Chapter 15
Back In Texas
Lane got off the plane before the men that came with her. She looked around, sighing, not wanting to be here, but she felt good, more vital than ever before, and could not wait to get her business back to Alaska.
They settled in a charming hotel and then headed over to her work. She grabbed some boxes, and they started packing them up. Some people were there wondering what she was doing.
“Is it true you sold the companies?” a young woman asked.
“No, I am not selling it. I will announce something tomorrow; I already sent out an email. It is a mandatory meeting tomorrow morning at ten am. Then and only then will I advise what is happening.”
“Sure, as long as this hunk will be here.” the young lady purrs.
“No, hands off, he is my brother, and I am very protective of him. Now go back to work. I expect a full report of what is happening in this office in five minutes; think you can handle that?”
“Yes, ma’am, I will be right back,” she says, rolling her eyes.
Steven’s bear, Ryker, did not like the woman touching him and told him something was off about her. She wants power and will do anything to get it.
They waited till she was out of earshot before they started speaking. She was not happy that some whore that sleeps with everyone and anything that walked and talked. She told him that, and he wrinkled his nose and waved his hand in front of his nose. They both laughed until they cried. This was something she had not done since she could not remember.
She returned with a report, handing it to Lane as she eyed Steven. She already knew what was on it as she had looked over it on the way over. She just wanted that piece of shit out of her office.
Steven and Lane kept packing up her office, taking files she would need back home. Everyone had gone home except one person, who was still snooping around. The person did not realize that he was not alone. Lane and Steven were quietly waiting for the person to show his face. He was on his phone talking to someone.
“I do not see her, nor do I smell her, and you say she is a shifter?” the man said while on speakerphone.
“Yes, a bear shifter; now find her and kill her. She will be alone.”
“Norric, how do you know all this?”
“Shane, who the hell do you think killed her pack and made sure she became an orphan along with her brother?”
“Her office light is on; I thought you said.... wait, how do you know she is here?”
“I have ears in her pack; her attorney sold both businesses for three hundred thousand dollars. I was the one who bought it, and he went to her pack so she could sign the papers. He said she left with some bodyguards.”
“So, they will not be here in the office?”
“Nope, they are all at the hotel, and that is where you will go to kill them all.”
“What if they are here in the office? Should I kill them both here, then?”
“YES, KILL THEM THERE AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A BREAK IN!” Wade yelled.
Steven and Lane were waiting for this creep to come their way so they could eliminate him quickly. Steven texted one of his guards, letting them know they were not alone in the office and that someone was there to kill them. He also explained that Shane was to go to their hotel room and kill any threats there, but it would not matter where the murder would take place.
They got in position to attack when the guy entered her office, not noticing they were standing there. He rummaged through her computer and desk. They slowly approached him on either side, grabbing his arms and hauling him away from the office. He was fighting, trying to break free.
“Hey, sis, you smell that stench? What do you make of him since you are a new shifter?”
“Yeah, bro, it smells like a rogue wolf, maybe or vampire?”
“I think a dead wolf if you ask me,” Steven said as he cracked up laughing.
One of the guards came up and took him away to a place where Steven would question him later that evening. He and his men had ways of making people talk; he knew when they were lying and would know he was lying.
Lane closed her computer and started to put it in her bag so she could take it with her when she noticed something shiny on the side. It was a tracking device that the jerk put on it. She took it off and turned her computer on to ensure it was not malware. She linked Steven about it, and he laid into Shane when he found out.
Shane only lived briefly after the questioning when Steven and his guards got their information. Shane’s phone rang, and it was Norric on the other end. Steven answered it, pretending to be Shane by disguising his voice to make it sound like him.
“Is it done? Did you put the bugs in her office and her computer? Was she there, and is she dead?”
“Yeah, it is done, and the office is being swept as we speak to take the bugs out; oh, the bug on her computer has been dismantled. My sister is not dead, you bloodsucker, but I guarantee you will be next on my list to kill.”
Norric hung up the phone, telling Wade what had happened. Steven called Ramiel and let him know what happened, and the threat had been taken care of in a nearby pack. But the danger remains for Steven and Lane. The vampires will come after them, eventually.
Steven and Lane returned to their hotel and grabbed some food. They got their showers and headed to bed, both falling asleep quickly. The morning sun shined through the gap in the closed curtains, making both siblings groan through their arms over their eyes. Lane reluctantly hurried out of bed and got ready for work. Steven followed behind her and got willing to take her to her office.
On the way to the office, they stopped for breakfast for her employees. People were surprised that they had brought breakfast but were thankful as they were hungry, some being shifters, never turned down food. The meeting was about to start as everyone was gathered around. Snow could smell how many shifters were working for her and how many humans there were. Lane was happy she had a new sense of smell and eyes brighter than expected. She loved it.
“Good morning; some have heard that the companies have been sold, but rest assured, it has not. I am still the owner and CEO of both companies, and that has not, nor will it change; however, what will change are office sites.
“I will have a satellite office where forty percent of the designs will occur. The primary office will be in Alaska, and if you want to go where it is nice and cold for most of you, you know who you are; you are more than welcome to follow me. The rest can and will stay here as I need my teams to work here.”
