Chapter Ten

Doctor Stephanie Adams was not who Nikki had pictured when she’d outlined her series of articles for Dylan to relay to the Council. The beautiful wolf shifter was in her late thirties and already one of the top children’s surgeons in the country. Nikki had been thinking of a male shifter in some high-powered profession. That way she could show how much alike they were to the pure humans. Instead, the Council had chosen a specialized doctor who was both known and respected.

This series was going to be even better than Nikki could have dreamed up.

Doctor Adams was going to throw a wrench in all the bigots’ hate speech. The five-foot-two, red-haired, green-eyed woman was softly spoken, kind and brilliant. Sitting across the kitchen table from her, Nikki was having trouble not comparing how ordinary she seemed against the doctor. The doctor was classy and beautiful. Nikki was just sort of plain.

She cleared her throat. “I really appreciate you coming here for this,” Nikki said. “I would have been more than willing to travel to see you, Doctor Adams.”

“Please call me Stephanie, and I wanted to come. It’s been a long time since I’ve been surrounded by so many shifters and, to be honest, it’s a nice change. I don’t have any family and my Pack was so small that we just sort of all went our separate ways.”

“Then I’m happy to be able to offer you a chance to relax and recharge with us.” The sadness that came from the doctor was heavy. Something had happened in this woman’s life that had her distancing herself from others. The wolf nature inside Nikki couldn’t allow a fellow wolf to suffer alone. The Council had told her that Stephanie had volunteered to come and stay for as long as Nikki needed. It was a great opportunity.

“Thank you.” Stephanie leaned back in her chair and for the first time looked at ease. She’d arrived the previous night as Nikki and RJ were returning from their camping trip. Brandon had picked her up from the airport and when Nikki had returned home, he hadn’t said much about the female shifter other than that she seemed nice.

RJ had tried to help her press Brandon, but her oldest brother had been suspiciously quiet.

“You have a nice home,” Stephanie said. “Did you grow up here?”

“Yes, my older brother raised me and my other brother Justin here.”

“Oh, the sheriff, right? Brandon.”

Is that interest I detect? Which would explain why Brandon wouldn’t gossip with her about the doctor. Yep, she’d have to keep an eye on that. Maybe get a little payback on all the teasing she’d gotten when she’d hooked up with RJ. “Yes, he’s a good sheriff and even better brother.” Nikki had no issues talking Brandon up. Even though she had no interest in his love life, returning home and finding RJ had opened her eyes to what Brandon had sacrificed for her.

“He seemed very kind,” Stephanie said with a smile. “Usually people learn about my profession and either try to shmooze me or are too intimated to talk to me. Your brother made me feel like a regular person.”

Oh, RJ was going to love hearing this. There was something between the doctor and Brandon. “Brandon has always been down to earth. Coming home always helped me recharge. He just has something about him that allows me to relax.”

“Exactly.” Stephanie nodded. “But that’s not why I was sent here. Can you tell me more about your project? I looked up some of your work before I agreed. Once I saw how talented you were, it helped me feel more comfortable.”

“Aren’t you afraid this will hurt your career?” She had to ask. As political as she’d seen the medical industry in the past, Nikki couldn’t imagine how Stephanie would even think of doing this.

Stephanie laughed. “It crossed my mind. But I decided I needed to pick a side. Since I don’t have a Pack, the decision to come out is absolutely mine. I’d considered hiding, but then I’m doing nothing to help those of my kind who’ve been hurt and killed for what they are.”

Nikki leaned forward as she listened. There was something about the way Stephanie spoke that drew Nikki in. “What do you mean, killed?”

“Have you heard of the Clyde Pack of Missouri?” Stephanie asked.

“No.”

“I was born there. The Alpha was my uncle. My dad’s brother. My father had fourteen siblings. All of my aunts and uncles had at least three children, except for my parents. My dad was the youngest so he’d just started his family. He and my mom had been mated two years before I was born.” Stephanie paused to take a drink of her coffee.

“You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to,” Nikki assured her. Even though the emotion was the exact one she wanted to capture, it was obvious that Stephanie was hurting just talking about what had happened to her family.

“You need to hear this. If you want to capture the same sentiment in this series as you have in the past, you need to know why I’m doing it.”

“Okay,” Nikki said. “Go ahead.”

“I was three years old the night the hunters came.”

“Hunters?” Nikki asked.

Stephanie pressed her lips together. “It seems that one of my cousins met a man who she thought she’d mate with. They’d only been dating about two months, but she told him our secret.”

“Werewolf hunters,” Nikki stated. The stories of the humans who had once hunted down those of her kind were sparse. From what Nikki could remember, the UK shifters had suffered the most losses. Belief and credence had never really taken off in America.

