Broken Wolf_A Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 5

  It had been where the Alpha’s liked to party on the weekend and conduct their alternative businesses. It was a fucking miracle no one had caught on to some of these underhanded dealings. When a witch had reached out to him with a warning Shane had finally done something about it.

  He’d called in the only man he knew who was strong enough to beat any challenge, even his own.

  Kai had always been powerful, but he knew nothing about his heritage or his parents. Shane understood why he’d left, but sometimes he was still pissed he hadn’t come back earlier.

  Shane held part of the blame. Every time a new challenge was made he’d hoped this new Alpha would be better than the last. He felt like he had to give everyone a chance. Some had been better than others, but it was still a fucking shit-show compared to what Kai had managed to accomplish in the last year.

  He pulled into the parking lot and put the truck into park. Thankfully the townhome was massive so it wasn’t hard for him to share it with the pack when he needed to. Some of his compulsions made living in the same house difficult.

  Voices inside reached him as he unlocked the door. Amelia and Kai were talking about something. He listened only long enough to see if they were talking business or private. His Alpha was trying to convince his new mate to go ring shopping with him and she wasn’t having any of it.

  Shane slammed the door closed so they’d know someone else was in the house. Amelia was in the foyer instantly. “I ran into Bonnie at your old condo,” he told her.

  She took the paperwork from him with a shocked look on her face. “Why would she be there?”

  “She said that’s where her new condo was.”

  “Oh shit.” Amelia went into the receiving room and slumped onto the couch there. “I had no idea that’s where she’d bought her condo. Now I feel like an asshole. Bonnie wanted me to wait until her housewarming party before showing it to me.”

  Shane crossed his arms over his chest. Well, his entire day was now open since he’d planned to see Bonnie after she got off work, but there was no need for that now. He had to give her some time to come to terms with everything, with what she’d seen.

  The way she’d looked at his scars and treated him like a normal person regardless of what she’d seen and what he’d told her – the way she talked…“So what do you know about Bonnie before you two worked at the publishing house?” he asked Amelia.

  Kai came into the room, took one look at him, and then went out again to rummage around in the kitchen.

  Amelia shrugged and tapped the documents regarding her condo. “We never really talked about anything that happened before college. We both went to the University of Portland just at different times and we weren’t friends until we started working together. Our entire relationship is built off the now. It took me a while to really open up to her.” Amelia shrugged again and looked down at the paperwork.

  Shane could smell how upset she was.

  Kai reappeared with three beers and passed them around. “It’s not your fault, Amelia. None of this is your fault.”

  Shane tapped his fingers on his arm. It was a little bit her fault, but he wasn’t going to say anything stupid like he had the day before.

  Bonnie had something in her past that made her familiar enough with OCD to recognize it when almost no one else did. They just thought he was mad all the fucking time. Which to be fair he was a lot, but that’s just how his symptoms manifested. His wolf didn’t like feeling threatened or stressed and that made him lash out.

  It was one of the main reasons Shane kept to himself for the most part other than running the pack when he needed to. He shook his head. He’d done what he could for the others, but he hadn’t been at his best and they’d all suffered.

  “I should go over and see her, try to talk to her.” Amelia’s despair made the air in the townhouse seem thick and spoiled.

  Shane chugged half his beer. “I would, uh, wait. I proved to her that I could change into a wolf.” He finished the beer without really looking at anyone, but the silence rang in his ears.

  “Fine,” she snapped. “I’ll go tomorrow.”

  He went into the kitchen to drop the beer bottle into the recycling. Shifter metabolism meant he felt absolutely nothing from that one drink, but it was a nice ritual and helped him relax a little.

  Kai came in and tossed his own. “Are you heading back to the homestead?”

  No the fuck he was not. Shane glared at his Alpha, daring him to order him to leave.

  “I was just asking. Since you’re going to be here until things get…settled, would you mind making the rounds with our businesses? I want to make sure they feel our presence, know they can call us if need be, and that we’re here to help.” Kai leaned on the counter of the kitchen island and inspected Shane. “Could you do that for me?”

  “We need someone stationed here in Portland,” Shane told him. It was the same thing he’d been saying for the last year, but still nothing had changed.

  Kai shrugged and watched as Amelia came through, flipping through the pages he’d brought. “When we get some new applicants or one of our current members wants to move we’ll station someone here. Until then I, or someone else, will come here once a month. We’re not going to force anyone to move when they don’t want to. I’ll buy a bit of tech magic from the Midnight Coven so we can keep an eye on the city from La Grande.”

  Portland’s Midnight Coven had done fuck all for them in the last ten years. ‘Neutral’ the witches claimed. Well, they could go fuck themselves. “I’m not dealing with any witches, but I’ll take care of the businesses. The ones in this general area will be done first. Anything you want or need while I’m out?” he asked loud enough for Amelia to hear him.

  “No, just tell them I’ll be by later in the week too, after I talk to the coven,” Kai said. “Go, and be careful. I’ll have dinner ready around six.”

  Shane stared at Kai for a few moments. Probably longer than was socially acceptable, but his fucking Alpha was going to cook dinner. Every time Kai said or did something like that it blew his goddamn mind.

