Melinda’s Wolves(30)

He set his hand on her head and threaded his fingers into her hair, loosening her ponytail. He kissed the top of her head. “I know, hon. And it’s going to be okay. I promise. I know those are just words right now, but you’ll see.”

She nodded. She felt deep inside he was right. Her gut told her it was all going to be fine. Her brain was smarter though, and it said she was crazy. It warned her to slow down and regroup before she lost her soul.

Trace set a hand on her other leg, his thumb stroking her thigh. And then he squeezed gently, physical support to match Keegan’s words.

They drove toward downtown Sojourn, her hometown, the center of everything in her world. Although her mates were from just forty minutes away in Cambridge—the other end of the lake—they were from another world. And she knew it. Her entire life had been about her tribe, her pack, and her people. Native Americans. And even though her mates were both lupine, they were also Caucasian. Times had changed. Few people in her tribe would be as upset by this as they were thirty years ago when her mother mated, but there would still be unrest, eyebrows lifted in concern, even possible violence.

It had happened to her brother Miles. It could happen to her.

As they made the five-minute trip toward town, they passed the casino development on the outskirts. She stiffened.

Keegan chuckled. He rubbed her arm with his hand. “Don’t worry. We aren’t going to argue today. Today is about you.”

She lifted her head off his shoulder and glared at him. “We shouldn’t have to argue about this subject ever, Keegan. It worries me.”

His face grew serious. “I know, hon. And I respect that. Can we agree to disagree for now?”

She wasn’t sure she could live with that. Part of her felt like it was important to hash out their disagreement—with her coming out the winner—before they took another step toward mating.

Hell, part of her wanted to slam her own head into a wall for sleeping with them at all. She’d given them her virginity. Not one but two men.

Part of her wanted to do it again. Pull the truck over and strip in the bed of the truck. Insanity.

She pursed her lips and glanced out the window. A shudder shook her body. Something about the casino development didn’t set well with her, something beyond her environmental disagreement.

“What?” Keegan glanced out the window, following her gaze.

“That place. It’s…”

“Gonna make a lot of people a lot of money?” he asked.

She jerked her gaze to his. “Keegan, stop it. I’m serious. Something isn’t right. It gives me the chills.”

He chuckled.

She slapped his chest. “I know you barely know me, but you need to understand a few things. I’m serious when I tell you I’m not like other shifters. It’s not a joke to me. It’s real. I truly sense things.”

He sobered. “I know. It’s going to take some getting used to.”

“For both of us,” Trace added.

“I get that. But in the meantime, don’t make fun of me.” She narrowed her gaze at him and then turned her head toward Trace to do the same. “The quickest way to alienate me is to make light of my abilities.”

Keegan took her hand and squeezed it. “Noted.”

She glanced back outside as they left the construction site in the distance. “Something isn’t right about that site, and it has nothing to do with my dispute over its destruction of a way of life on this reservation. It’s something else.”

Keegan cleared his throat. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you may be right.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “I can’t be sure about anything, mind you. I get dozens of emails warning me about the casino or threatening me if we proceed. It’s normal in situations like this. Expected—”

She interrupted him. “Why you? Why not the developer?”

“Oh, I’m sure the developer gets thousands. But some people know I’m the one in control of the safety of the building. And people will say anything to grab my attention. Including lie.”

“Lie about what?” Trace asked.

“Well, Friday I got an email from an anonymous source telling me the original construction was shoddy. Whoever it was said the builder cut corners to save money. The email even itemized where I should look.”

Melinda gasped. “That’s serious, Keegan. And more than a little frightening. Have you called the sheriff’s office? Was anything valid?”

“No, he has not called.” Trace’s voice rose. “Why am I just now hearing about this?” His tone was clipped.

Keegan threw up his hands. “Hey, calm down. If I had a dollar for every email like that one, I wouldn’t need my day job at all. I only brought it up because that’s the first thing I have to do tomorrow—follow up on that one and check out its possible validity. Do you have any idea how many hours I waste each week chasing dragons?”