“Yes,” Stephanie said. “The monsters that we thought our parents made up to scare us as children. Except they really existed and they wiped out most of my Pack.”

“Your cousin’s boyfriend?”

“He told his grandfather, who was a retired hunter. Three days after my cousin spilled the secret, the hunters came. My parents hid me and a few of the Pack who weren’t in town. We’re the only ones who survived the massacre.”

“Why haven’t I ever heard about this?” Nikki questioned. “That many people killed?”

“But they weren’t people. My family shifted in order to fight the hunters. There was only the corpses of wolves.”

“My God!” Nikki exclaimed. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”

“As am I.”

Both she and Stephanie jumped at Brandon’s voice. Nikki looked over to the back door where her brother and RJ had returned from their run.

Stephanie wiped at her tears and Nikki rose.

“You scared the shit out of me,” Nikki accused.

“Sorry,” Brandon said, brushing past her to kneel close to Stephanie.

“You okay?” RK questioned as he embraced her from behind.

Nikki turned away from where Brandon was comforting to peer up at RJ. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough to know that the doctor has a good reason to want to do this story with you. That was devastating to hear.”

“I bet it was worse to go through. She’s amazing. After everything that she’s been through, she concentrated on her education. She graduated early, fast tracked through medical school and is now one of the most sought-after specialized doctors. I can’t imagine how she’s managed all of that,” Nikki said.

RJ motioned her toward the door. Maybe Stephanie needed a few minutes to collect herself. Nikki sure as hell did. She led the way out, pausing when she reached the steps of the deck. Since most of their serious conversations seemed to take place on a porch, she suspected he wanted to say something he didn’t want overheard as well.

“Dylan told me there’s more to the reason for why the council suggested the doctor come here instead of you joining her at her apartment on New York,” RJ said.

Ah, so I’m right. RJ did know something about why the Council had chosen the doctor. “Why?”

“They’re hoping that spending time with this project and around shifters, she’ll find the peace of home,” RJ said.

“The Council wants her to join our Pack?”

“If she feels comfortable here, yes.”

“Why would she want to live in the middle of nowhere when she’s a famous surgeon?” Nikki asked.

RJ shrugged. “All I got from Dylan is that after the slaughter of her family, the Council have been watching over her. They raised her in the Council compound until she left for school. They’ve tried to give her everything she needs, but there’s one thing even the Council can’t provide for her.”

“A family,” Nikki guessed.

“Yes. They’re hoping we might be the right fit.”

Nikki blew out a breath pacing to the body of the steps to sit. RJ pressed against her back, sitting above her.

“Why us?” she asked.

RJ laughed. “That’s the same thing I asked. Dylan didn’t have an answer for me. He just said the Council believed we could help heal her broken heart.”

“It’s kind of creepy when they say things like that.”

“It is,” he agreed. “Does this change anything? Are you still going to work on the project?”

“Of course I am.” Nikki leaned to rest her head on his chest. “I want to do this more now than ever. If we can make sure no one ever has to suffer the way that Stephanie has, then it’s our duty to see this through.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I think you’re pretty amazing as well.”

Nikki snorted. “I think you’re biased. I’ve not done anything as remarkable as Stephanie.”

“I don’t know about that. You’ve changed my life,” RJ said.

She turned to the side so she could see his face. “Are you getting all romantic on me?”

“I’ve been trying to tell you something for a few days now.”

Nikki frowned. “What is it? You can tell me anything.”

“Without scaring you away?”

“Of course,” Nikki assured him. She might not always say the right thing, but she hoped by now that RJ trusted her.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

“I am.” Nikki was staring right at him.

“I love you, Nikki.”

If she hadn’t been watching his lips move, Nikki might have doubted the words he’d spoken. She wanted what RJ had just admitted to be true.

“Say something,” he whispered when she’d been silent for too long.

“You love me?” she asked. And wow, that was not what she’d meant to say.

RJ chuckled. “I do.”

“Thank God!” Nikki pushed up until she was straddling RJ. “I love you, too.”

“I’m really glad you said that. You had me worried.”

“Sorry. I just wanted to savor the first time you told me. Make sure I really heard you right.”

“You heard me,” RJ said. “I’m ready to start my future with you.”

“Yes,” Nikki agreed. “Our future.”

* * * *

Nikki raised the camera and took several shots in quick succession. Stephanie appeared almost angelic, standing over the small girl she was examining. It wasn’t what she specialized in, but she was still a medical doctor and had begun to volunteer at the local medical center. Which was great for Nikki since this gave her an opportunity to see Stephanie at work. And capture the scene, just as she was currently doing.

