Mating the Red Wolf: (Book 10, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas) (5 page)

Kim stopped him.  “Wait, are you saying that you would leave your pack and join mine?”

Ed shrugged.  “Well, yeah.  I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I think it’s the best option.”

“But it’s your pack…”

He shook his head.  “Pack doesn’t mean the same thing to red wolves that it does to greys.  We’re more like an organization than a family, and I wouldn’t want you or Jamie to leave your family.  That is, if you think your pack will have me.”

Kim giggled as her wolf yapped gleefully.  “Are you kidding?  My Alpha loves you; honestly, I’m a little jealous of the bromance you two have got going on.”

Ed chuckled in return.  “Actually, Adam did offer me a job working as legal advisor for the pack construction company.”

“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise, “are you going to take it?”

“I told him I’d have to discuss it with you first.  What do you think?”

Kim shuffled from foot to foot.  “Well, what do you think?”

“It would mean I’d be closer to you and Jamie, less hours, less stress, I love the idea.”  Honestly he did; before he met Kim he had been focused on his career, and becoming the youngest partner his law firm ever had. 
Since meeting Kim, he’d lost his drive for work, and slowly she had taken over as his obsession.

“I love it too,” she said in relief.  She brushed her lips over his.  “But enough of this stalling, where is my engagement ring?”

Ed rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.  “That’s your favorite part of getting engaged isn’t it?  The ring.”

She waggled her eyebrows.  “Damn straight, now gimme.”

Ed chuckled and led her into his room.  She immediately spread herself out on the bed in a seductive pose.  “Ooh, I feel so naughty being here in your room.  Shall we fool around?  Do we dare risk it?”

He opened a draw and was about to answer when he frowned.  He started rooting around, pulling out clothes.  “Fuck!”

She sat up.  “What’s wrong?”

“Your ring; it’s gone.”

Chapter Six

18
th
February

Kim stretched and spread out on the bed.  Lord, this was the most comfortable bed she ever slept in, and probably cost more than all her furniture put together, she thought sourly.  Not that it mattered;
she’d sleep on a park bench if she had Ed beside her.

Her wolf yipped excitedly remembering the night before.  Yep, they were getting married.  Should they have a big wedding?  What should her dress look like?  How many bridesmaids should she have? 
Okay, easy girl.
  One thing at a time, they still have to find the ring.

Although she hadn’t minded,
she didn't really need a ring
, Ed had been livid.  Ed was adamant that someone had taken it, but Kim was hopeful that he’d just forgotten where he’d put it.  She’d soothed him a little before she found Jamie and took herself off to bed.  Hopefully, he’d be a little calmer today.

Kim sniffed and smiled as she scented Ed.  She opened her eyes and sat up to find Jamie and Ed trying to build a playing card house.  “Mmmmm, morning.”

“Mommy!” squealed Jamie, “look what we made!”

“Very impressive.”

Jamie then snapped a hand out and knocked it over.  She giggled at seeing Ed’s mock look of horror.

Kim creased her brow as she looked at Jamie.  “Sweetie, who did your hair?”

“Ed,” Jamie told her proudly as both she and the red wolf gave her happy grins.

Kim tried to stifle her smirk.  “Wow, babe, I had no idea that you could braid hair, I’m very impressed.  Perhaps you could paint my toenails later.”

Ed raised an eyebrow suggestively.  “I know you’re kidding but I would love that.”

Jamie frowned with an adorable look of confusion on her small face.  “Why would you love touching mommy’s feet?”

Kim blushed a little and Ed clapped his hands together.  “Right then, time for us to go for a swim.”

Kim rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and saw that both Jamie and Ed were already kitted out in their swimsuits.  “You’re disturbingly perky this morning.”

He shrugged.  “We’re on a beautiful island and I’m with my two favorite girls – why wouldn’t I be perky?”

“It’s been a long time since anyone called me a girl.  Okay, now I’m perky.”  She threw back the covers, grabbed her costume and strode to the bathroom to change.

Ed took a moment to admire her long shapely legs. 
They just go on and on and on…
  His wolf snapped at him; he was almost drooling.

Minutes later, Ed was giving Jamie a piggyback as he followed Kim to the pool.  He watched the sway of her ass and was almost salivating.  How long had it been since they were last together?  Jeez, an hour felt like too long at that moment.  Thankfully, he was saved from looking like too much of a leering pervert by Jamie, who urged him to hurry to the pool.

Kim held back a groan as they found almost everyone else already gathered around the pool.  Apparently, they had the same idea of an early morning swim too.  Jamie wriggled until Ed put her down, and she ran over to the other pups to play in the shallow pool.

