Destiny's Choice (2 page)

“Good. When he’s positive it’s the torque, I want all the info you have on this guy. I’ll be taking the first flight out and making the deal myself.”

“You sure you wouldn’t want Seth to handle this for you? He does already have a report with the guy.”

“No. I’ve waited too long to have the torque back where it belongs just to have it slip through my fingers now. Besides, this about money,
considering
the IRS is riding his ass. I know how to deal with that, Seth won’t.”

A harsh breath sounded over the line. “Alright, I’ll send you everything we have on the guy. But Roan, try not to intimidate the man too much. I know how you are when the kill is near.”

Roan growled. “
Bearing in mind
he has in his possession a stolen family heirloom, I’ll try not to make the man piss himself.”

“I appreciate the restraint,” Flynn said dryly.

“Not to worry brother mine, I know how to be tactful when the occasion calls for it.”

“Fine.” The word was drawn out into a deep sigh but Roan heard a slight pop, like a jaw cracking from a yawn. “Well, I’m for bed. Your niece is finally down for night, so I think I’ll follow her lead.”

“Get some rest, little brother.”

“Hmph, says the guy who’s probably been up later than I have.”

“I’m fine.” Roan chuckled. “You just take care of yourself and the family.”

“Yes, my Alpha.”

“Asshole.”

Flynn chortled. “Night, brother. Love ya.”

“Love you, too.” Grinning, Roan clicked off, placing the phone back on the little table next to his chair. He then took a healthy swallow of his brandy, feeling the mellow burn flow down his throat.

The Alpha Torque was almost in his grasp
.
And
contrary to what Flynn wanted, no way in hell was Roan going to hold back. Not when he was so close. Seth, being the meticulous Lupus that he was, would no doubt have brought every bit of documentation he possessed, and some he didn’t, as proof of the torque’s origins without outing the Pack. 
W
hile Roan was prepared to be generous to the man for the torque’s safe keeping, he wasn’t about to be taken advantage of. If the man thought otherwise, well, Roan would be more than happy to disabuse
him
of that notion.

With that joyful thought in mind, Roan downed that last of his brandy, stood, and stripped.
He went
to the hearth rug, got on all fours, and shifted. After several turns to find the most comfortable spot, he lay down and curled
up;
putting his bushy tail over his nose
He let
out a contented sigh,
and
closed his eyes. He was asleep in moments.

             
                        
*
    
*
    
*
    
*

“Mom, I don’t understand why I have to be there. It’s not as if I haven’t met the Alpha before,” Rivera grumbled as she began to strip out of her jogging clothes. She needed a shower in the worst way. A five mile run
,
mostly uphill
,
was not for a
m
ate
urs. She felt good though. Well, she had before her mother’s little announcement.

“That was Roan’s father you met, not Roan. He’s been Alpha now for ten years,” her mother
,
Lillah replied as if she were speaking to a small child, not a woman full grown.

Pausing to toe off he
r favorite running shoes, Rivera
blinked with surprise. “What happened to Roan’s father?”

Her mother pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly counting to ten. She then took a deep breath. “He was killed in a plane crash not long after his youngest son Dillon was born. Roan stepped in several months later after winning against only one challenger.”

“Oh.” She took her shoes off then let her long blond hair out of its French braid, letting the sweat soaked mass lie heavy against her back. “That still doesn’t explain why I have to be there. He knows you have a daughter. Meeting me in person shouldn’t be that big of a deal.” Turning, she went to her in suite bathroom, her mother hot on her heels.

“Yes, he knows. B
ut because of his duties and your never ending studies, the two of you have never met. And since you’ve finally decided to take a year off and come home, your father and I thought it the perfect opportunity
for the two of you to meet. Roan recently moved to his cabin not far from here, so the timing worked out. Besides, he’s not only the Alpha, but one of our dearest and close
st
friends.”

“You and dad are close friends with the Alpha?” She reached behind the shower curtain and turned on the water, then got a towel while waiting for it to heat.

“We are
,
and if you would spend more time at home
, you
would know this,” Lillah snapped, her scent conveying agitation.

Rivera let out a long suffering sigh. This was an old argument
, one
she didn’t have the patience for at the moment. “Mom, you know my reasons
.”

“I do, but you are a member of this family, young lady. It wouldn’t interfere with your studies if you’d come home more often.
Short visits twice a year and sporadic phone call
s aren’t enough to let us
know what’s happening in
your life
. Not knowing about your Alpha just proves my point.”

“Mom…”

“No, not this time.” Her mother’s tone turned steely. “Your father and I have let a lot pass over the years because we knew how you felt. We can’t let this
slide too
. We won’t.” Her small hand lifted to stall any further arguments and excuses. “I didn’t come up here to ask you to join us. I’m telling you.” Amber eyes flashed with anger. “You are to be ready in one hour and meet us in the dining room. Is that clear?”

Shoulders slumping in defeat, Rivera
nodded reluctantly
. She knew better than to go against her mother’s wishes
. Especially when she was this worked up
. “Fine.”

“Good.” She gave Rivera a tight smile then turned to leave. “An hour, Rivera Dawn Montgomery, and not a minute later.” Her voice carried back as she walked out.

