Tuesday Teaser 8/14/18 Gina’s Wolf Part 23
If you’ve been following my trials and tribulations on Facebook (also know as whining and complaining) then you know that I moved home to my mother’s house at the end of February. My mom has dementia. My older brother has been her primary caretaker for years and he needed a break. She’s usually in good spirits, which is good. I belong to a couple of online support groups for caretakers of dementia patients, and some of their loved ones are mean. My mom’s not mean.
My biggest problem is that I have no privacy. Mom comes up to my room most every night, flips the light on and wants to chat. to her midnight is the same as noon, and she honestly doesn’t understand that I have to get up early to go to work. I am tired and stressed. I am used to living alone and doing what I want when I want. Those days are over.
And she can’t remember anything for more than 2 or 3 seconds. Literally. For instance, she is very devoutly catholic so she goes to mass several times a week. This week is the mass of obligation for the assumption of the blessed virgin Mary. My brother and I discussed when we could take her and decided that my brother would take her to the Wednesday mass at 12:35. We told her this. We wrote it in large letters on the calendar. But she asked me if I was taking her to church tonight 18 times in the 10 minutes it took me to get supper in the oven to. Yes, I counted. I counted so I wouldn’t scream.
Tuesday is my writing night and usually my brother is here to keep my mom occupied but he’s out tonight. So I haven’t gone longer than 14 minutes without mom coming up to ask me about church. No, she still doesn’t remember that she is going to mass tomorrow even though I’ve told her that over and over. Writing this book is very slow going. I apologize for that. I am doing the best I can. I may need to talk to my brother about a schedule where I can leave the house to write somewhere else.
Forgive this rambling rant. It will get better. Eventually it will get better. Meanwhile, the story is progressing. It’s slow progress, but it’s in a forward direction.
Major Ellis took a sharp breath. “You cannot possibly believe him.” He gave Stone a sneering once over. “The man is a savage.”
Gina heard nothing from the men behind her, and neither Cole nor his dad changed their impassive expressions. The insult rolled right off them.
“I do believe him, yes.” McGrath kept his smile, and it seemed to Gina to be just a little too pleasant. If a dog could smile just before it attacked, it would look just like that. “And as for savages, I think the actions you took at Bolivar qualify you for that title.”
Gina knew that the town of Bolivar in Missouri had held out against her stepfather and caused him significant trouble a few years ago. No one would tell her exactly what had happened. She’d heard only whispers of his retaliation, which meant it must have been heinous. All three of the Kansas-Missourians were red in the face. Even Lieutenant Booker, who had always struck Gina as unemotional, was visibly grinding his teeth. Ellis leaned forward with both hands planted on the table.
“You will find out just how savage we can be if you don’t comply with the President’s request.”
The threat didn’t appear to disturb the mayor. He stifled a yawn and turned to Cole’s dad. “You heard the man. He wants to take Miss Gina away. What do you say?”
Gina put her hand around Cole’s and squeezed. He squeezed back.
“No.” Taye leaned back in his chair, but his gaze bored into Ellis. “Any man who tries to take my daughter away will die.”
My daughter. An odd warmth touched Gina’s heart. It was stupid, but she loved that he called her that. She didn’t know the Wolfe family well, but everything she knew about them told her they would protect her in ways Gerald Todd never would.
McGrath spread his arms. “Well, there you have it. Miss Gina isn’t under my control and Taye Wolfe declines to allow her to go with you. Pity. You’ll have to go back to your master with the bad news.”
Ellis got control of his emotion. His eyes were cool. “You said Omaha does not want war. The only way to avoid war is to give us Gina Todd.” Gina opened her mouth to snap that her name was Gina Summer, but she managed to swallow the words. McGrath turned to her.
“Miss Gina, are you over eighteen years of age?”
“Yes.” She managed to keep her voice quiet and calm.
“Do you wish to return to President Todd?”
“No!” Maybe that was a little too loud. She cleared her throat. “No, I do not.”
The mayor of Omaha settled back in his seat and looked at Major Ellis. “I have no authority to force a woman to go where she does not wish to go, even to avoid war. Does Kansas-Missouri not respect the wishes of their mothers, sisters, and daughters?”
“Miss Todd belongs with her family.”
“The lady is an adult and can make her own choices.”
