fantasies with her blocking charms. I shift my eager erection to a more comfortable position-not going to happen. Might as well get some work done.

After pushing off the couch, I search for the files. The lingering aroma of coffee fills the air, once again, reminding me of Rafe holding his steadfast coffee mug. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and settle at the worn round tabletop with the folder Asa prepared.

There's a small number of guests for the opening week-only sixteen wolves. With all the rooms and cabins, we could easily handle sixty or more. The season will reach full capacity when daylight hours increase and the bigger animals migrate north. Right now, in early April, we're at ten hours of darkness and fourteen of light, almost a normal day-although, normal never lasts long up here.

I sift through paperwork and notice Romeo and Elsa are coming with half of their Manitoba pack. I recognize several of the names that joined before I left eight years ago. It'll be nice to see how some of the ladies turned out. Damn, thoughts of randy female werewolves aren't helping to calm my raging boner.

A mental weight lifts when I note Lori's name is not on the list. Considering her friendship with Eric and Pat, I wasn't sure if Romeo would acquiesce and allow the angry bitch to attend. She's attractive, but after our last encounter, I have no desire to tangle with her sour nature again. Wonder if Vivian requested they not bring her? I wouldn't put it past the vampire to try to spare me any awkwardness, if she could.

Thinking back to my last meeting with the pack, I realize the pups have now been with me longer than they had lived with Romeo and Elsa. Both of them were attacked in early October last year and came here in January with a smaller portion of Romeo's pack. Having Asa to help Eric adjust to his new way of life has helped. Occasionally, Asa needed to slip into both Eric and Pat's minds to calm them when wolf instincts rode them too high after a kill. Certainly easier than me corralling them-I'd likely have to wrestle them to the ice, causing damage.

While studying the list of attendees, the lovely ladies inspiring my tight-pants problem leap to mind. Katrina, Naomi, and Ruby were scrumptious co-eds attacked in their senior year of high school after a football game. They were still wearing their cheerleader outfits when Romeo and I strolled into the emergency room to break the news of exactly what attacked them. Best friends, the three brunettes struggled together through the change and the subsequent lifestyle alterations.

They'd be twenty-six, now. All three were long-legged and athletic. One of Russian, one of Jamaican, and one of Latina descent. Huh... maybe there's a reason Lori isn't coming. Elsa wants me to have a fresh shot at these gorgeous young ladies. Hot damn, I love a meddlesome female alpha with good taste in women.

With a spark of hope swelling in my heart at the prospect of getting laid by a hot-blooded, good-looking Were, I zip through the other pages containing the rest of the visiting pack: A couple I kinda know-Kotsana and his wife Deneishia, two females I don't know-Lilli and Tricia, three other couples I vaguely recall, and Spike. Do I really need to study these sheets as carefully as Vivian always does? It's not like we're with a bunch of vampires and need to worry about hidden power plays and intrigue.

Pretty simple when you think about it-wolves hunting big game animals. Running free with no cities, roads or too many humans nearby. What could be better than that?

A soft contented sigh seeps out, dispelling some of the pent up sexual energy. I'm looking forward to partying and hanging out with fellow wolves. Racing through the forest after the scent of prey will be exhilarating-having it possibly end with sex would be the icing on the cake. Wonder if the three girls are close enough that I could talk them into a menage a quatre?

A painful lurch in my pants makes me realize I need to stop this line of thought, or I'll be sporting a woody all afternoon. A little under two hours until the first plane lands. Better tell Asa to clean up and do a last minute check. Knowing him, he finished his routine before starting with the tools, but I'm telling him to quit just the same.

From the corner of my eye, I see a whoosh of flames shoot skyward outside the window and quickly die. Loud voices holler from the hot tub grotto. Perhaps I'll detour outside and make sure Pat and Eric haven't set the whole place on fire.