Page 13 of Help Wanted, Vampires Inquire Within (Ours Evermore #6)

“I’ll give you directions,” he said with a defeated sigh.

“I’ll let you pick the music,” Mason offered.

A smile exploded across Jack’s face. “Deal!” Then he turned to Skyler. “And you get to ride shotgun. This is going to be so much fun!”

Skyler

It took almost an hour to get to the property. It was hidden deep in the hills of Valley Center, a city in Northeast San Diego County. Mason handled the car well, and with its modern suspension, it didn’t sag too badly even under Mason’s weight.

They followed twisty roads until they finally turned onto a gravel drive. Mason slowed to a crawl to keep from scattering small rocks everywhere.

“We plan to pave this,” Jack assured them. “Miller is already talking to contractors about adding some bathrooms to the main house, paving the driveway and parking area, and maybe putting in a few more houses.”

“I thought you hadn’t decided on a place,” Skyler said, remembering Jack describing how much his “friends” bickered about where they were all going to live. She really should've realized he was part of a wolf pack at that point. No humans lived like a wolf pack. Unless they were in a cult.

“When I got home last night, they all decided this would be the place,” Jack explained. “It’s amazing what you can do when you’re a cash buyer. Welcome to Clover Technological Industries new headquarters, and Clover Pack’s new home.”

Skyler was so eager to get out and start exploring that she had her seatbelt off and was opening the door before Mason came to a complete stop in front of the main house.

It was dark and there wasn’t much ambient light in the area.

It made it hard to see, but the moment she was standing, she kicked off her flip-flops and dug her feet through the gravel and to the dirt below.

“This is good land,” she murmured. The land wasn’t interested in bonding to her, but it was receptive to her inputs. She could grow things here and make a lovely paradise for Mason, Jack, and the Clover Pack.

“Let me show you around,” Jack said, rushing around the car to stand next to her. Jack was careful not to touch her. It was sweet the way he was respectful of her personal space.

She was starting to think that maybe soul bonding to Jack would be a good idea. He wasn’t like any vampire she’d ever met. He was sweet, unassuming, and self-effacing. He didn’t have any of the arrogance that she associated with vampires.

It helped that she found him handsome. Flocks didn’t always have sex, but it could be a component of their bond. Jack would never force her to do anything, but she desperately wanted Mason. If she was in Jack’s flock, the soul bond the three of them shared would probably mean he’d want her back.

The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.

Two SUVs full of wolves pulled up to park next to Jack’s car. Skyler watched as the wolves emerged from the car, all vibrating with excitement.

“You need to see the barn,” Toby said. “It’s got so much potential. I think we could build a loft apartment on the second floor and turn the bottom floor into a big office space.”

“She should see the house first,” Adelle countered.

“No way, she wants to walk the grounds,” Marcel said, drawing his mate close. Skyler envied the way the couple couldn’t stop touching each other. Even when they’d been sitting at the table, they would hold hands and sit so close they could press the sides of their legs together.

“Why don’t we ask Skyler what she wants?” Jack said, loud enough to get everyone's attention.

She didn’t feel intimidated or shy. The Clover Pack already felt familiar.

“Can we walk the property?” she asked.

“Oh, of course,” Jack said, understanding. “You should meet the land, not the buildings.”

“There’s an overgrown garden behind the house,” Remy said, then pointed away from the house. “And there’s a small orange grove over that way.”

“Grove, please,” Skyler requested. Mason was quick to move to her left, and Jack fell in step at her right. No one told her to put her shoes back on, which was a relief. Nymphs and society were in a constant battle over shoes.

On the way to the grove, several shifted wolves ran by them, making Jack chuckle.

“They can’t resist a nice night,” Jack explained. “This property isn’t as big as the one we had back in Illinois, but it’s still very nice.”

“There’s another grove past ours that’s several acres large,” Remy said. “It’s a nice buffer between us and the closest neighbor and more room to run at night.”

Skyler could sense the grove before she could see it. It had been well cared for up until recently. The trees weren’t happy. Something was eating away at their roots. Several trees had already died.

Feeling the trees suffering made her rush forward.

“What’s wrong?” Mason asked, lengthening his stride to keep up with her.

“The trees,” Skyler said, distractedly. The moment she hit the edge of the grove, she dropped to her knees and sank her fingers into the ground. She could feel the many gophers and moles that had created long, serpentine burrows under the trees.

“You must leave,” she murmured as she sent her power out into the ground. Little rodent minds were easy to persuade and furry bodies fled their burrows. She made it so they found the smell of orange trees dangerous.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked, crouching next to her.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Helping the trees. They need to be fertilized, and they haven’t been watered enough recently.”

Jack nodded. “Yes, but why are there gophers all over the place?"

She looked around to see at least a dozen gophers and one very confused ground squirrel scurrying around. The expression on the sleepy squirrel’s face made her giggle.

Standing up, Skyler clapped the dirt off her hands. “They were annoying the trees.”

“Skyler!” one of the wolves called. “What are these bushes over here?”

That started a game of “ask Skyler” where the wolves wanted her to identify every plant they came across. It was fun, and she knew most of them.

They walked almost the entire property. She got to see into the two smaller houses, the barn, and inside the large main house. She could easily picture the pack living here. The entire place would be lively and happy.

“We should go,” Mason said, interrupting an animated dialogue between her and Toby. The wolf was excited to start an herb garden, even as the other wolves groaned.

The wolves made unhappy sounds until Remy shushed them and turned to Skyler. “We’re working out a special arrangement with the seller so we can move in before the escrow closes. That means you can come back any time you like. Stay for an hour or forever.”

Even though she knew the offer was limited to being with Jack, she still smiled up at the wolf. “Thank you. It’s nice here.”

“With your help, we’ll make it perfect” Kayla sang out from somewhere in the dark.

Skyler nodded and let Mason and Jack walk her back to the cars. Before they could get in, Jack faced the pack.

“We do not need an escort!” he declared. “All of you go home and get some sleep. There’s a lot to do tomorrow.”

There was grumbling but also a lot of yawns.

Skyler was on a high from interacting with the land so she wasn’t tired at all.

Poor Mason was yawning as much as the wolves and tomorrow, he had to go back to work.

Looking after her had messed his life up so much and now it was keeping him from joining Jack and living with the Clover Pack.

That made her choice for her. She would not soul bond from obligation. An eternity spent with people who didn’t love her had no appeal.

Blinking away tears, she kept up with Jack and Mason’s lively conversation, forcing herself to push away her unhappiness. She needed tonight to be perfect. She’d cherish these memories. They would need to be enough to get her through the agonizing death coming to her.

At least she’d live long enough to see Mason and Jack happy.