Ellis flicked a hand as if brushing away this notion. “Miss Todd is young and confused. Her father knows what is best for her.” He looked across the table at her, suddenly warm and understanding. “Your mother is heartbroken that you were stolen away by an animal masquerading as a man.”
Regret stung Gina. The regret wasn’t so much about hurting her mom as the knowledge that Gina would always come second to her stepfather. She ignored this ham-handed attempt to guilt her into going back and focused on the second part of Ellis’ words. “Cole Wolfe has more humanity as a wolf than you do as a man.”
Ellis oozed the oily charm she hated. “The President has rescinded your engagement to the Allersens and has offered you to me once again.”
Gina laughed disbelievingly. “You can’t honestly think that would entice me to leave Cole.”
Beside her Cole let out a soft breath. Ellis shot him a sneer. “You would choose that over me?”
“Him,” she corrected. “I would choose him over you any day. But that is none of your business.”
Ellis might have said something more, but Mayor McGrath coughed. “I cannot give you what you want. Mr. Wolfe has refused to send Miss Gina with you. Miss Gina herself has declined to return to President Todd. Is there any other way for Omaha to avoid war?”
“No,” snapped Ellis.
Mayor McGrath rose to his feet. “Then there is nothing more to discuss. Captain Peterson, will you escort the representatives from President Todd to the city gates?”
“Yes, sir.” The severely handsome blond man stood and herded the Kansas-Missourians out.
Cole barely waited for the interlopers to leave before he snatched Gina out of her chair and clasped her tightly to his chest. His mate had claimed him in front of witnesses. The joy of it banished the hate that flared in his wolf at the sight of Lieutenant Mott. Cole couldn’t remember ever meeting the man, so he must be part of those blood smeared lost memories from the train.
“Cole,” Gina squeaked in protest.
“Sorry.” He loosened his arms and allowed her feet to touch the floor but kept her in the gentle cage of his embrace. He leaned down to touch her cheek with his, needing to feel her warmth. “Did I hurt you?”
She squirmed to step back. Reluctantly, he dropped his arms. “No, I’m alright.” She turned to his father. “Thank you,” she said fervently.
His dad lifted one brow with a smile. “For what?”
“Not letting them take me back.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “And calling me your daughter.”
The smile faded from his dad’s face. “You don’t need to thank me for that. Whether you ever accept my son’s mate claim or not, you are part of our Clan now. We will never let harm come to our women.”
Cole blinked. “She did accept me. You heard her.”
“Did she?” His dad’s eyebrow went up again. He looked inquiringly at Gina. “Did you accept my son’s mate claim?”
Gina’s face closed. A hint of uncertainty clouded her eyes as she looked from his father to him. What did she see on his face? She was going to deny him. Cole’s heart seized in his chest. The moment stretched until he was sure he would break.
She took a deep breath, her eyes suddenly clear and sharp. “Yes. Yes, I did just accept Cole.”
Tuesday Teaser August 7, 2018: Gina’s Wolf Part 22
This week has been kind of difficult and kind of exciting. Did I mention the little stray cat who hides in our garage? My brother named him Sam, but he turned to Samantha? Well Sammie had her babies. Two of them, both white with black spots on their heads. The first born was named Chloe. The second born was named Spots. Sadly, Spots was born smaller and deformed. No tail and her left hind leg was only a small stump. When I got up the next morning to check on them I found Sammie and Chloe in the bed I’d made but Spots was crying, way off in a corner of the garage where I couldn’t even see him. Obviously Sammie had put him there. I got my brother to clear away some of the equipment and stuff and bring him to Sammie. That night Spots wasn’t doing well, I had a vet tech friend come and look at him and she took him home to try to save him but there was nothing she could do. Spots is no more. I cried. He wasn’t even 24 hours old. Poor mite. Spots is the smaller kitty with his arm around his sister.
But Chloe is thriving. She has doubled her weight in 6 days. We’re going to need some way to contain the kitten soon. At this rate she’ll be climbing everything in a week. Just look how she treats her mama!
I will be posting more about Sammie and Chloe soon, but now let’s move on to Gina and Cole’s story.
Mayor McGrath waited politely until everyone was seated. “The point of this meeting is to come to an agreement between Omaha and Kansas-Missouri, one which will allow both sides to walk away with something they want, if not everything. I see no point in beating around the bush. To be perfectly plain, gentlemen, all Omaha wants is to live in peace. We have no interest waging war, but we will, because neither do we wish to become a vassal state to Kansas-Missouri. Tell me, Major, how can Omaha best avoid war and remain independent?”