It’d been two days and she had hundreds of pictures for this second piece of her series, but she hadn’t captured the right moment yet.

The little patient giggled as Stephanie ticked her tummy while checking for tenderness.

There it was. The girl reaching up to embrace her doctor as Stephanie whispered words of reassurance to her.

“Perfect,” Nikki murmured.

* * * *

RJ tossed the newspaper containing Nikki’s second article onto the counter of his shop before strolling over to the mini fridge. He couldn’t believe the amount of attention that her series was generating. He’d suspected her work would help their cause, but they’d seen both an outpouring of support and almost the same amount of threats.

Their town was never going to be the same again.

Not that the changes were all bad. They’d accepted several new members of the Pack as well as providing a safe place for others until they moved on. So much had changed in the three months since the announcement and RJ was thrilled.

The bell on the front door sounded, drawing his attention. Nikki strolled in with her hands full. RJ rushed over to grab the bags from her. The scent of spicy orange chicken wafted up.

“Chinese food?”

“And beer,” she said, holding up a six pack.

“Fancy, what’s the occasion?”

Nikki laughed, the sound light and flowing. “I have a favor to ask.”

RJ moaned. In the month since they’d moved into the apartment above his shop, a favor ranged from replacing a light bulb to stripping and restaining the floors. He never knew what was going on in that brilliant head of hers.

“Oh, don’t be that way,” she said. “You didn’t mind last night when I wanted to break in the new chair.”

“And while I enjoyed that, I have a feeling this isn’t going to consist of you and me naked on brown suede.”

She shook her head while reaching to the counter to set down the drinks. Nikki picked up the newspaper. “Did you read it?”

“Of course, and it was even better than the first one.”

“I had to turn my cell off. It wouldn’t stop ringing. Brandon said that the house phone hasn’t stopped either with people wanting to talk to Stephanie.”

RJ smiled. Nikki’s brother had fallen hard and fast for the doctor. After only two weeks at the hotel in town, Stephanie had started staying with Brandon and hadn’t left yet. Brandon had moved his over-protectiveness from Nikki to the doctor, which made Nikki happy. RJ, on the other hand, had to be on constant watch in case any of Nikki’s articles resulted in someone coming after her. “I bet Brandon’s about ready to strangle someone.”

“Yeah, I had to get out of the house. I’ve almost finished packing up my old room. Probably just a couple of hours more.”

“You know you can keep some stuff there,” RJ told her. “You don’t have to move everything into storage.”

“It’s time. Brandon hasn’t ever gotten rid of anything of mine and Justin’s. I don’t want to throw it away, so storage for now. We’ll decide what to do with it later.”

“And the stuff from your apartment in Houston?”

“Be here at the end of the week,” she responded.

That was the last of what they needed to be officially living together, even though they never spent one night apart. RJ was certain he’d feel even better once her things were mixed in with his. There were times when RJ still wondered if he would be enough.

Nikki shrugged out of her jacket and dropped it onto a chair then opened the plastic bag holding their dinner containers. “Sit.”

RJ plopped down into the other chair as she pulled out the food boxes and beer bottles. He waited until she was sitting next to him. “The favor?”

“I want a tattoo.” She didn’t even glance at him when she made the request, just dug her fork into the fried rice.

“I’m sorry?”

“I saw your sketch book,” she said. “You left it open on the kitchen table last night.”

RJ knew exactly what she was talking about. It was something he’d been working on for over a month. “How do you know that’s for you?”

She snorted. “The pen is mightier than the sword? Really?”

“You don’t know all my clients,” he pointed out.

“Fine. Be that way.”

He let her sit and eat, knowing that she wasn’t finished.

By the time she’d started her second beer, she was shaking her leg, unable to sit still. She was ready to burst.

“So who’s the tattoo for?” she finally asked.

“When it’s finished, it’ll be for you,” he admitted.

She beamed. “I knew it! But why do I have to wait? It looks great.”

“It’s not finished. And I won’t rush it. It has to be perfect if it’s going to be on your body.”

Nikki nodded. “But who will I ever get to ink me?”

RJ gripped her shoulder and tugged her closer. “Like I would let anyone else put their hands on you. I see many more tattoos in your future and every one of them will be done by my hand.”

“But who’ll do yours?” she asked. The way she angled herself to look at him, he didn’t think this subject was something she’d just thought of.

“I normally draw my own and have one of the guys ink it.”

“So it’s something that can be taught?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied. “Do you want to learn?”

The way her face lit up surprised him. He hadn’t known that she’d had any interest in his art form. It would be great to share this with her.

“So if you started working on our matching tattoos, I could do yours?” she whispered.

“Matching?” RJ sucked in his breath. “Are you saying what I think you are?”

