Chapter One
“Oh my God. That is gorgeous.” Keegan jumped down from the passenger side of Trace’s Ford Ranger and planted his hands on his hips as he admired Miles and Griffen’s new home. “Your brother’s mate must be grinning from ear to ear. What a beautiful house.” And the location was amazing—rolling green hills for miles around with a backdrop of the rugged mountains Keegan loved to hike in both human and wolf form.
Trace rounded the truck to stand next to his best friend. “Yeah. I haven’t been out here for a few weeks. It really turned out great.” He lifted his gaze to the Montana sky. This far to the northwest, even though it was June, there was a cool breeze in the air. “And what a wonderful day for a housewarming party.”
Keegan ambled forward, noticing the number of cars parked around the long circular drive in front of the house. “Everyone in the tri-county area must be here.” He turned toward Trace. “Think there will be any cute, available, sexy women?”
Trace shrugged. “Never know.”
The front door opened as they approached, and Griffen stepped outside. He smiled broadly. “’Bout time you two showed up.”
Keegan lifted a hand as he stepped onto the porch. “Sorry. I got tied up at work. Busy times these days.”
“I’m sure. It’s been almost a year since the earthquake, and it seems half the area is still scrambling to rebuild. As a building inspector, you should have job security for many years.”
Keegan nodded as they shook hands. “That’s for sure. There are so many projects lined up for me, I can’t see an end in sight.”
“How’s law enforcement?” Griffen asked Trace, slapping his brother on the back. “Still enjoying the new job?”
“It’s interesting. I’ll be glad when more of the town is secured and rebuilt from the earthquake. It stretches our office thin having to patrol such a large area so closely.”
“You could always go back to working full-time for Mom and Dad.” Griffen loved to harass his brother for abandoning the family business—the largest ski resort in the area. He’d become a deputy with the county sheriff’s office soon after the earthquake.
“Are they here yet?” Trace ignored his brother’s jibe.
“Who? Mom and Dad? Yep. They got here about four.”
Keegan chuckled. “Your parents are nothing if not prompt.”
“How’s Rebecca? She like the house?”
Griffen’s brow furrowed. “Yes. Loves it. I think she’s in labor though and trying to pretend otherwise.”
Trace stepped back. “Seriously? Can a woman even do that?”
“Of course,” Keegan said. “My sister Kiera faked it for half a day before she told her mate.”
“Why?” Trace asked.
Keegan shrugged. “No idea. She kept saying she wasn’t ready. She wanted the house clean or something.”
Griffen reached back for the door handle. “I’ve been watching Melinda’s actions most of the afternoon. If anyone would know what’s up with Rebecca, it would be her.”
“Who’s Melinda again?” Keegan asked.
“Miles’s sister,” Trace replied. “She’s some sort of medicine woman on the reservation.”
Keegan’s eyes grew wide. “That’s a real thing?”
Griffen laughed this time. “Believe me. She’s the real deal. All the women in that family have some sort of precognitive abilities. Miles and I know not to get overly concerned about Rebecca until Melinda shows signs of stress.”
“It’s just her and her grandmother, right?” Trace asked.
Griffen shook his head, a huge grin on his face. “Not anymore. Their mom showed up this afternoon.”
“Holy fuck.” Trace grabbed his brother’s arm. “Are you serious? Didn’t she disappear when they were like three?”
“Yes. They have been talking on top of each other ever since she arrived. It turns out she didn’t abandon her children of her own free will. She was chased off by Randal Peaceman and the rest of the six elders in power at the time when she mated with a white man and got pregnant.”
“Peaceman? Is that the same guy who attacked Miles last year?”
Griffen nodded. “Yep. And for the same reason. The guy couldn’t stand Miles mating with me and Rebecca. Hell, Rebecca is human, and even though I’m a shifter, I’m not good enough since I’m not a Native American shifter. He was fixated on keeping the lines pure. He never changed apparently until the day he committed suicide last week. Luckily he was the last of that generation of elders. Joyce didn’t feel safe to return until he died. The elders didn’t just threaten her—but Miles and Melinda too. She’s been living only a few hours away all these years, and she has three other children with her mate.”