Canyon Wolf Bride Page 23

  Sean smiled at her as he led her to the table behind them. He walked inside and placed their dinner on two plates. He returned with their dinner, served on handmade Indian pottery. He took his seat and raised his glass.

  “To new beginnings,” he said as the sun dipped out of sight.

  She clinked her glass against his and took a tiny sip. Sean lit a round yellow candle. It flickered softly in the night air as they ate in comfortable silence, looking at each other now and then. She looked absolutely enticing to the alpha male and it had been a long time. He couldn’t wait for dessert. He refilled her empty wine glass, watching her with hooded lashes, studying her as she drank deeply of the blood red wine. She was a little afraid of the chief, but not too afraid. He was exciting, but mysterious, a man of great power and strength. Something was sad about him, but she hoped to change that.

  “You’re a great cook.”

  “Thanks. It was simple,” he replied, taking a bite of salad.

  She leaned back in her chair and sipped her wine as her hair danced in the wind. The candle illuminated her face and her brown skin glowed in the candlelight. She licked a drop of wine from her full bottom lip while staring at the alpha wolf. The motion made him instantly harden. He reached for her hand. She leaned forward, slipping it to him. Her skin was silky smooth and warm. He had nearly forgotten how that felt. Her fingers were delicate and small in his grasp. His chocolate eyes met hers; shining, ebony eyes that conveyed her true age. He ran a hand through his hair and stared at her hard as if he were thinking of something of great importance.

  “Is something wrong, Sean?”

  He shook his head. “Let’s go inside.”

  She rose and he guided her back into the house, shutting the screen door behind them. They walked into the sunken living room. He guided her to a cream colored sofa and instructed her to sit down with him. Three skylights illuminated the room during the day. Ancient Indian artifacts hung on the walls, along with a cow’s skull decorated with turkey feathers. Three tall narrow windows faced the front yard.

  “Would you like to watch a movie?” Sean asked.

  “If you want,” she replied shyly.

  “Is there something else you’d rather do? I’m sorry. I’m not much company. I’m still tired from last night.”

  Sean had led the pack to a grand feast. Night Jasmine had heard all about it from her father and brothers. He seemed like he was bragging to her and she laughed. He was such a man.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, eyeing her curiously as he placed an arm behind her, inching closer.

  “You’re bragging.”

  “No I’m not.” Sean thought it strange that he could discuss a kill with her. She was used to it. She was raised with wolves, though she wasn’t one herself. To her it was perfectly normal.

  “You are. You big, strong, alpha wolf,” she teased. Her laughter sounded like a tiny flute and it made him smile.

  “Come here, you,” he said as he pulled her to him for a slow kiss.

  His touch was electric. Never had Night Jasmine been kissed by such strong, yet soft lips. He brushed her silky hair from her shoulders and moved closer. She touched his leg with one hand. The simple gesture sent sparks shooting through him, unleashing a manly growl.

  Night Jasmine smiled under his kiss. “You sound like a wolf.”

  “I am a wolf,” he breathed.

  “Yes, I know.” She moved to his lap and he nearly came undone.

  With one arm, he lifted her effortlessly and carried her upstairs to his bedroom. She clung to his neck and nibbled at the warm spot below his ear. He laid her on the bed and she tore at his shirt, undoing four of the buttons. He held himself over her, moving slowly as he tasted her neck and then her chest. A turquoise cross lay between her breasts, moving up and down as her breathing grew more rapid.

  “You okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is this too soon?”

  “No.”

  “Mmm. You taste good.” His lips devoured hers as she wrapped her legs around him. He groaned out loud and reached for her panties, sliding them down her smooth legs and tossing them onto the floor. He stood and unfastened his jeans, kicking them off. He stood over her. She looked up at him, half of her face hidden in shadow. Her eyes beckoned to him, shining softly. She ran her tongue over her plump lips and parted her mouth. Her lips glistened. Her ebony hair spread beneath her like a velvet fan and her honeysuckle perfume teased his senses. She held her hand out to him. He ran one hand through his hair, then the other. He walked to the window and peeked out the curtain, glancing at the moon. He let out a big breath and paced before the bed.

  “I’m sorry, Night Jasmine.”

  “For what? It’s okay, come here.”

  “No, you better go.”

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll go downstairs.” She gathered her panties and slipped them on. Her face was flushed as she looked up at him. He turned away and once again looked out the window at the moon glowing above the canyon.

  “I think you better just go.”

  He heard her footsteps all the way down the stairs. The door closed with a small thud and he fell to his knees, his fists in his teeth and Paige in his heart.

  ****

  Paige scratched at a tag she forgot to remove at the neck of her new blouse. Opening day had finally arrived for the Ramses II exhibit and the museum was abuzz with excitement. It was barely five in the morning and dozens of employees were scattered about the hallways, organizing and reorganizing pamphlets and ropes separating the valuable artifacts from the throngs of people to come.

