ChasingCassie (17 page)

Crawling over, she lay on her stomach and rested her head
beside his. This left her neck in a vulnerable position, easily in reach of
those massive jaws. It was a show of trust and of love.

“You’re gorgeous,” she whispered in his ear, reaching up
with one hand to scratch the fur around his neck, surprised by how soft it
felt. “I love you.”

A lick on her throat was her only answer, and it was more
than enough.

“You weren’t frightened.”

He shouldn’t have been amazed, but he was. He lay beside
her, his head resting on her stomach, more at peace than he could remember
feeling in years.

“No, I wasn’t.”

Her acceptance soothed him and he felt the wolf purr, settle
within him more fully. The bond between man and wolf had mended a great deal
since he’d been with Cassie.

He yawned, tired after his rapid change between human and
wolf then back again.

She ran her fingers through his hair.

“You’re beautiful. Powerful and deadly, sure, but I wasn’t
afraid. I felt as though I knew your wolf.”

“The wolf always knew you. I wished I’d listened to him
earlier. After Lia, I spent a long time in human form. I contained the wolf as
much as I could. I completely dominated him. It got to the point that I could
barely feel him in human form. We were like two separate parts. But around you,
he started to test me. Once I started to listen, I discovered that he’d always
known you were ours.”

His mouth met hers in a sweet kiss. “Love you.”

“I love you too.”

Epilogue

Cassie was so nervous her stomach rumbled. This was it, the
day of reckoning, the day her future would be voted on by a bunch of
egotistical bigots. Well, okay, that wasn’t fair. Not all of them were bad.
Since she’d moved to the estate she’d spent a bit of time with each enforcer.
Some of them were actually really nice. Like calm, tranquil Josiah.

Then there were others, like Ryan, who seemed to hate her.
But then she’d known spending time with him was going to be difficult. She
understood he was simply trying to look out for his brother. She hoped, given
time, he’d see they both wanted what was best for Jay.

Cooper had decreed that this vote take place after she’d
lived with the pack for a fortnight, both to give the enforcers a chance to get
to know her and to give Cassie an idea of what living with the pack was like.

Cooper had put out feelers to some of the other packs about
Brynn. He had the whole pack on high alert, keeping watch for him. Of course,
they were already on high alert. They still hadn’t found the werewolf who had
bombed the shop or put the rattler in Laney’s car. There had been no other
attacks or threats, but everyone was tense, on edge, waiting for what would
come next.

So far, Cassie hadn’t been able to find anyone who
remembered her father. She shouldn’t be surprised, really. He’d probably been a
one-night stand of her mother’s. But if that was the case, she wondered how
Brynn had found her. It made her wonder if he’d made it all up, if he’d been
messing with her for some reason she had yet to figure out.

Most of the pack treated her civilly, but it was a distant
sort of politeness. She certainly didn’t feel as if she were part of their
community. Laney told her that everyone was waiting for the outcome of the
vote, that things would be better once she’d won her petition to become an
honorary packmate.

It was funny, she’d spent so much time being scared about
moving here, but now she was here she found she didn’t want to have to leave.
Because she knew this was where Jay was meant to be. As soon as he’d gotten
back to the estate he’d relaxed. This was his place. Cassie prayed the vote
would go in their favor.

Standing here on display while others voted on her future
was a nightmare for her. Trying hard not to shake, she attempted to concentrate
on Cooper, on his calm, deep voice as he spoke to those in the room. Everyone
remained silent, giving him the respect he was due.

Jay pulled her close, tucking her under his arm as Cooper
got to the point. “So now you will all cast a vote on whether to accept Cassidy
Callington as an honorary member of the pack. Jay will abstain. When I call
your name, tell me your decision.”

Cassie already knew how this would go. Jay wasn’t happy, but
he’d agreed that he couldn’t vote. Each enforcer got a vote. Cooper wouldn’t
vote unless there was a tie.

“Laney?” Cooper asked.

“Yes,” she spoke firmly, winking at Cassie who managed a
small smile back.

“Marcus?”

“No.”

Laney turned to glare at her middle brother, but Cassie had
expected nothing else. She knew the bald, grouchy enforcer didn’t like her. It
was the first thing he’d said to her when she’d moved onto the estate.