“How will you conduct meetings in the future?” one piped up.
“Conference calls will be done via Zoom or something along that order. I know some have already requested to work from home so they can cut back on childcare or if they are taking care of family members. I am very flexible with that, as you all know.”
“Will you continue to have teams in Alaska?”
“Yes, I will have teams there; where I live, we are building new homes and going to open another fashion design office there.”
She dismissed the workers as she returned to finish packing her office, placing the files in boxes, and purging ones she no longer needed. The truck was there to pick up her furniture and packages in no time, and then they were heading to her apartment. She did not want to take much from there but her clothes, new comforter set, and pillows. She left everything else behind for the next person. She had everything back home she needed.
When they arrived back in Alaska, the visitors had come and were settled into the host homes. The new homes were still being built, and she could not wait to put the finishing touches on them. Ramiel was happy and relieved that she was back home safe.
“Baby, I am excited you came home; I worried about you. I moved all your clothes and toiletries into my home to protect you better. When the truck comes in a week, we will store your items until your office is up and running.”
“Thank you for that, all this. This is something I never received until I met Ruth and John.” Lane told him, hugging him and kissing him on his cheek.
“Baby, you missed a spot here.” pointing to his lips. She kissed it lightly and felt more sparks and tingles as he took her lips into a much more desired kiss that he had been waiting for since she left for Texas.
She moaned into his mouth as their tongues explored each other’s mouth. He wanted to go further but did not want to push it too far. He moved his hand down her back and to her ass cheek, where he squeezed it slightly. Her eyes popped open and then closed again as he massaged them.
She broke the kiss and cleared her throat before opening her mouth to speak. Her cheeks were tinged with a hint of pink, but Ramiel never let her out of his arms. He looked into her beautiful eyes, memorizing every part of them and her face.
“Where should I put the rest of my clothes?” she whispered.
“Follow me; it’s this way,” he said as he walked with her hand in his.
“I know we talked about your family before you met Steven, but I want you to sleep with me in my room. I will sleep on the couch, and you will take the bed. I don’t want to be away from you again.”
“I could not take your bed; I can sleep on the couch.”
“Nope, no-can-do, mate. Can we agree on who is going to sleep where? Then I make the rule that we both sleep in the same bed. No sex because I know you are not ready for that yet.”
“Yeah, sorry, I would like to wait on that part for now. Let us take it one day at a time for now. But sleeping in the same bed is okay with me.”
His fists pumped as she turned and walked away from him, so Lane did not see what he did but knew what he did as she did the same, just in her mind. She let out a little giggle imagining how cute he was when he did it.
It was nearing dinner time, and the central kitchen where all the pack members could gather to eat was setting up the dining hall. Ramiel, Lane, and Steven walked over to eat when several pack members greeted them.
They all chatted while they ate and got to know their visitors. Lane and Steven know a few from the restaurants they had worked in before moving to Alaska. Lane could not believe they were from their pack, and they knew she was one of the alpha heirs.
“Lane, Steven, where did you all go? What happened to you both?” one of the members asked.
“We separated about a year after arriving at the orphanage. We desperately tried to stay together but were torn apart when a couple came to adopt Steven. When he left, I was put into foster care and bounced from home to home. It was unpleasant as I was abused in every way but not raped or molested.”
“I was not as lucky, my parents had my name changed before I was adopted, and they beat me into forgetting my last name. They hit me day and night, including raped and molestation by my dad, grandparents, uncles, and brothers. I worked but kept it a secret and got out of there with the help of this guy right here when I turned sixteen.
“If not for him or his father helping me, I do not know what would have happened. This is Garrett, we grew up together, and no, we are not mates.” Steven said, laughing.
“I left at sixteen, as many of you know, and moved to San Antonio, Texas, where I put myself through school and college. I studied design and forestry and have my masters in both.”
“We hate that you both had to go through that, but let you know your parents are up there with the moon goddess looking down and waiting to meet you both again. You are incredibly special to us, and we will all support you no matter what you do. You have our word and protection. No more splitting you two up!” one of the women stated with tears.
They thanked them, said their goodbyes, and left to return home. Lane walked to the bathroom, did her business, and showered to prepare for bed. Ramiel went in after her as he waited for her to get done. He kissed her when they passed each other in the bathroom.
She crawled into bed, not knowing what side to take, so she sat in the middle until he came out with a pair of shorts. He crawled onto the bed and sat beside her taking her hand into his and bringing it to his lips.
“I did not know what side you slept on, so I planted myself in the middle.”
“I usually sleep on this side of the bed, so you are fine where you are. You have a pack that adores you and your parents. I am happy they are here and support you and Duke or Steven.” he chuckled at the name.
“Thank you for taking me in. Have you heard if they got the vampires yet?”
“No, they are still waiting to get them. It is going to be a prolonged process before all this end.”
“Good lord, not knowing anything and just being human and doing human stuff was fine. Guess Mom and Dad did the same thing. I remember mom working in the hospital and having to leave sometimes for conferences.”
Ramiel leaned over, kissed her on her head, and pulled her to his side. He let her go and pulled the covers back, so he climbed underneath the covers. She snuggled up against him laying her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her goodnight one last time before they both fell asleep.