Page 9 of The Scent of Seduction

Jaryn tilted his head back and laughed so loud that he was sure the entire restaurant looked in their direction. When he glanced over at Nicole, she had crossed her arms and wore the most adorable look of consternation on her face.

“And what, may I ask, is so damn funny?”

Jaryn nodded for Susan to take his plate. He frowned slightly when Nicole gestured for the same, given that she’d only eaten half her meal. But he wasn’t about to cross swords with her on that topic at this moment.

“I wasn’t laughing at you. I was thinking about my Beta, Shaun. He’s perpetually unlucky with women. Every ex of his I’ve met always says the same thing. He’s a good guy and means well, but he has a tendency to speak first and think second. That, and you’d have better luck getting him to wear a man thong than you would get him to open up about anything personal.”

Nicole lips threatened to inch out a smile. “If he’s so difficult, why is he your Beta?”

Jaryn leant forwards over the table and stared into Nicole’s eyes. “Shaun’s mouth may run away from him occasionally, but he’s the most loyal person I know. He’ll do anything for the pack and its members, even if it means a personal sacrifice. And he may have a hard time expressing personal emotions, but never doubt that he feels them. In fact, his emotionality gives him the drive to fight tooth and nail for what he believes in.”

“And you? Were you born with your charm?”

“I am the Alpha for my pack, as my father was before me. Diplomacy and a certain amount of charm are skills I’ve had to learn by necessity. But when I say those words to you, I’m not speaking as Alpha of Phantom River Pack, I’m speaking to you as Jaryn Chaunterel. I’m a man, just as any other, and I’ve found the woman who’s destined to share my life. I’m willing to do everything within my power to make that possibility a reality.”

“So you’re willing to say whatever it takes, regardless of how you feel? What’s a lie if it gets you what you want?”

“No, Nicole. I don’t lie, not to you. And when we complete the mating bond, you’ll know me better than any other person alive because not only will we share our lives, but our thoughts and emotions. I’ll be an open book to you.”

Nicole turned to look out the window beside them. Jaryn sensed she was fighting some battle within herself. He’d give anything at this moment to have cemented their bond, so he would know what she was thinking…how she felt about everything he’d thrown at her today…how she really felt about everything that had happened to her. She was tired and stressed from her time on the run. Had he overplayed his hand?

“How can you possibly blindly accept that we’re going to fall in love, that our lives will magically fit together and we’ll live in some idyllic Shangri-La?”

Jaryn reached across the table and turned Nicole’s face back towards him. He picked up her hand and held it between his. His larger palms swallowed her delicate fingers. “I believe in the mating bond. I’ve never met a pair of true mates who didn’t love each other with ultimate passion and devotion. As for making our lives fit? We are two intelligent individuals. With work and compromise and the desire to make it happen, I know it’s possible. I’m not saying there won’t be bumps along the way. I’m sure we’ll argue and, on occasion, annoy each other, but at the end of the day, I have faith that my life will be better for having you in it, and I hope in time you’ll think the same.”

“It sounds too good to be true. I’m scared to believe. You’re asking me to believe that I’ve traveled from hell to heaven in two days. That’s not realistic.”

Jaryn frowned. He and Shaun had a lot to discuss tomorrow about the investigation. He wanted to get to the bottom of what exactly was going on in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, and shut down Broyles’ operation for good. But tonight, his mate and building their bond came first.

“Will you at least think about accepting me as your mate? Will you help me with our investigation?” he asked.

Nicole met Jaryn’s eyes for a long moment. “I’ll do everything I can to help you. I owe it to those I left behind. The rest… we’ll have to see.”

It was something. Right now Jaryn would take whatever he could get.

Chapter Five

Jaryn sat at his desk, sorting through phone messages logged into the system. Some of them were current clients, some prospective. There was one from the ASC, and the remaining dealt with pack business. At least he’d finally be able to give the chairman some solid news on the investigation front. He handled both pack and company business out of an office space on Main Street, wanting to keep his home a sanctuary. The restrictions disappeared if there was an emergency within the pack, but most of the members respected the imaginary lines Jaryn had drawn when he took over the Alpha position from his father.

It had been a change from when Jaryn was growing up. During his dad's tenure as the Alpha, their home would frequently receive a barrage of wolves at all hours, seeking their Alpha's assistance for everything from resolving disputes among pack members to applying for permits to develop the pack-held land. Jaryn had sworn at a young age that when he was Alpha, the home he would someday share with his mate and pups would be a home, not a conference center. He was available day and night, but there was no need to bang on his door unless it was an emergency. In the two years since Jaryn had taken over, the new system seemed to work well.

He’d also implemented the bi-weekly pack meetings. The meetings gave him, Shaun, and the enforcer of their pack, Cooper Tessen, a chance to touch base with all the members. Most of the time, the meetings ended up having the atmosphere of a large family get-together. They didn’t have an enormous pack, only around a hundred members, including the young. The meetings allowed Jaryn to update the pack with the status of their business ventures in the area, and address any issues that came up day by day. The pack spent a relatively short amount of time on the business portion of the meeting and dedicated the rest to socializing with friends and family. Wolves were always very social creatures, and no matter how stressed his life was, Jaryn always looked forward to spending time with his family, friends, and pack members.

They all congregated at the two thousand square foot lodge the pack had funded and built on their land. That reminded Jaryn—he really needed to talk to Shaun about organizing a committee to tackle the proposed small meeting house for more intimate gatherings. Jaryn had been tossing around the idea of possibly opening up the lodge to the public. Maybe even finding the funding to design and build a small-to-medium sized chalet with guest rooms groups could rent for corporate retreats or weddings. Jaryn didn’t want the pack to run a full-time resort, but corporate retreats or weddings would be acceptable. The rest of the time, visitors of pack member could rent the rooms or they could house the occasional dignitary from the council. Phantom River’s land backed up to Glacier National Park, so he suspected they wouldn’t have a hard time selling the location. There were natural creeks that bubbled in the spring, grassy meadows, and certain areas where there were enough trees that any structure built would maintain a secluded feel. The pack had enough land that a small parcel allotted to be open to public use wouldn’t encroach on the members’ homes and lives. The income generated would add to the already successful pack-owned businesses in the area, and it would allow Jaryn to provide jobs for both pack members and non-pack residents. He’d have to run some numbers and see if something of that nature would be feasible.

God, he hated accounting, but unfortunately, being Alpha included the tedious job of balancing and managing the pack’s accounts. Too bad they didn’t have a member who was an accountant or financial planner. Jaryn would love to delegate this part of his responsibilities.

Jaryn’s head jerked up as the door to his office hit the wall with a bang and saw Shaun standing in the doorway with his feet braced apart, arms crossed and a decisively annoyed frown on his face. It seemed it was time to pay the piper.

“And when were you planning on telling me—your Beta, not to mention your best friend—that you’d found your mate? I had to hear it from Gillian at the diner over my stack of pancakes. I nearly incinerated my throat inhaling scalding hot coffee!”

Jaryn smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Good morning to you too, Shaun.”

“Well?”

“Have a seat. I wanted to talk to you about the possibility of a new business venture for the pack, and then there’s—”

“Jaryn! So help me God…” Shaun clenched his fists at his sides.

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