Major Ellis smiled his most charming smile, handsome and calm, and absolutely terrifying. He looked down the table at Gina, and then back to the mayor. “That is very easily obtained, sir. President Todd is entirely willing to sign a non-aggression pact with Omaha, providing one small stipulation is met. Simply return his daughter to him and our army will immediately depart for Kansas City.”
Her heart forgot to beat. For a few seconds, Gina floundered in a yawning abyss of horror before anger rushed in to fill the void. She opened her mouth, but Cole squeezed her knee and shook his head. Outrage joined anger. Cole was going to let them trade her?
His face was carved stone, his eyes, fixed on Ellis, were even harder. If he were a sculpture, he would be titled Wolf Eying Prey. Gina released a breath. No, of course Cole wouldn’t let them trade her. She could trust him to protect her. But did he have any choice? Mayor McGrath was smiling.
“That seems simple enough,” the mayor said. “A reasonable price to pay for the safety of my city.”
Gina stiffened. Ellis smiled too, like a cat who’d just swallowed a canary. “Excellent,” he said.
McGrath spoke over him. “There are just a couple of teensy flies in that ointment, though. One, the lady isn’t my slave to be disposed of however I please. In fact, she’s not even citizen of Omaha. She’s a member of the Lakota Wolf Clan and I doubt her chief would be willing to give her up.”
On her other side, Taye Wolfe’s lips pulled back in snarl.
The mayor nodded respectfully at Taye and went on. “Two, how do I know you will in fact march away? And even if you do, how long will you stay away before you come back?”
“I will sign any document you write up, swearing that from this day forward Kansas-Missouri will never make war against Omaha.”
The mayor’s eyebrow hooked up. He glanced at one of the men standing behind them. “Stone?”
The man addressed stepped around the table to stand close to Major Ellis. He wore jeans and a blue button up shirt, and his black braids reached his butt. The major cast him an arrogant glare.
“So,” said McGrath, still smiling pleasantly. “Omaha will never have to be concerned about an attack from Kansas-Missouri? We’ll live in peace with you?”
“If Miss Todd returns with us, yes. President Todd will leave you unmolested. In fact, Omaha will have a special relationship with us.”
Gina eyed the paper and pen on the table. She should write a note to Mayor McGrath, warning him that the major wasn’t being truthful. Her stepfather would never let Omaha live in peace no matter what promises Ellis made or signed.
The mayor glanced inquiringly at the long-haired man.
“He’s lying,” the man called Stone said.
The tone was so casual that Gina almost missed the meaning of the words. Apparently so did Major Ellis, because he remained unmoving in his chair for a long moment before an angry flush flooded his cheeks.
“Thanks, Stone. That’s what I thought.” McGrath chuckled as Stone went back to his place against the wall. “Let’s try this again, Major.”
Major Ellis took a sharp breath. “You cannot possibly believe him.” He gave Stone a sneering once over. “The man is a savage.”
Gina heard nothing from the men behind her, and neither Cole nor his dad changed their impassive expressions. The insult rolled right off them.
“I do believe him, yes.” McGrath smiled, just a little too pleasantly. “And as for savages, I think the actions you took at Bolivar qualify you for that title.”
Gina knew that the town of Bolivar in Missouri had held out against her stepfather and caused him significant trouble a few years ago. No one would tell her exactly what had happened. She’d heard only whispers of his retaliation, which meant it must have been heinous. All three of the Kansas-Missourians were red in the face. Even Lieutenant Booker, who had always struck Gina as unemotional, was visibly grinding his teeth. Ellis leaned forward with both hands planted on the table.
“You will find out just how savage we can be if you don’t comply of the President’s request.”
The threat didn’t appear to disturb the mayor. He stifled a yawn and turned to Cole’s dad. “You heard the man. He wants to take Miss Gina away. What do you say?”
Gina put her hand around Cole’s and squeezed. He squeezed back.
“No.” Taye leaned back in his chair, but his gaze was boring into Ellis. “Any man who tries to take my daughter away will die.”
McGrath spread his arms. “Well, there you have it. Miss Gina isn’t under my control and Taye Wolfe declines to allow her to go with you. Pity. You’ll have to go back to your master with the bad news.”