  Paige herself had rechecked the burial room. She sat for a long time across from the sarcophagus of the ancient king, staring at the colorful gilded mask. It cast a golden hue on the ceiling, lending the room a feeling of honor and peace. Strange how something over two thousand years old brought her comfort. She imagined the slaves that must have cleansed his body, wrapping it carefully in funerary cloths, preparing him for the afterlife. They placed hundreds of gifts and necessities within his tomb. And now most of them were here and she was responsible for them. A man she never knew. Perhaps he was a great man. A great leader. She imagined what he might have been like and thought of his wife and their children. It was so long ago, but they were people, just like her and surely they loved and suffered, just like her.

  Her mind wandered to Sean and his new life. Did he love someone else now? It was hard for her to believe and even harder for her to imagine. She regretted a lot, mostly her loss of him for what now seemed like very silly reasons. Life was so strange and seemed so sad to her now. Her life lacked meaning. She felt as though she were just going through the motions just to get through the day. She wished she had never known. Why hadn’t he tried to keep the secret of the wolf to himself? Everything had been perfect up until then. It had been such a huge shock and then her father had collapsed and still, he had never mentioned what he had seen and Paige would never dare ask.

  She heard footsteps approaching and sat up straighter, smoothing her long white skirt before patting the bun atop her head.

  “Ms. Wellington?” a voice echoed down the narrow corridor. The voice sounded familiar. Paige stood and craned her neck around a corner to see who was coming.

  “Coming Wind! How are you? I um...didn’t expect to see you.” She patted her bun again and smiled up at him.

  “I promised I would be here on opening day.”

  “I’m sorry. I had forgotten. How silly of me.”

  “Don‘t be. I’m sure you’ve been too busy to think about it. The new wing looks fantastic.”

  “Thank you. I’m very proud of it.” She cleared her throat, unsure of what else to say.

  Coming Wind took her hands and looked into her eyes. His expression had softened. The business like manner was replaced with that of a close friend.

  “How are you?”

  Paige hung her head and the tears cam
e without warning, burning her eyes and flushing her cheeks. She tried in vain to blink them back, but it was no use. She looked up at him, somehow pleading, asking for some sort of news.

  “How is he?” she managed to say in a mere whisper.

  “Not much better than you. In fact, I think worse.”

  Her brows knit together tightly and she searched his face. “How so?”

  “He’s just not the same Sean he once was. He misses you terribly and well, I just don’t think he’ll ever get over you.”

  A tiny smile passed over her lips and her eyes left him for a moment as she thought of his face and the hundreds of kisses they had shared. Her life had been so sunny and now it was so dark. She no longer cared. She didn’t even care about the museum any more. All she wanted was Sean. Half man. Half wolf. It just didn’t matter and she was too tired to give a damn.

  “I wish you’d come see him,” Coming Wind pressed, realizing she was at her most vulnerable.

  She nodded almost at once, her tears slowing a bit. He could tell she was working it out in her head. Her job, when she would leave, when she would see him. She smiled again, nodding faster.

  “I’m coming. Yes, I’ll go see him.” Then fear cast a shadow over her delicate cheeks.

  “Do you think it’s proper? I mean, do you think he’ll talk to me?”

  Coming Wind’s laugh echoed down the halls. “Woman, he would drink you up if he could.”

  Paige laughed weakly as he squeezed her hands even tighter. “I can’t leave today. It’s opening day and even leaving tomorrow would be short of a miracle. I’ve got some shuffling around to do. I need to make a million calls.”

  Coming Wind glanced at his watch and grinned. “Well, the early bird gets the worm. It’s not even six o’clock yet. What can I help you with?”

  “Nothing. You’ve already helped me more than you’ll ever know.”

  She stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. He patted her on the back and she was gone. He watched her leave the darkened hallway and turn a sharp corner. He was alone in the burial room. He bowed before the dead king. He said a silent prayer to the gods, for his people, for Sean and for Paige. He knew the happiness of all of them were linked.

  ****

  The museum halls echoed with excited murmurs of art patrons, making their way through the long hallways to catch a glimpse of Ramses II golden treasures. Paige ignored them as she gave last minute instructions to Mary and half a dozen other curators in training. They scribbled notes furiously as she went through a list of dos and don’ts, even covering what ifs and maybes in her footnote. The exhibit was in full swing on its third day and had won rave reviews in the local newspaper, naming her particularly as the shining star for its success. There was an interview with Coming Wind regarding the new wing and a huge color spread of Ramses II most beautiful possessions meant for the underworld.

  * * *

  As Earl Wellington made his descent into the canyon, he had no idea that his baby girl would arrive that very evening. Both of them needed desperately to speak with Sean Wilson for very different reasons. Earl wanted to confront him about the wolf gene, but first he needed to see Joe. Paige had no plan, just to see him would speak volumes. She thought of calling ahead, but decided against it. She wanted to surprise him and Coming Wind assured her that Sean would be more than thrilled to see her. The anticipation was about to kill her.

  As she walked out of the museum through the back door, she left Ramses II and his Egyptian afterlife behind. She had other things on her mind. Present day things. Reclaiming her life was foremost on her agenda. Her bags were already packed and Meg would be driving her to the airport. Meg was speechless when she had asked. Paige had refused to talk about Sean for months, now she was flying all the way to The Grand Canyon to see him. Meg had immediately called her mother to tell her the good news and was surprised to find out that her dad was also on his way there to see Joe and not Sean.