  This was why he would fight and die for Kai without question. He cared about all of them, and he chipped in. He fucking made dinner and expected Shane to be a part of that like they were a real pack.

  He finally had a real family now. And Shane desperately wanted Bonnie to be a part of it.

  Shane nodded and decided the restaurant was the closest. He waved goodbye and left the two Alphas to their own devices. Kodiak Steak was owned by a grumpy bear shifter that didn’t have his own pack. He just wanted to live in Portland and not be bothered with pack shit so they’d gotten him a shifter visa like the non-predators so he could go about his life without having to register with the Blue Mountain Pack.

  The old codger was one of Shane’s favorite people. Not for any other reason than they understood each other.

  The place was close enough to walk and Shane jogged across the street. Too bad he hadn’t brought his motorcycle. It was a lot faster to get around the city and find parking on that than it was in his truck.

  It was quiet for a Monday afternoon, but the smells on the air were delicious. Shane hiked up the sleeves on his shirt as he got warm from the exercise despite the cold weather. Maybe the old bear would have something for him to eat.

  The doors opened for him and he thanked the human hostess who recognized him. “He’s in the kitchen,” she told him.

  Shane nodded and headed straight for the back. This restaurant wasn’t owned by the pack, but Frank did still pay a fee to them for living in their territory on a visa. Kai had been nice enough to sell full rights to the restaurant to the bear after he’d taken over.

  “I smell you wolf!” Frank roared from the kitchen. “What do you want?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Frank, you’ve got humans who can hear you.” Shane glared at the old bear as he entered the kitchen.

  Frank growled his displeasure and tossed a plate on the pickup table. “Like I g
ive a rat’s ass. Now taste that while you tell me why the fuck you’re here.”

  Shane grinned and grabbed the steak absolutely smothered in onions and mushrooms and some kind of spiced butter. He barely took the time to cut it before he tore into it. The bear worked the kitchen like a master, trying out new recipes before the other chefs came to prep for dinner.

  He chewed and closed his eyes in bliss. Shane would never take food for granted and when it was done like this? It deserved his time and attention. “Could you make a delivery for me? Send this exact dinner to this address with this note? I’ll pay whatever you want.”

  Shane took out a slip of paper and wrote Bonnie’s old address down and a simple ‘I’m sorry.’

  “Girlfriend problems?” the bear asked, laughing when he snatched the paper from Shane’s hand.

  “Mate problems.”

  Frank sobered instantly and gave him a nod. “Don’t worry about it, it’s on the house. Now tell me, what the fuck are you doing here?”

  “Just doing our monthly check in. Kai will be around later this week. Everything going okay? Business good?”

  “I pay my fucking taxes on time every month,” Frank snarled.

  Shane took another bite of the amazing steak and watched as the bear handed him a new plate with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Then he snarled for someone to bring him a beer on tap.

  Frank acted like he hated everything, but like a lot of them in Portland, he was just on edge. One year of good didn’t make up for a decade of bad.

  “It’s not about your taxes, Frank. I’m here to make sure everything is going okay. To see if you need anything, any help at all, anything you want to bring to Kai’s attention.”

  The chef glared at him. “Business is great. I only have to open for dinner now and weekends. I’m thinking about doing brunches.”

  The hostess brought Shane the beer and he dug in. Everything was delicious and Shane felt like he could eat a horse. “Can’t go wrong with brunches.”

  “Always have an appetite I see. Is this going to be a regular thing?” Frank asked, leaning against one of the counters with his arms crossed.

  “Every month. Anything you need can be addressed then or you call me if it’s an emergency. Kai wants everyone safe. We’ve still got enemies after all that bullshit.”

  Frank nodded. “This new Alpha is exactly what you’ve needed. You look like you’ve finally put on some weight.”

  Shane finished up the food and then washed it all down with the beer. “You better watch out,” he said, taking his dishes and putting them in the sink. “People might think you care.”

  The bear grumbled, but Shane could smell how pleased he was about everything. Frank was finally thriving and it was a good thing to see after so long. Shane had tried to get him to leave for years, but the stubborn old bear had refused.

  “Get out of here,” Frank snapped. “I’ll make sure the food is delivered to your mate.”

  Shane walked around the counter and pulled the taller man in for a hug. “Thanks for feeding me and for the delivery. Don’t forget to call if anything weird goes down and you need me—us.”

  For years it had just been Shane and some of the others when they could manage it. Frank knew it too which was why he always had food waiting for him. The bear snarled and swiped at him, but not before Shane was already halfway out of the kitchen.

  Shane chuckled as he left the restaurant. It was one of the few places he actually enjoyed visiting.

  Then his phone rang with an unknown caller. Frowning he answered. “Can I help you?”

  “Shane Montgomery of the Blue Mountain Pack?” a gravelly voice asked. “It’s so good to see you’ve finally found your mate.”

  Instantly his blood turned to ice and Shane growled into the phone. Oh his wolf was ready to rip the caller to shreds. He didn’t know who this person was or why they were calling, but his wolf didn’t like the tone.

  “You have a lot of blood on your hands Shane Montgomery. It’d be a shame if she had to pay for it.” Then the line went dead.