Ed and Kim bade hello to everyone and were met by various desultory greetings in return.  Other than Marie and Jonathan, everyone else was present.  They were sat around the pool reading from books, tablets and electronic reading devices, and generally ignoring each other.

Kim noticed, with some irritation, that Helena was currently lying on a lounger in a skimpy red bikini with gold links.  The gold looked good against her tanned skin, and the shining sun picked out the golden flecks of her auburn hair. 

Feeling a little self-conscious, Kim picked a sun lounger as far away as possible from everyone else.  She knew she was good looking; it’s just that her own skin was kind of pale and freckly. 
She wasn’t exactly a friend of the sun
.  “Did you know everyone would be here?”

He chuckled.  “No, but I should have.  I mentioned I was thinking about having a morning swim last night; I guess they all thought it was a good idea too.  They just look like red wolves – they’re really sheep.”

Kim watched as Jamie splashed and giggled with the young boys. 
Oh well, it’s not like she had anything to be ashamed of.
  She pulled off her oversized shirt to reveal a modest cut, dark blue swimsuit.

Ed licked his lips as his wolf growled softly in approval.  “Mmmm, very nice.”

She slapped his arm.  It was the most sensible swimsuit she could find; the idea of flitting about in a two-piece in front of his parents left her cold.  She wasn’t there to impress anyone with a show of skin, although,
looking at Helena she was kind of having second thoughts…

Ed pulled off his own shirt displaying his taut muscles.  Her wolf mewled happily.  “Not so bad yourself,” she purred.

Amber started seeping into his eyes, and his expression was downright wolfish.  “You know, I bet they wouldn’t miss us for a few minutes, maybe we should go inside…”

“A few minutes?” she asked in disbelief.

“Gorgeous, we haven’t had sex in a week, we’ll be lucky if I last more than a few seconds.”

Kim rolled her eyes.  “Boy, that sounds tempting.”  Ed grinned and started reaching out his hands to her hips, and she placed a palm on his chest.  “But how about you cool off instead?”

She gave an almighty push sending Ed flailing backward into the pool.  The kids giggled while Ed’s mother, Marguerite, Christine, Jennifer and Olivia clapped.  Ed’s father, shouted ‘bravo.’  Harold Jr. clucked his tongue at them before returning to reading the news.

Ed spluttered and splashed her.  “Very funny.”

She chuckled and gingerly climbed in.  He immediately grabbed her and gave her a hungry kiss.  Her wolf huffed as Kim pulled away from the embrace far too soon.

Ed pursed his lips as his own wolf grunted in frustration.  There were only so many cold showers he could take before he exploded.

Seeing the hurt look on his face, she relented and allowed him to pull her back into his arms.  “I’m sorry; I just don’t want to go too far in front of your family.  I already feel like they’re judging me, I don’t want them thinking I’m completely wanton.”

“What’s wrong with being wanton?  If you ask me, it’s a highly underrated quality.”

Kim flicked water in his face.  “Olivia’s giving us some funny looks.”

Ed maneuvered them so he could catch a glimpse of her.  Sure enough, she looked pale and uneasy.  “Probably the PDAs, not something she’s used to in my family.” 

Sometimes Ed found it amazing that his parents had ever managed to have one son, never mind five.  They were warm and loving to their children, but not touchy feely.  And they never held each other’s hands or kissed or even gave each other a friendly pat on the back in public.  He dreaded to think what happened in private.  As for his stuffy eldest brother, Harold Jr., Ed just assumed there was some kind of cabbage patch deal with his kids.

“Does kissing really bother her?”

“I’m pretty sure she’s still a virgin; I’ve never seen her even kiss her boyfriend.”

Kim’s wolf snorted.  She could see why.  Kurt was okay looking, but he had shifty eyes and she just got the impression he was slimy.  It wasn’t anything he said or did – it was just something he put out there.  Plus, she was kind of concerned that something might be going on with him and Helena.  Although, she wasn’t ready to impart that to Ed until she was sure there was something there.  Otherwise, she would come off like a jealous harpy, and she wasn’t jealous of Helena.  She had no reason to be jealous. 
Stupid, red wolf bitch.

Ed looked thoughtful for a moment.  “I’m not really sure what Olivia’s birth family was like; they died when she was 11, and that’s when mom and dad adopted her.”

Her wolf whined in sadness.  “I had no idea, poor Olivia.”

“Yeah, it’s been rough on her, but she had Will, they were inseparable when they were younger, and he seemed to help her.”