Tuesday Teaser July 31, 2018: Gina’s Wolf Part 21
Can you believe tomorrow is August? Only twenty-three more days until kids go back to school in North Dakota! I bet all you moms out there are counting the days. My mom always put the flag out for the first day of school. She said it should be a national holiday. LOL! More importantly to me, only two more months of hot weather. I die during the summer. I don’t like heat and even though North Dakota doesn’t get as hot as other places and the summer is really only four months long, I long for fall before June is done.
I have been working on Gina’s Wolf and I think I need to do some re-writing. Gina has become too vague. I mean, I’ve always seen Gina as a strong, stand-up-for-herself woman. Not a whiner or a too-stupid-to-live sort of woman, but someone with strong opinions and a secretly iron will. Not as brash as Glory or Victoria, and not just blurting out whatever is on her mind, but when I re-read, I don’t feel like I know who she is anymore. What are her feelings for Cole? She doing a lot of kissing and groping already and I’m not sure she would. I’m going to run that by my local critique group and get their take on Gina’s personality.
What do you think?
Here is the first bit of Chapter 8:
Chapter Eight
An hour later Gina was seated between Cole and his dad at a long table in the mayor’s office in City Hall. Four other men from Cole’s family stood against the wall. She had been introduced to them on the way over. They all had such odd names, like Stone and Sky, and even though they were fully dressed, they seemed somehow feral with their long black hair and hard faces. The conference room, with blank white walls, tan carpet, and a large wooden table, was staid. Pens and stacks of blank paper sat on the highly polished table in front of each of the twelve chairs. It was business-like and official. Cole’s family just didn’t seem to fit the boring, civilized furnishings.
A few of the leading men of Omaha were at the table. Mayor McGrath occupied the chair at the head of the table, wearing a neat, plain brown suit, his gray-streaked brown curls neatly combed. Although she’d never officially met the mayor before, she had served him coffee more than once. The first time she’d seen him she’d been surprised by his plain and casual attire. That was not how her stepfather dressed. On top of that, Mayor McGrath was always polite even to a nobody who served him at the coffee shop across the square from City Hall. He always had a friendly word for anyone he came in contact with.
This afternoon, when Cole and his dad introduced her with a brief explanation of who she was to Todd and asked that she be allowed to attend the meeting, he nodded calmly. Maybe strange young women often demanded to be included in crucial city affairs.
“You are welcome,” he said. “You might give Omaha an advantage in these negotiations. But please do not speak on Omaha’s behalf.” He chuckled, sounding amazingly relaxed. “I get that pleasure. If there is something you think I need to know, write a note and send it down the table to me.”
She remembered his little chuckle from the days when she had made frothy coffee drinks. She recalled he took his coffee black.
Memories of her old job made her hands clenched in her lap beneath the table. Whatever happened, her stepfather must never know about Lachlan and Ceara. If she hadn’t known that already, what happened to the Anderses was a brutal reminder.
Cole must have felt her tension, because he leaned his shoulder against her. His father was a strong presence on her right. Sandwiched between the two of them, with a line of savage men behind her, she felt safe.
That feeling of safety diminished slightly when Major Ellis entered the room, flanked by four burly men in the uniform Omaha’s City Guard, and followed by two other men in Kansas-Missouri gray. The Guardsmen peeled away to stand behind the mayor. One of the Kansas-MIssourians was Lieutenant Mott. The Lieutenant’s cool gaze passed over her without a flicker of interest, checked for a half second when he saw Cole, and passed on to Mayor McGrath. Major Ellis gave her one brief cold stare before turning his attention to the head of the table.
“Sir, I am Major Ellis, personal aide to President Gerald Todd of Kansas-Missouri. This is Lieutenant Mott and Lieutenant Booker.”
The mayor took his time getting to his feet. He nodded impassively to the Kansas-Missourians. “Ryan McGrath, Mayor of Omaha.” He indicated the men on his left and right. “Captain Peterson, commander of the Omaha City Guard. Judge John Case, chief judicial officer of Omaha. Please be seated, gentlemen.”
The major put a hand on the back of the chair indicated but didn’t sit. He nodded at the Wolfe men against the wall. “We met the requirements. Only three of us entered Omaha.” His voice was stiff and cold. “You are overstaffed.”
McGrath smiled blandly. “Not at all.”
“We came under a flag of truce,” Mott began.
