Page 6 of Predator (Stope Packs #4)

Emily hopped out of her pack’s helicopter and ducked low, her backpack slung over her shoulder. The rush of wind from the rotor blades whipped her hair around her face, and she blinked against the sharp breeze. The air carried the bite of approaching winter. It was December now, but the first snow had yet to fall. Her boots crunched against the frosted grass as she jogged toward Jackson, who leaned casually against a silver work truck, looking long, lean, and more than a little dangerous.

As she approached, the wind picked up around her, tugging at her jacket. She adjusted her sunglasses, grateful she’d remembered them. His gaze dropped to hers as she stopped a few steps away. Even in the muted light, his eyes caught her attention. They were a stunning glacial blue that seemed to see through her.

“Is that all you brought?” he asked.

She laughed, the sound escaping before she could think better of it. “Of course not.”

The pilot hopped down from the helicopter, circling the aircraft to grab over-stuffed suitcases from the cargo hold. Embarrassment flushed through Emily at the sight.

“I got ‘em.” Jackson pushed off the truck and strode forward with effortless grace. His long legs ate up the distance, and he easily lifted the suitcases, muscles shifting beneath his dark jacket.

Emily waited as he tossed them into the truck bed, then walked around to open the passenger door. His courtesy threw her off balance. “Thank you,” she murmured, accepting his hand as she stepped up into the cab. Sometimes, her height came in handy.

“No problem,” he replied dryly, waiting until she was settled before shutting the door. Moments later, he slid into the driver’s seat, and the space instantly filled with the wild scents of forest and wolf. The primal note in the aroma sent a nervous tremor down her arm, and she quickly covered the reaction by fastening her seat belt.

His door shut with a solid thunk, sealing her in the warm interior, alone with Jackson for the first time in ages. Her pulse jumped, and she swallowed hard.

What in the world was she doing?

Her father’s pilot lifted the helicopter into the air, and the downdraft sent dried leaves and dead pine cones tumbling across the ground, clattering against the truck’s side. Emily glanced toward Jackson, her pulse still unsteady.

“I can’t believe you blackmailed my father into having me come to your territory,” she murmured, her voice low and smooth.

“I think it’s called extortion.” Jackson steered the truck onto the dirt road. His hands gripped the wheel with a calm confidence that somehow made her nerves tingle. The flex of his fingers on the leather sent a surge of unexpected heat through her, and she shifted in her seat, annoyed by her body’s reaction.

She arched a brow. “I think you’re right.”

“Hey. You agreed to come.” He flicked a glance her way before returning his gaze to the narrow path cutting through the dense trees, the bare branches reaching toward the gray sky. The air smelled faintly of pine and distant snow, but she caught his scent beneath that. Wild, earthy, and undeniably male.

“I did, and I understand that my father needs access to the mine. He also wants me safe and thinks, deep down, that you’re the key to that.” Yet that would leave her father vulnerable. “I don’t think so.” Her gaze drifted to Jackson’s jawline and the shadow of stubble on his skin.

“We’ll see.” He shifted gears as the truck bounced over a rut, drawing her attention to his muscled forearm. The air between them thickened. “Maybe you’ll decide to stay.”

She shook her head. “Not a chance. We had one kiss and that’s all there’ll ever be.” That summer night at the lake when they’d met up as teenagers. Every once in a while, enterprising and rebellious teenaged wolves arranged a party outside of all pack territories where they all snuck out and had some fun mingling. There had been two such parties in her youth, and she’d only made it to one of them, where she’d met Jackson for the first time. He hadn’t become the Alpha yet, so they were just two kids goofing off. They’d had a lot of beer.

Tons of it.

“You told me your secret wish to write romances.”

She smiled. “You told me your secret wish to fly fighter jets.” Then he’d kissed her. She’d fallen for him in a matter of hours. “Then your father died.” Weeks later, really.

He turned onto a paved road, still blanketed by trees. “No fighter jets for me.”

That must have been difficult. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ve read your books.”

She sat back, surprise stilling her. “You have?”