  “Has Big Foot been seen in the Grand Canyon?” Meg joked to her mother.

  “I’m not sure. Your dad won’t say.”

  “Oh, top secret I presume?” Meg drawled, sarcasm lacing her words.

  “I don’t think it has anything to do with the Sasquatch. Your father said it has something to do with Joe’s work.”

  “But he’s a geneticist right?”

  “That’s right.”

  “What would dad know about genetics?”

  “I have no idea, but he was in an awful big hurry to get there and he said it’s very important,” her mother explained.

  “Ah, mom, come on. You know dad. He’s probably using Joe’s work as an excuse to get away. You know how dad loves to camp with his buddies and since he’s retired, he’s been so restless.”

  “I know, I know, but he seemed sincere and I don’t think your father would outright lie to me. He said it’s very important and that he’ll explain later.”

  Meg decided to give it a rest. “I’m really glad Paige is flying to see Sean. Maybe they can work out whatever is keeping them apart.”

  “I hope so,” her mother replied in a faraway voice.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, dear.”

  “You sound like something’s bothering you.”

  “It is.”

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing dear.”

  “Mom!” Meg pressed

  “I just have a very funny feeling.”

  “About what?”

  “Your father.”

  “What about him?”

  “And Paige?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Something tells me that they’re both heading to Havasu Canyon for similar reasons.”

  “What makes you think that? I mean, I know it’s a strange coincidence.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You think dad is going there to speak with Sean?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think it definitely has something to do with him.”

  “With Sean?”

  “Yes.”

  “Maybe dad is trying to help patch things up between them.”

  “No, it’s more involved than that.”

  “Mom, you sound strange. Are you okay?”

  She paused before sighing and answering. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just worried. I just have a bad feeling and I’m not sure why.”

  “It’ll be okay. You know how you’ve always been such a worry wart.”

  “I know. Maybe you’re right.”

  “I’m gonna go, mom. Try not to worry. I’ll call you later.”

  “Okay, dear. Give my love to Frank and the girls.”

  “I will. I love you. Bye.”

  “Bye,” she breathed before hanging up the phone. Nan filled a watering can up and headed out to her greenhouse to water the tomato plants. Her woman’s intuition buzzed. Something was in the works and she wasn’t sure what, but she didn’t like the feeling it gave her. Her hand shook as she watered the young plants and snipped off a few dried leaves.

  ****

  Joe was rearranging photos on his bedspread when Earl knocked.

  “Come in.”

  Earl opened the door and threw his duffle bag to the floor. “What do you have here?”

  “Photos,” Joe replied as he organized them in rows.

  “Wolves,” Earl said under his breath.

  Joe nodded and stepped back, looking at them, then snatching one up and discarding it to the floor.

  “I’ve got something crazy to tell you, Joe.”

  “Me too. Who goes first?”

  “Have you run into Sean out here?”

  “Are you talking about the guy from Colorado who won the gold again?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What does he have to do with any of this?” Joe looked at him for the first time, lifting his baseball cap off before scratching at his flattened hair.

  “Maybe you better sit down, J
oe. I’m about to blow this whole thing wide open.”

  Joe laughed. “You certainly are sure of yourself aren’t you? What is it you know?”

  Earl began pacing the small bedroom at the lodge. He looked out the window and secured the curtain, overlapping fabric over fabric. “It happened the day of my heart attack.”

  “What happened?” Joe asked, now sitting, slightly amused at his old friend.

  “I saw the wolf, by accident. He wasn’t expecting me and I caught him off guard. Christ, I nearly killed him.”

  “What are you babbling about?” Joe asked, now more amused than ever.

  He had never seen Earl Wellington so animated. Not even Big Foot had caused such excitement.

  “I went to check on Paige early one morning. She hadn’t answered our calls and we were worried about her. The next day was a work day for her, so I was pleased when I saw that her lights were on.” Earl paced the room again and peeked out the peep hole.

  “Why so top secret?” Joe asked.

  “Well, you should know,” Earl replied, gesturing to the hundreds of photos strewn across the bed.

  “We have proof of nothing yet. Only large packs of wolves.”

  “Come on, Joe. I know you better than anyone. You’re lying.”

  “Maybe.”

  “What have you found out here?”

  “Finish your story.”

  “I saw something on the mountain,” Earl breathed as he sat in a chair and stared at the far wall.

  “A wolf?”

  “Not just any wolf.”

  “Go on.”

  “I saw a wolf run behind my daughter’s cabin, so I went back to the truck to get a rifle.”

  “You always carry a rifle?”

  Earl shook his head. “I was in my son-in-law’s truck. He’s a hunter. By the time I reached the back of the house, the damned thing was on the back window sill, looking in. He was huge. Biggest damned wolf I’d ever seen.”

  Earl stood over the bed, picking through the photos. “Here he is. I’m sure of it.”

  “What?”

  “That’s him. See the silver streak down his back?”

  “Yeah. That’s the alpha wolf. He’s the leader of the pack. This can’t be the same wolf. Your wolf lives in Colorado.”

  “Did live in Colorado.”