“Tina?” Cooper asked the tall, dark-haired enforcer.

“I vote no.” No surprises there either.

“Jesse?”

“I vote no.” His green eyes couldn’t meet hers and she knew
who was really casting the vote. His bitchy wife, Samantha.

“Josiah?”

“I vote yes.”

Cassie stared at him, startled, and he smiled at her.

“That’s three nos, two yes. Cain?”

The quiet enforcer turned to look at her.

“I vote yes.”

Well that was a shock. She didn’t think he’d said more than
three words to her.

“Even votes. Rye?”

“I vote no.”

“Dusty?”

Cassie held herself still.
Don’t cry, don’t cry
, she told
herself. She had no idea how Dusty would vote.

Dusty’s grin was full of trouble. Very slowly she spoke. “I
vote…” There was a dramatic pause. “Yes.”

“Oh dear God,” Cassie whispered, her knees weakening to the
point of collapse. Luckily, she was held upright by Jay’s possessive arm.

“A tie. Well, it looks like I have the deciding vote,”
Cooper spoke calmly.

Cassie didn’t dare look up.

“Welcome to the pack, Cassie.”

* * * * *

“That went well, didn’t it?”

Cassie jumped as Dusty drove her wheelchair out onto the
small deck of the cabin. Cassie had wandered out here, needing some fresh air
and space from the celebration—commiseration for some—going on inside.

“How on earth do you manage to be so quiet in that
contraption?” she snapped.

Dusty grinned. “You owe me.”

“What?” Cassie narrowed her eyes down at the other woman
suspiciously.

“I voted for you, now you have to do something for me. I
need to know what the ‘B’ stands for.”

“Man, you’re persistent, aren’t you? Why do you have to
know?”

“Because it’s my job to know.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means just that. It’s my job. I’m the pack interrogator.
I ferret out the truth.”

Interrogator?
Cassie guessed it made sense. People
probably told her things to get her to leave them alone.

“Does Jay have a job?”

The werewolf grinned, showing off pristine white canines.
“How badly do you want to know?”

Cassie folded her arms. “I could just ask him.”

“You could.” Dusty held out an arm to prevent her from
leaving the deck. “But you don’t want to go back in there. Stay here until Jay
comes out.”

“What? Why?” Cassie asked, alarmed.

“Nothing major, Cooper’s giving a lecture about treating you
well, as one of us but gentler. You know, because you’re such a fragile,
breakable little thing and all.”

“Bet that’s going down well,” Cassie grumbled.

“Like a cat choking on a fur ball,” Dusty replied
cheerfully.

“Why aren’t you in there?”

Dusty’s grin wiped clean off her face. “Well, I’m not an
enforcer at the moment, am I?”

“Yes you are. You got a vote.”

Dusty shrugged. “Jay’s now third in command.”

“Really? Wow. Who used to be third?”

“Justin,” Dusty snarled.

“Cassie!”

Cassie looked over as Laney appeared on the porch, Cooper
close behind her.

“I can’t believe you’re going to live here. I’m so happy.”
Laney threw her arms around Cassie, squeezing tight. Cassie felt her insides
melt a little. The rejection from some of the enforcers had hurt, even though
she’d known it was coming. But Laney’s pure joy soothed some of that wound.

Cooper came forward and Laney moved aside so he could take
Cassie’s hands in his. He squeezed lightly as she held her breath. “Cassie, let
me offer you a more personal welcome to the Shadowpeak pack. There will be a
ceremony in a week, welcoming you more formally into the fold. It’s a good
excuse to invite the other packs here, and I hope that bastard who bombed your
shop is arrogant enough to come. But for now,” he leaned down and kissed her on
each cheek, “please know that my mate and I are pleased you are part of our
pack and our family.” He let her go.

“Thank you.” She bit her lip. “I hope I haven’t caused too
many problems.”

He drew Laney under the shelter of his large arm, dwarfing
her tiny frame. “Actually, I think having you join the pack is an extremely
positive move,” he replied, surprising her.

“You wouldn’t know it from the miserable faces in there.”
She slammed a hand over her mouth. But he merely chuckled.