  He was already calling Kai the second he heard the click. There was no fucking way he’d let someone touch Bonnie. Even if she didn’t want anything to do with him at the moment, the harpy was his and he was about to tell the whole fucking world. If they so much as looked at her wrong they’d be dead.

  Kai better help him fix this or Shane would take matters into his own hands. And no one wanted to see what he was fully capable of.

  Chapter Eight

  Bonnie

  Bonnie wrapped the blanket tighter around her and flipped through the options on Netflix again. She had decided to call in sick after everything yesterday. She didn’t know when she wanted to go back either. It was all just too much for her to handle and she felt on the edge of a relapse.

  The space heater was all she had going at the moment even though it was so frigid she was wearing layers and sweaters and blankets.

  Everything had kind of just…gone downhill after her walk with Shane. The moving guys had managed to move everything in one day so she had to pick between her empty old condo and her stuffed-with-boxes new condo.

  The interior decorator had made it right when the movers were shoving her shit in the new place and she was doubly glad she’d hired them. All her furniture would have been a nightmare in the elevator. The decorator had said none of her furniture really went with the new place so she should sell or donate it.

  Bonnie had issues with that. None of her stuff was old necessarily and she could afford to donate it all and start over without issue, but why when she didn’t really have a reason to stay in this condo? She had half a mind to sell it and move somewhere else. This place would only remind her of Amelia and the fact that her best friend was now a wolf who had to leave Portland.

  She clicked on some Lifetime movie she knew was going to make her cry and snuggled under the blankets with all her pillows. She just had her mattress and TV on the floor. It was all she’d been able to handle after someone had delivered food with a note from Shane.

  That had been the final straw. Bonnie had ordered everyone out so she could eat the delicious meal alone while she tried not to cry. Which of course she’d failed. She’d cried so hard she’d thrown everything she ate up and hadn’t been able to keep anything down since.

  It wasn’t a good sign.

  Then the central heating had died at some point in the middle of the night and she’d woken up shivering. No one could come out for a few days so she’d gone to Walmart of all places in the middle of the night to buy a space heater and hadn’t left her room – the only warm place since.

  Bonnie knew she should get up and at least take a hot bath with her new bath bomb, but it sounded like way too much work at the moment.

  She pulled out her phone and started playing a mindless game where she matched cookies or something equally pointless. Then it rang and Amelia’s face popped up. Bonnie declined the call, annoyed her game had been interrupted. She wasn’t ready to talk to her yet.

  Everything Shane and Amelia had told her over the last few days was still processing. She owed Amelia a real apology, but she needed to figure out her thoughts first before talking to her.

  The phone rang again and Bonnie almost turned it off, but she put it on silent instead and focused on the movie.

  Then someone pounded on her door so hard Bonnie screamed. Who the fuck was knocking on the door like they were the police? Bonnie jumped up and ran down the stairs just in case it was actually the cops. She had to weave her way through the boxes and she almost slipped on the hardwood twice.

  When she yanked the door open Amelia was standing there with a bitchy look on her face, a bag of something, and a bottle of wine. “I brought alcohol and cookies. I also brought your favorite – gyros from the Mediterranean place down the street. Let me in so we can talk.”

  Bonnie wasn’t even mad. Talking to her friend on the phone was one thing. In person was totally different and exactly what she
probably needed.

  Amelia deserved to hear her apology face to face.

  Without saying a word she stepped aside and let Amelia into the condo that was absolutely wrecked with nothing but boxes stacked everywhere. The dinner Shane had sent had been a godsend when she didn’t even know where her kitchen stuff was.

  It made her even angrier at him for somehow knowing exactly what she’d needed without having to ask.

  “This place is amazing. I’m surprised you didn’t have someone take care of all this already,” Amelia said, setting her bags down on the kitchen island. “And why is it so fucking freezing in here?”

  “The heater broke and I only have a space heater in my room,” Bonnie said, wrapping her arms around herself. It was so cold.

  “It’s almost colder than it is outside.”

  That made Bonnie crack a smile. “Probably, knowing my luck. What are you doing here?”

  Amelia opened her fridge and slammed it closed when she found only condiments. “Shane told me about his little show and tell and that he ran into you here. So I decided to come and check on you. When I went to Ravens you weren’t there and I got worried.” Without asking what Bonnie wanted she grabbed her bags and the wine and went straight for the stairs.

  Bonnie followed her up and wondered how she was going to apologize. Amelia was a different person since the change, but also not. She was just far more assertive than she’d been before getting turned into a wolf shifter.

  Amelia went into her room and then immediately wrinkled her nose. “You’ve been throwing up haven’t you?”

  It was incredible and also disgusting her friend could smell that when it had been hours since the incident. “I have,” Bonnie admitted. She sighed and closed the door to her room. “Sit down and let me do the talking for a bit.”

  Amelia nodded as she looked around. Then she shrugged and plopped down on the mattress. “Glad I bought a twist cap since your bottle opener is lost in a sea of boxes.” She opened the wine and took a sip right from the bottle before passing it to Bonnie. “I have a feeling we’re going to need this.”