McGrath cut him off smoothly. “We will honor the truce. You will leave unharmed.” His teeth showed in a smile that was a thinly veiled threat. “Unless you break the truce or do something to hurt one of my people, that is.”
Major Ellis pulled out the chair and sat. “We are not here to cause trouble, but to end it.” He sent an icy stare at Lt. Mott. “Sit.”
Like an unruly but reluctantly obedient dog, Mott took his chair. Beside Gina, Cole let out an almost subvocal growl. She felt an urge to pat his hand soothingly. He obviously recognized Mott as the man who had been in command when he’d been shot on the train. She wanted to tell him that when her stepfather learned that Mott had spoken out of turn at this meeting, Mott would be punished.
Mayor McGrath waited politely until everyone was seated. “The point of this meeting is to come to an agreement between Omaha and Kansas-Missouri, one which will allow both sides to walk away with something they want, if not everything. I see no point in beating around the bush. To be perfectly plain, gentlemen, all Omaha wants is to live in peace. We have no interest waging war, but we will, because neither do we wish to become a vassal state to Kansas-Missouri. Tell me, Major, how can Omaha best avoid war and remain independent?”
Major Ellis smiled his most charming smile, handsome and calm, and absolutely terrifying. He looked down the table at Gina, and then back to the mayor. “That is very easily obtained, sir. President Todd is entirely willing to sign a non-aggression pact with Omaha, providing one small stipulation is met. Simply return his daughter to him and our army will immediately depart for Kansas City.”
Tuesday Teaser July 24, 2018 Gina’s Wolf Part 20
Life is never boring. Did I mention that half-feral neighborhood cat that we have kinda sorta adopted? The adorable little boy we named Sammy? I think he’s pregnant.
This is Sammy about a month ago. He (She?!!!) is not this small anymore. Still sweet, but … Kittens. Kittens are so adorable and cute when they aren’t yours. 🙁
But we will deal with the situation. I will revel in kitten madness and hope to find good homes for them.
Gulp.
On to more of Gina and Cole’s story!
Through the pounding of her blood in her ears, she barely heard the tap on the door. Cole did, though, and he lifted his head away from her.
“Dad?” he called.
Gina’s eyes flared wide. His dad was out in the hall? While they were doing this?
“Sorry, son.” Mr. Wolfe’s voice was quiet, barely audible, but Gina thought he sounded truly apologetic. “A man has come from President Todd under a flag of truce. You need to come to McGrath’s office for the parley.”
Gina froze. Embarrassment died under a wave of dread. She should have known her stepfather would lose no time in trying to get her back. “What time is it?” she asked Cole.
“A little after four,” his father replied from behind the closed door.
He could hear that even through a closed door? Embarrassment flared again. Oh, lord, what else had he heard from the hallway?
“What time is the parley?” Cole asked.
“We’re leaving as soon as you’re ready.”
“I’ll be out in two minutes.”
Cole looked down at her for a second before dipping his head for one last quick kiss. “I have to go.”
Just like that his weight was gone and he was off the bed and headed for the door.
“Cole, wait for me.” She scrambled out of the bed and looked around for the clothes his mom and sister had left. “Give me one minute to get dressed and I’ll meet you in the hall.”
He stopped at the door with his hand on the knob. “You don’t need to get dressed. Go back to bed and get some more sleep. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“What?” She snapped around to look at him. The cotton where he’d had his mouth caught wetly on her breast. She ignored it. “I’m going with you.”
His brows twitched together. “No, stay here where it is safe. I’ll tell you everything when I get back.”
Her hands settled on her hips. “I’m going. This concerns me.” When his face got darker, she fixed him with an unyielding glare. “You know what we were just doing? If you ever want to do that again with me, you’ll shut up and quit being so bossy.”
A muffled chortle from the hall got fainter as his father walked away. Cole transferred his scowl to the door before turning back to her. “No, Gina. You need to stay here and let me take care of you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You aren’t in charge of me. Even if I accept this mate thing, you don’t get to make decisions for me. ”
His hands fisted, relaxed, and fisted again. “Please trust me. I’ll look out for your best interests. I don’t want you anywhere near anyone from Kansas-Missouri. I need you to be safe.”
He was trying again to rein in his bossiness and be reasonable. It made her step away from indignation and smile. “Thank you, Cole. I think I’ll be safe with you and your dad there, and this meeting is probably at least partly about me. I deserve to be there, don’t you think?”