“Zachary liked us to keep to ourselves as much as possible,”
Dusty explained. “We never had much to do with humans until Cooper came along
and pushed us out into the real world. It’s ignorance, not hate.”

“So you see, Cassie. Their reactions showed me who I need to
concentrate on and watch. Who requires a bit more exposure to the outside
world. Having you around will be a good thing for us. For you, I’m not so sure.
You sure you can handle this?” Cooper asked seriously. Cassie gazed up at him.
Straightening her shoulders, she nodded.

He smiled approvingly. “Good. We’re leaving early, I’m
afraid. Laney is tired. So we’ll bid you both good night.”

Laney glared up at Cooper, whacking him lightly on the
chest. “I’m fine, Coop,” she complained. “You’re being overprotective.”

Cassie peered closely at Laney for the first time. She’d
been too focused on herself to see it before, but Laney was looking exhausted.
She was pale and had large, dark circles under her eyes.

“Laney?” she asked in concern.

Laney waved a hand at her in dismissal. “I’m fine. Come on,
then.” She pulled at Cooper’s hand, trying to tug him along. Instead he swooped
her up against his chest, carrying her as he walked toward their house.

Cassie turned to Dusty, frowning. “Is Laney unwell?”

Dusty grinned. “Yep, apparently morning sickness is a real
bitch.”

“She’s pregnant?” Cassie turned to take off after her
friend, wishing to congratulate her, but Dusty grabbed her hand.

“Yes, she is. But you’ve got to act surprised when she tells
you,” Dusty warned her.

Cassie relaxed, nodding.

“Now, back to you owing me.”

Cassie let out a breath of impatience. “Come on, Dusty,
aren’t you sick of this?”

“Nope.” The other woman gazed up at her, looking as gorgeous
as always, even injured and in a wheelchair. “I have to know. I’ve been
wondering for weeks now, all through my operations. Tell me.”

“Fine,” Cassie glared down at her. “But swear you won’t tell
anyone else.”

“I swear.”

“Ahem.”

Cassie spun as someone cleared their throat behind her. She
noticed Dusty didn’t even flinch. Rotten werewolf had known someone was behind
them all along.

“Perhaps this is a good time to let you know we’re here.”

She smiled as Jay stepped out and hugged her, his chin
coming to rest on the top of her head.

“Although I must admit, I’d like to know the answer.”

“I’ll go back inside,” Cain spoke up from the doorway.

“No, stay.” She was pretty sure he wouldn’t go blabbing to
others. She stepped back, out of Jay’s arms.

“I’ll tell you, but none of you can laugh, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dusty said impatiently. “Just spill.”

“It’s Buttercup.”

They went silent and still, as if waiting for her to laugh.
She sighed.

“It’s no joke. My full name is Buttercup Cassidy
Callington.”

“But why would your mother do that?” Dusty asked.

“
The Princess Bride.
” Surprisingly, it was Cain who
spoke up. He grinned at her, the first smile she’d seen from him. “She named
you after a feisty, unique and beautiful heroine.”

Cassie gaped at him in disbelief.

“Really?” Dusty said doubtfully. “You’ve seen it?” she asked
Cain suspiciously as he wheeled her off the deck. Cain was the only person
Cassie had ever seen wheeling Dusty around.

“Yep. Maybe we could watch it together some time.”

“Hmm, maybe.”

Jay was grinning as he turned Cassie. “Is it my imagination,
or did those two really make a date to watch
The Princess Bride
?” he
asked her.

She laughed. “Well, you know what they say.”

“No? What’s that?”

“For every obnoxious, irritating person there’s a patient,
stoic man just waiting to sweep her off her feet.”

“Ahh, so that’s what they say, is it?”

“Yeah, that, or she wants to watch it so she can find
something else to tease me about.”

He laughed before stealing her mouth for a kiss.

“Let’s get out of here, aye?”

She arched an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t be running away from
your own party, would you?”

He swept her up in his arms. “Not so much running from, but
running to. You’re all I need to celebrate, because you are the reason I’m
celebrating.”

“Well then, let’s go home and have a party for two.”

“As you wish.”