Kim dared a glance at Will; he looked just as pained as Olivia.  “I didn’t think they were that close; they barely spoke a word to each other at dinner.”

“They’ve had a falling out, but they won’t say about what.  He’s another virgin; he spends all day fiddling with computers and has no idea how to talk to women.”  He tried to imagine Will with a woman and came up blank.

“Awww, I think he’s a sweetie.”

Ed and his wolf grumbled at that. 
They did not like their mate thinking of anyone else as a sweetie.

“Did you find the ring?” she asked carefully.

“No,” he replied tersely.  He knew he wouldn’t.  It had been in the drawer with his shirts; he remembered very clearly putting it there.  Someone had deliberately stolen it.  And he had a good idea who.  “Jonathan’s looking for it.”

“Where do you think it is?” she asked quietly. 
She already knew what he was going to say.

Ed gave her a small smile.  “He’s checking Helena’s room.  I figured if Helena noticed someone had been in there, she’d think it was me, so I’m establishing my alibi…” 

“No kidding Miss Marple…”

“…While he looks.  He’d do anything for money.”

“Doesn’t he already have lots of money?”

He groaned.  “No one can spend money as quickly as he can.”

Seriously, Ed wasn’t kidding.  Of course, it was never a good idea to give cars to girls you’re about to dump to soften the blow. 
Especially if your relationships last less than two weeks…

Kim gave him a quick peck before moving off to swim laps.  Ed moved to the side of the pool and watched her graceful form undulating through the water. 
Pure bliss.

After a while, Kim took Jamie off to bathe and dress, and everyone else started to do the same.  Ed tensed as he saw Helena starting to move into the house but relaxed when Jonathan sauntered out.  Jonathan shook his head, and Ed’s wolf growled inwardly.

He pulled himself out of the water and started drying himself angrily.  He was trying to be patient and he was trying to logical, but he was furious.  He knew it was just a ring, and that Kim had already agreed to marry him, but it was the principal.  He wanted the darn thing on her finger, showing everyone that she belonged to him.

Ed had a bad feeling that his family might try to object to his engagement to Kim.  Although they were polite to Kim, he worried that certain members of his family wouldn’t welcome her with open arms.  He was particularly thinking of his brother and his father…  Although his father appeared easy going like Ed and Jonathan, he was actually uptight and ruthless like his eldest son. 
Well, his father hadn’t remained the Alpha of their pack for over twenty years for nothing…

Although Ed and his eldest brother didn’t get along, he respected him a little more than he did their father.  Harold Jr. made no bones about the kind of guy he was, he laid it out on the table, but his father pretended he was a good guy. 
He really wasn’t.

Ed recalled the time when Jonathan brought home the most recent love of his life just under a couple of years ago.  She was a sweet fox shifter called Ingrid, who had once worked as an exotic dancer…  His family was seemingly nice to her, but when Jonathan declared that he wanted to marry her, the gloves came off.  The fox was soon dispatched.  Jonathan seemed to bounce back, but Ed detected that a certain amount of hurt lingered and Jonathan would never talk about her.

He needed to make it clear to his family just how serious he was about Kim, and that, in spite of any objections they may have, he was going to marry Kim.  This moment had been a long time coming, and he wasn’t about to allow anything to get in the way. 

Ed made his way over to Jonathan, who had stripped off his shirt and was sprawled on a lounger with one arm slung over his face.  He sniffed as Ed came near.  “I searched all over; it wasn’t in her room.  When do I get my money?”

Ed rolled his eyes.  “I’ll wire you the money when we get home.”

“You better; I’m going to Vegas in two weeks, I’ll need it.”

Ed shook his head and left him.  Both he and Jonathan received the same allowance.  But other than for Kim’s missing engagement ring, which was extortionately expensive, he’d barely touched his money.  It all went into a savings account that he figured would do nicely as a college fund for Jamie and any other kids they had.

He smiled as his wolf almost panted at the thought of having pups with Kim.  They already had Jamie, but he’d like a boy or two and maybe another girl.  They had their whole lives spread out in front of them, and he couldn’t wait.

*

Kim led a chattering Jamie through the house.  Jamie asked her numerous questions about her new red wolf friends and without waiting for answers, continued talking.  Did she know that they all had their own TVs in their rooms?  Did she know that they had their own swimming pool?  Did she know that they were allowed to pick out whatever toys they wanted when they went to the mall?

Kim didn’t know any of this but wasn’t overly surprised. 

They made it to their room and Kim was surprised to find Marie, Ed’s grandmother, standing further down the hallway, looking at her feet.  With her sharpened hearing, she could hear Marie mumbling the words ‘pills’ and ‘not sure.’