He scowled again but nodded reluctantly. “Okay. Hurry and get dressed and meet me downstairs in the kitchen.”
After quickly dressing she hurried downstairs. Cole’s dad was in the foyer. He greeted her with a grave smile that gave no indication that he knew what she and Cole had been doing only a few minutes ago. He lifted his head to look at the top of the stairs. Carla hurried down to them.
The older woman gave her husband a kiss. “We should go into the private dining room,” she said. “The Limit opens for dinner in half an hour and we’re just in the way here.”
Gina saw three young men setting up tables and chairs in the large room to their left and two girls arranging tablecloths, floral centerpieces, and places settings on the tables. Mr. Wolfe led them through the room to the narrow corridor that led to a smaller dining room. Cole was already there, with five other men that she didn’t recognize, standing clustered around the foot of a word wooden table. Only Cole was fully dressed; the others wore only jeans. They were talking in low, angry ones. Gina didn’t think they were angry at each other, though. There was no animosity on their faces.
One of them, whose long black braids were steaked with silver, broke off what he was saying when they came into the room. “Chief,” he said. “Bad news. Miss Nikki from the House Pack and her husband have been killed.”
His words were a punch in Gina’s gut. Her breath whooshed out of her. “What?” Tears pushed out as she looked almost blindly for Cole. “Cole?”
He was there, his arm going around her shoulders to pull her face to his chest. “It’s alright, Gina, it’s alright.”
“No, it’s not.” She let him hold her for a second before she pushed away. “It’s my fault. I know exactly what happened. They helped us, and Todd retaliated by having them killed. I hate this. I hate him!”
Cole pulled her close again and murmured into her hair. “You’re right. Mostly. Yeah, the Kansas-Missouri army found Mr. and Mrs. Anders’ place. But it’s not your fault they were killed. That is on your stepfather and his people.”
All the men in the room growled agreement. Gina lifted her tear smeared face to look at them. They didn’t look especially sweet or even civilized with rage setting their features into stone.
“You’re right,” she said fiercely. “It’s not my fault. The Anderses were good people. They didn’t deserve to die for being good people. It’s him. Gerald Todd. I want him to pay for this.”
The men growled again, approval this time. Cole stroked her hair. “I promise, he will pay for it. Are you sure you want to go to this meeting? I don’t want you to be upset or show it to whoever comes from Kansas-Missouri.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m going. Don’t worry. I’ll be calm. I’ll be so cool that butter won’t melt in my mouth. But I’m going to look the envoy in the eye and smile. I’ll smile because I got away and I have allies now. Let him go back to Gerald Todd and tell him I don’t belong to him anymore.”
Tuesday Teaser July 17, 2018 Gina’s Wolf Part 19
I just finished a lovely 4 day weekend. Well, it was lovely except for the 3 people who died. One was a long time co-worker, who was only 37 years old, another was an old high school friend who was only 58, and the third was an old family friend who died at age 86. It’s always too young, but Erica and Bobby were far too young. I have to admit it really got me down. When I am down like that I like to jump into a book, or several books, and this weekend was the same. I read 8 books from Friday through Monday. I enjoyed all of them, but Crazy by Eve Langlais Real Men Snarl by Celia Kyle Not His Dragon by Annie Nicholas and Fire in His Spirit by Ruby Dixon were my favorites. Of course Blind Beast Mate was interesting too. These are all in KIndle Unlimited. I finally broke down and tried the free month. I probably won’t read enough KU to make it worthwhile, but for this month it definitely is.
Do you do that? Dive into a book for comfort when things suck? You might enjoy these too.
All that pity party reading means I didn’t do as much writing as I wanted to. I started the first love scene in Gina’s Wolf but I didn’t have the heart to finish it. I’ll need to do a significant re-write since my grieving mood didn’t put me in a good place for writing a love scene. But here is what there is, plus the first little bit of Chapter 7 from last week. Hopefully I’ll feel more motivated and will get this written with lots of good emotion and connection between Gina and Cole.
Chapter 7
The room Rose and Carla showed her to wasn’t large, and the bed dominated the furnishings, but there space on the floor for Cole to sleep on. There was even a thick rug, so he wouldn’t be sleeping on the hard, wooden floor.
“You’re in the guest section of the house,” Rose said breezily. “Stone and the other men from the clan are on either side of you. Taye and Carla are on the third floor, with their daughter, Patia. Sky and I are in a room on the other side of the mezzanine.”