He lifted one shoulder. “Yeah. You’re a great writer. I don’t usually see the bad guy coming.”

“Usually?”

He snorted, then looked at her and sobered. His gaze lingered on her lips before he turned back to the quiet road. “Yes. Usually. The sex is hot, too.”

Silence settled between them, thick with tension. Emily pressed her lips together, her pulse quickening as the memory of his gaze lingered against her skin like a phantom touch. She had to change the subject. “Why is the council on you so hard to find a mate?”

Jackson glanced at her. “I’ve had two mines sabotaged the last month, and the council is noting that I’m not protecting everyone. I’ve had a contract I need to meet in two weeks for us to have enough funds to support the pack. Thus, I need to at least look like I’m settling down while I find the asshole and kill them.”

What the heck? That’s why he wanted her in town for two weeks? To provide a distraction? “Why didn’t you just say so?”

“And let your father know I’m not protecting my people well enough? He attacked the second he caught wind that the Copper Pack was weakened. He’d own the entire pack if Erik Volk hadn’t stepped up to be their Alpha.” Jackson eyed the darkening clouds outside. “Please. While I’m sure he doesn’t believe the story of my wanting you to matchmake for me, I think he wants me to seduce you. To mate you so we have that connection between the packs. The guy thinks he’s going to live forever and isn’t worried about a replacement Alpha.”

“Right.” She shifted uncomfortably, her pulse still uneven. Her father wasn’t stupid, but like many Alphas, he failed to see his own mortality.

Jackson sighed. “I need to tell you something.”

Dread trickled down her spine. “What?”

“Your father offered me another option—to mate you with the promise that in thirty years or so, when he needs someone else to take over, either you or one of our children do so.”

She blinked. Rapidly. “Are you joking?”

“No.”

Anger flushed through her, but she could see the rationale behind the offer. “Even if I thought that a good idea, which I do not, I would never send my child to fight to the death with Victor. Ever.” Like Vic would wait that long, anyway.

“That’s what I told your father,” Jackson said quietly.

At least that was something. To everyone else, it appeared as if they’d all gone along with the idea of her helping Jackson find a mate. Now, she knew both her father’s and Jackson’s true motivations, but neither knew hers. She would find those doctors. Her chin lifted. She liked that.

The trees began to thin, and Jackson drove through a wide granite archway carved with elegant wolves in mid-howl and the name Granite Hollow etched into the stone. Multiple balloons in black and blue colors had been strewn along the arch with the words “Welcome Home, Emily,” plastered onto a board in bright letters.

Jackson sighed.

Emily’s mind went blank. “Um.”

He drove beneath the arch. “My pack is looking forward to my mating.” Beyond the arch lay a picturesque mining town that seemed untouched by time.

Stone buildings lined both sides of the main street, their facades crafted from granite in shades of silver-gray and charcoal. Ornate wrought-iron lanterns hung from lampposts, casting a warm glow as twilight approached. More blue and black balloons had been hung from several areas. “Blue and black?”

He nodded. “Best guess? Your eyes and mine.”

Oh, for goodness’ sakes. The street was cobblestone, slick with a hint of frost, and the air smelled of wood smoke and freshly baked bread, even through the closed windows.

Hawthorne General Store sat to the left, its windows showcasing hand-knit scarves, local honey, and carved wooden wolves. Next to it, Ashwick Hardware displayed everything from mining equipment to antique tools. Across the street, Silver Moon Café bustled with life, the glow of its interior promising hot cocoa and pastries, and a weekly special of: Emily Frosted Cookies.

She gaped. “I have my own cookies.”

His sigh sounded louder this time.

A few doors down, the amber lights of Ironclad Books & Bindery gleamed through frosted windows, as the silhouettes of patrons flipping through books or chatting over coffee were visible inside.

Emily breathed out. “Your town is adorable. Sweet, even.”

“Thanks. We’re off the main drag and rarely get tourists, but once in a while, we have a festival and sell wares to the humans. Maybe once or twice a year.”

Sounded like fun. Emily’s people rarely interacted with humans.

