Page 22 of The Alpha Option
Instead, he nudged her legs hard enough that she toppled to the mattress. She rolled, and by the time she got herself upright, he’d jumped beside her, grinning a wolfish grin.
He batted at her again, gently nudging her toward the pillow she’d used earlier.
“You’re very bossy for somebody who can’t talk.” Cassidy made herself comfortable even as her mind continued to race. “But you can. Talk, I mean. Wolf calls, I suppose, and howling and yips. I’ve always wanted to know what yips meant. You’ve got to have more ways to communicate. Oh my God, I have so many questions.”
The wolf that was Jace rolled his eyes then settled beside her, resting his chin on her thigh.
“I know. I know, questions tomorrow.” She laid a hand on his head before stroking softly over and over. His eyes closed, and a low rumble of satisfaction started deep inside him. Like a generator on standby or a really satisfied cat purring.
She bit back another snicker. Chances were he wouldn’t like the cat analogy.
Instead, she decided this was a great opportunity to tell him something. Since he couldn’t interrupt her. No human vocal cords and all.
It would be easier to get the words out while she was stroking him.
“This place is really important to me. To Stephanie as well. And her sister and the kids— God, this place is going to be the change they absolutely need. But for me, I feel as if this is my fresh start and my last chance.” She scratched a finger between his eyes as he stared directly at her. “When I won the lottery—Timberwolf Lodge—I gave my notice and then burned a bridge or two behind me. I was working in hotel management, but the new owners for the boutique hotel I ran were terrible. When I knew I had an out, I gave them more than a little piece of my mind. Plus, we sold or gave away everything that wouldn’t fit in the minivan. Going back to Toronto isn’t an option.”
The wolf’s shoulders lifted as he sighed heavily. His nose bumped her fingers. A moment of sympathy. A touch of concern in his eyes.
“I’m determined to make this work. I think I’m telling you this because whatever’s going on between us, it can’t get in the way of Timberwolf Lodge becoming a success. Which means when you do get around to telling me and explaining, I want you to know that in spite of me being very ignorant of all the facts, I am fully in. I can pack one hell of a punch if I need to.” She lay back and stared at the ceiling. Damn her honesty streak. “The only thing I’m not very good at is toeing the line when the rules don’t feel right. I really hope if there are a bunch of hoops to jump through to get the lodge up and running, that they’re challenges we can handle together.”
Jace patted his head against her hand. When she curled up enough to meet his gaze, he dipped his chin. Firmly, once. Then he closed his eyes and tucked his head against her. Conversation clearly over.
She stared at the ceiling for a while longer. They’d driven across the country. Confirmed shifters were more than a one-time miracle. There was a wolf asleep in her bed. A wolfshiftershe hoped to convince to turn back into a man tomorrow so she could kiss him silly.
That was a nice thought to fall asleep to, Cassidy decided.
Waking to an empty bed and not even a warm spot where Jace had been curled up wasn’t as nice.
She glared out the window and sighed. “Fine. Another day, another adventure.”
Cassidy dressed then peered into the room Steph had selected. A mess of clothes lay everywhere, but there was no sign of her friend.
More garments lay scattered down the hallway and stairs like a trail of breadcrumbs.
Cassidy shook her head even as she stooped and gathered the fallout. “Stephanie. You’re such a lazy ass. Taking two trips to the washing machine won’t kill you.”
By the time Cassidy reached the main floor, the pile in her arms was up to eye level, with still no sign of her friend.
“I’m going to make you carry my shit for the next week,” Cassidy threatened. “Stephanie. Where the hell are you? Get your ass up here.”
No answer from Steph, but a loud clatter rang against the front door. Cassidy growled with frustration before making a precarious transfer of the load to her left arm so she could jerk the door open with her right.
A moose butt appeared, the weight of the beast sending the enormous door crashing against the wall as the huge creature fell into the grand front foyer.
9
Cassidy shouted even as she scrambled back to safety. The laundry in her arms flew toward the ceiling before falling like rain on the moose.
“Did you bellow?” Stephanie stepped through the door from the basement and came face-to-face with the moose. Or at least its butt. “Shoot.”
The creature found its feet and now stood in massive moosey splendor in a place no moose had gone before.
Or at least Cassidy hoped moose weren’t a common occurrence around the lodge. Bad enough she didn’t quite know how to deal with the wolves that would, she suspected, be hanging around Timberwolf Lodge, but moose?
The big beast stood motionless except for his head, which swayed from side to side as he examined her and Stephanie. Which wasn’t quite as scary as it should have been considering various articles of Steph’s clothes swayed willy-nilly from his massive antlers like risqué Christmas ornaments.
Steph shakily slid one hand into the air to fend off the creature—as if. “Cass? Suggestions?”