What Gina had seen of the house exceeded her expectations of grandeur. The large kitchen led to a small dining room that opened to grand rooms meant for paying guests. A wide staircase swept up from the ground floor in a magnificent curve of polished wood to a second level where the guestrooms were.
President Todd’s mansion was comparable in grandeur, but not as warm or friendly. Even high-ranking guests didn’t stay in the house. But here, the second floor had six rooms which were normally rented out. The Wolfe family were a different kind of guest; they had all the rights and privileges of family, not paying boarders. Everyone took it for granted that she was included in the Wolfe family. It made her feel funny, in a warm way.
“Do you have any luggage?” Carla asked.
Gina shook her head. “I, uh, that is, I hadn’t planned on, uh…”
“That’s okay. We’ll find you some stuff.” Carla waved that off. “You know I’m dying to hear the whole story about you and Colby, but you must be exhausted. Do you want a shower before you go to bed? That’s fine. I’ll run get one of my sleep shirts for you, and my daughter has extra clothes she can share. You’re about the same size. I’ll be right back.”
Cole’s mom turned toward the door but paused and whirled back around to give Gina a hard hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. Be right back!”
She was back in three minutes with an armful of clothes and a girl with long rumpled hair the color of a walnut shell. Not a girl, Gina realized. In spite of her slender built, she must be around twenty, only a year or two younger than she was.
“I’m Patia,” she announced ebulliently. “Cole’s sister. Are you really his mate?”
Gina’s mouth fell open.
“Hypatia,” her moth said warningly. “Gina has been walking all night. She needs to rest.”
“I know, I know.” The girl smiled, showing off dimples. “I just had to meet her right away, before…” Her smiled dimmed. “Before I go visit Ray.”
A flash of memory struck Gina like a fist. She had met a handsome young man named Ray at the coffee shop where she worked. He was on the train the day her stepfather’s men came. Gina clamped her jaw tightly. They had shot him along with every other man on the train.
Patia’s smile bloomed again, a little forced. “We have to talk tonight. I can give you all kinds of ammunition to use against my brother when he does his impression of a dictator. Which, I’m sure you’ll find out, is almost all the time. But really, he’s a sweetheart. You’ll want to kill him just about every day. I do. But the rest of the time will make up for it.”
“Thank you.” Surprised and a little grateful by Patia’s words, Gina smiled. “I think I’ve already found out that I’ll need some ammunition.”
Patia laughed. “So you haven’t accepted him yet?”
All three of the Wolfe women seemed suddenly very interested in the answer.
“Not yet. I barely know him.”
“You will,” Patia said, some of her sunny effervescence back. “Get to know him, I mean. You know, even when I want to strangle him, I love him. I bet you will, too.”
Want to strangle him? Already been there. Not knowing what to say, Gina just smiled.
Mrs. Wolfe ―Gina cut herself off. All these Mrs. Wolfes were confusing. If Gina accepted Cole she would be another Mrs. Wolfe. There are worse things to be, she reminded herself. For instance, one of many, many Mrs. Allersens. Carla shooed her daughter off to get dressed and laid out the clothes she had brought for Gina. She and Rose pointed out the bathing room at the corner of the mezzanine hall, wished her good sleep, and left.
Not sure of how much hot water was available, Gina showered and dried off in record time, scurried back to her room, changed into a crisp cotton nightgown trimmed in lace, and got into the soft bed. She barely had time to enjoy the soft mattress, the warmth of the quilts, and the sense of safety before she fell blissfully into sleep.
She didn’t know how long she slept before the knowledge that she wasn’t alone in the bed penetrated the waves of sleep that buried her. The thick drapes over the window kept out most of the sun, but not all. When she craned her head to look at the bed behind her she was able to make out Colby’s body curled around her own. Outrage stiffened her back. That just pressed his face tighter against the back of her neck. He must have moved her hair aside at some point, because his cheek was warm against the skin of her neck.
She swallowed. That felt kind of … nice. Cautiously, one centimeter at a time, she turned her head to look at him. He was outside the blankets, bare chested, but wearing the same too big jeans. One of his arms lay heavy over her waist. The muscle under the smooth golden skin fascinated her. She pressed back, barely moving to keep from waking him, trying to feel more of his oddly exciting warmth against her back. Her heart picked up speed.