As they passed Granite Hollow City Hall, a grand building constructed from polished granite with carved columns and arched windows, Jackson slowed. Its clock tower, crowned with a copper wolf’s head, stood sentinel over the town. Flags bearing the Granite Pack’s sigil, a silver wolf against a dark stone backdrop, fluttered from the entrance.

On the sidewalk, a female in a long wool coat paused mid-stride, her eyes lighting up as she caught sight of the truck. She waved wildly, her smile widening as Emily waved weakly back.

Beside her on a bench, a male with a weathered face and a thick scarf around his neck lowered the newspaper he had been reading, his gaze tracking the vehicle with glee. He slapped his knee and then waved.

“My goodness.” Emily waved back, gratified when his grin grew. “They do want you to mate.”

“Yes.” Jackson sighed. “Even though everyone’s on edge from the mine attacks, romance rules around here, and folks like the thought of our packs being connected so closely. Many thought I’d come home with a mate, but I’ve put word out that you’re here to assist me as an old friend.”

She couldn’t believe anybody would honestly fall for that. “They think you’re going to seduce me.” Just like her father did.

“Probably,” he said carelessly. “But I do need you to provide a bit of distraction until I fulfill a big contract and also find the asshat messing with my mines, and in exchange, your pack can extract all the rare slate from my mine. Deal?”

Fair enough. “Yes.”

Farther down the street, two female teenagers leaned against a lamppost, whispering and glancing toward the truck with quick, darting looks. They both had dark hair and lighter eyes. Waving, they ran toward the truck, reaching Emily’s door.

Jackson stopped.

Emily rolled down her window. “Hi.”

“Hi.” The taller girl held out a button. “We made these for you.” Giggling, she turned with her friend, and they ran across the road and into the Silver Moon Café.

Emily looked down at the button that had her picture next to Jackson’s with a red heart drawn around it. “Wow.”

He glanced at the button and started driving again. “It’s nice to be wanted?”

She chuckled. It didn’t suck.

“Now. How about you tell me why you insisted you have free rein in my territory.” He almost phrased the statement as a question. “I understand your father’s motivation, but I’m doubting yours.”

She needed to see his doctor. “I wanted to see your town. You let so few wolf shifters from other packs visit.”

“You’re here to discover state secrets?”

She scanned the quaint storefronts again. “Exactly.” Her gaze caught on a green-and-white sign that read Family Medicine . She made a mental note of its location. “I heard through the grapevine that your pack is more modern than most. You let younger members go off to school for a while.”

“Grapevine?” Jackson pulled up beside the city hall. “You mean Caidrik?”

“Of course,” she replied. “What did he do for you, anyway?”

Jackson cut the engine. “Worked as a miner. Of course.”

Baloney. But that wasn’t the mystery she needed to solve. “I’d like to know more about the programs that allow your young people to attend college. We need to modernize, and I really like the sound of that.”

“You can speak with Raya,” Jackson replied, his tone casual. “She handles all of that.”

“Who is Raya?”

He sat back in his seat, looking at the granite building outside. “She’s my chief operating officer. Runs the pack’s logistics and business operations. You name it.”

“Interesting,” Emily murmured, glancing out the window, as well. The streets were quiet now, the lanterns’ glow reflecting off the cobblestones damp from the earlier frost. Window boxes filled with evergreen branches and crimson berries hinted at the approaching holidays. Smoke drifted from chimneys, curling against the pale sky as dusk settled in. “I might have to get some ideas from her. If you don’t mind, of course.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Jackson said, his gaze steady.

Emily turned toward him and slowly smiled, her feet back under her. At least she understood why Jackson wanted her in town. “However, I’m also taking my other job quite seriously.”

He turned to face her more fully. His presence seemed to expand in the enclosed space, the wild scent of wolf lingering between them. “What do you mean?”

Emily clasped her hands loosely in her lap, suppressing a grin. “I have made contact with several single female Alphas who are interested in settling down with a pack. They’ll be arriving soon to meet you.” She let her smile loose. “I fully intend to play matchmaker, Jackson.”