“You specialize in mating tattoos, right?”

His heart was pounding and his palms were damp. “Yes.”

“And if I wanted to wait and have that be my first?”

“They’d have to be perfect,” he told her. RJ meant what he said about not allowing anything less than perfect on her body.

“It’s a good thing that you’ve already started, then, right?”

RJ thought about the sketch pad that he kept under the counter. There was no way Nikki would have seen that unless she’d been snooping. He made sure never to work on that when she was around. RJ didn’t want to put any pressure on her, even though all he wanted with every fiber of his being was to mate with her. “What makes you think that I’ve already started?”

She rose and sauntered over to the counter. When she reached down and picked up the right book, he simply raised his brow.

“Oh, like you’re surprised. I’ve been through every inch of this place.”

“Well, it is your home now,” he stated.

“Yes, it is.” She set his pad down before wrapping her arm around his neck. “And this is where we’ll start out mated life together.”

RJ wasn’t prepared for this conversation. He downed the rest of his beer and eyed hers close by.

“Hey.” She cupped his face. “What is it?”

Fuck it. He grabbed Nikki’s beer and finished it off.

“RJ?” Nikki backed off. “I thought you wanted to mate. I didn’t mean to assume.”

“You didn’t,” he said. “I want that more than anything.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

It was hard to say, but he had to be fair to both of them. “Mating is forever. If we commit ourselves that way, there’s no turning back.”

“I’m aware of that,” she said. “Do you really think I’d go into this if I had any doubts?”

“You might not have doubts now, but what about in five years? Or ten? How long do you think you’ll be happy here until you want to move on?” RJ questioned. A tightness in his chest started and he rubbed at the pain.

Nikki shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I should be insulted, but I understand your concern. This doesn’t change who I am. Just where I call home.”

“I can’t leave my brother’s side,” RJ told her. “Not now and probably not even when things settle down. As an Alpha, he’ll always need someone to watch his back. I don’t trust anyone else to do it.”

“And my family is here as well,” she said. “I understand your concern, but I’ve worked this out. Yes, there will be times that I have to travel, but I’ll always come home and to you.”

“You promise?”

“What’s more, I plan to change how I accept assignments and projects,” she stated.

“How?”

“The Council is very pleased with how this series is going.” She tapped her nails against the newspaper.

“Because it’s brilliant.”

“Thank you.” She kissed his cheek. “But now that the shifters have become public, they’ve asked me to work for them. To showcase the lives, struggles, triumphs and more of the shifter kind.”

“Is that something you want to do?” RJ hoped he didn’t sound as excited as he felt. He didn’t want her to take this on just for him.

“I think so,” she told him. “There are still some details to work out, but I’d be able to do more for our people. I’ve spent my entire career trying to help bring to light the problems of the world. Now it’s time I took care of the ones I love the most.”

“I’m proud of you,” RJ praised.

“So you’ll consider mating with me?”

“Oh, baby.” RJ tugged her into his lap. “There is nothing to consider. You’re mine and of course I’ll mate with you.”

She peppered his face with kisses as tears filled her eyes.

RJ caught her chin, brought her mouth to his and put into the press of his lips all the words that he couldn’t get out. Nikki Stratton, the woman who’d stormed into his life and turned everything upside down was now his.

Nikki was shaking by the time they separated. “I guess, as you’re the brother of the Alpha, we’ll have to have an official ceremony.”

“Oh, I’m sure that Dylan will insist on it.” RJ rose with her still in his arms. “That doesn’t mean we can’t start practicing.”

She giggled and clutched at him. “After we practice, maybe we can talk about those tattoos.”

“You got it,” RJ said. “Maybe I’ll even show you the updated sketch you didn’t find.”

“Wait! What?”

RJ smacked her ass, causing her to squeal and jump. “You haven’t seen my latest that I keep in my backpack.”

“You’ve been holding out on me,” she accused.

“No,” he corrected. “You just shouldn’t have been snooping.”

Still carrying her, he locked the front door to the shop before striding across to the stairs that led to their living quarters. Prior to Mike leaving, he’d helped RJ repaint the area and, with the assistance of Ben, they’d managed to secure the perfect furniture to make the small but tidy space special.

The look on Nikki’s face when he’d presented their work to her had been magical. He hoped that one day they’d have a house with enough room for a family, but for the time being he liked living in the middle of town above his shop.

RJ could still keep an ear out for any trouble as well as keep Nikki close.

Half the apartment had been dedicated to a workspace in order for Nikki to be able to do her work.

As RJ carried Nikki to the bedroom, his mind raced through all the possibilities for him and Nikki. Being Pack mates was only the beginning of their connection. Mating would seal the bond. But it was love that would keep them together.