Hearing her full name made Rivera wince. It was also a not so subtle reminder that if she didn’t show for lunch, her ass would be in a sling.

“Shit!” she grit her teeth at the rotten luck.

Adjusting the water’s temperature, she then stepped in. The heat did little to soothe her ire.

Since the age of twenty-five, Rivera had done all she could to keep clear of the Pack and its machinations. Her parents had also helped in that regard, making excuses for her and whatnot. Now at the ripe age of 176, she had succeeded
beyond what she thought was possible. Still, there were the
few
, very
few
, times when she had to meet with Pack members. Those had been scarce thankfully. And that was just the way she liked it. Hell, the small number of friends she had weren’t even Pack, they were human and those weren’t close friends either. Hard to keep those when you aged considerably slower than a human did. But she
’d
managed to build a life for herself without the support of the Pack and she sure as shit didn’t need them now. It wasn’t as if
they’d been
there for her when she needed them most anyhow. Her parents support aside, she didn’t really feel that strong a loyalty to those who had turned their backs on her long ago. Still, she cared about her parents and would do as they asked despite her disgust
of
the situation. So
,
she would meet the Alpha, be polite, and make her parents happy. After that, she would go back to forgetting the Pack existed and resume her life.

Less than an hour later, Rivera was ready. Dressed casually yet classy, she had on her favorite khaki slacks and sage colored v-neck sweater. Her low heeled, brown leather
,
Mary Jane’s were comfy and she had put on very little make-up with no jewelry or even a watch. She left her long, honey blond hair loose and flowing down her back.

Nowhere
close to be considered a beauty, she had pleasant features and a nice body that she kept in excellent shape. All in all, she looked nice and felt comfortable. That’s all that really mattered.

Hearing the doorbell chime, Rivera cringed but quickly straightened her shoulders, determined to get through this abominable lun
ch and back to her normal life.

“A couple hours old girl, just a couple hours
,
”
s
he
chanted
the
words quietly
, bolstering herself for the ordeal a
head. Then
with a
deep breath
, she walked with purpose out of her bedroom.

The moment she closed the bedroom door behind her, she was assaulted with the most delicious and sensuous scent she had ever smelled. It was the t
ang of a pine forest on a sunny
afternoon with the undercu
rrent of a summer storm
. Rivera closed her eyes, drawing the wonderful scent deep into her lungs, almost able to
savor
the bite of pine at the back of her throat.
Taste the cleansing rain on her tongue.

Not knowing what she was doing and not really caring, Rivera hurried down the hall fro
m her room and down the stairs. She followed
her nose to the source of the fantastic scent. She found it in the dining room attached to the most gorgeous male she
had ever laid eyes on.

Tall, about six three, he had dark mahogany hair that made her fingers itch to run through the thick waves.
His cheekbones were high
, his
Roman
nose was
straight, and his eyes were blue, but so light
in
color they
resembled ice
chips.
He
was
also
totally built.
The
forearms showing from the rolled up sleeves of his white silk shirt were tanned and ropey with muscle. His chest was massive and the waist trim leading to well muscled thigh
s encased in snug black denim. He was m
outhwatering and Rivera so wanted a taste.

Moving further into the room, she watched the man glide slowly towards her, his nostrils flaring, light eyes beginning to glow. When he stopped directly in front of her, he inhaled deeply, that well defined chest expanding and
vibrating
with a deep growl. Rivera responded in kind,
her
body throbbing and heart racing.

He remained in place while Rivera looked her
fill;
his scent
was
even more intoxicating now that they were so close.
H
e wasn’t completely still
though
. That big body was trembling, hands clenching at his sides as he visibly fought for control. The sight nearly snapped what little control Rivera had herself,
but
she held firm. There was something she desperately needed to do while she had the chance and she intended to do it.

Slowly reaching out, she traced one hand, then the other, over his well formed chest. It was rock solid and she could feel his heart beating
like a wild thing. She
smiled, knowing she was the one who made this incredible man’s pulse race. Moving lower, her fingers roamed over the ridges of a well muscled abdomen. The thought of licking each hill and valley caused her blood to heat even more and a soft moan to escape. An answering groan made Rivera look up into eyes glowing with icy flames.

“Mine.”

The rumble of that one word sent a spear of heat straight to her core, making her gasp with pleasure.

“Mine.” He reached out and brought her closer, one large hand wrapping around her waist. When contact was
finally made, those bright orbs
bored into hers, his lips slowly descending. “Mine.” Then he kissed her.

A kaleidoscope of flavors and textures exploded through Rivera’s senses. He tasted of spring rain and mint, his tongue
was
rough
,
his lips were soft and warm. He wasn’t forceful,
but
he was skilled. Christ almighty was he skilled. His tongue seemed to explore every inch of her mouth, his lips devouring everything else in between. She was certain she could orgasm from this man’s kisses alone. Lord knew she wasn’t far from it at that moment.

When he finally pulled back, leaving little nips and licks behind, Rivera whimpered in protest. She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to continue, to keep going until they were both too spent to move.