This was wrong. Not being in the same bed with a man ―well, a little of that― but if he tried to feel her out while she was sleeping she would be angry. Maybe he would be angry if she took advantage of him while he slept?
Oops. He wasn’t asleep any more. His head was raised, those deep dark eyes open and fixed on her. She swallowed. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
His gravelly voice gave her goosebumps. She swallowed again.
“Did you sleep well?”
Crap. She hadn’t meant to say that. She should have asked him what the heck he was doing in bed when he should be on the floor. But she didn’t want him on the floor. She wanted him here. She wanted… Without thinking about it, she twisted so she was on her other side, facing him, and put her lips against his.
Anything he might have said in reply to her question –what was her question again?—went unsaid. The arm he’d had over her waist lifted so his hand could frame her face and pull her closer. She forgot everything except the wild thrill of having his lips on hers. The thrill grew when he opened his mouth to lick over her lips. Somehow, and she honestly wasn’t sure how, she found herself on her back with him lying over her. She clutched his hair as he kissed his way from her mouth to her throat and back to her mouth. He buried her in sweet, wet heat that made her breathing hitch and her heart pound.
Even through her nightgown, two quilts and his jeans, she felt his erection pressing against her. Gina had been sheltered and she didn’t have any personal experience with lovemaking, but she wasn’t totally ignorant either. All the heat his kisses had kindled in her rushed to the place between her thighs. She knew what was digging into her. Her own response to his heat and weight was to let her thighs part a little. It felt amazingly good.
Some of the haze of passion cleared when he tugged the covers down a few inches and cupped his hand around her breast through the nightgown. His mother’s nightgown. Yikes. What was she doing?
“Sweet mate,” he groaned.
She coughed, trying to grab the tattered remains of her sanity. “”Um, Cole.” She blew out a breath. “I only meant to say hi.”
His eyes were heavy-lidded when he raised his head to look at her. “You did say hi,” he purred. “And then you kissed me.”
Her breast seemed perfectly happy to have him caress it. “Yeah. Um.”
His hand stilled. “Do you want me to stop?”
Tuesday Teaser July 10, 2018 Gina’s Wolf, Part 18
I don’t have a lot new that moves the story forward this week, because I got some excellent feedback at my last local critique group meeting so have been busy making some revisions. I just want to say how much i love these gals in Word Weavers. They are always complimentary, but never fake, and don’t hesitate to kindly point out where things can be made better. I would not be where I am today without Mary Jean Adams, Tina Holland, Michelle Kent, LF (who is a very private person and prefers to remain anonymous online), and Kat Smith. Word Weavers is down a few members and we are looking for other writers to join us. We write mostly romance, fantasy, sci fi, flash fiction, poetry and women’s fiction, so we are looking for female writers in those genres. If you are in the Fargo Moorhead area and are looking for a local crit group, shoot me an email at maddy@maddybarone.com. maybe you’d like to meet us and see if we would be a good fit.
Meanwhile, here is the next little bit in Gina’s Wolf. To make up for the shortness this week, I am posting a pic that is somewhat like the upper floor of the Limit.
Enjoy!
Chapter 7
The room Rose and Carla showed her to wasn’t large, and the bed dominated the furnishings, but there space on the floor for Cole to sleep on. There was even a thick rug, so he wouldn’t be sleeping on the hard, wooden floor.
“You’re in the guest section of the house,” Rose said breezily. “Stone and the other men from the clan are on either side of you. Taye and Carla are on the third floor, with their daughter, Patia. Sky and I are in a room on the other side of the mezzanine.”
What Gina had seen of the house exceeded her expectations of grandeur. The large kitchen led to a small dining room that opened to grand rooms meant for paying guests. A wide staircase swept up from the ground floor in a magnificent curve of polished wood to a second level where the guestrooms were.
President Todd’s mansion was comparable in granduer, but not as warm or friendly. Even high-ranking guests didn’t stay in the house. But here, the second floor had six rooms which were normally rented out. The Wolfe family were a different kind of guest; they had all the rights and privileges of family, not paying boarders. Everyone took it for granted that she was included in the Wolfe family. It made her feel funny, in a warm way.
“Do you have any luggage?” Carla asked.
Gina shook her head. “I, uh, that is, I hadn’t planned on, uh…”
“That’s okay. We’ll find you some stuff.” Carla waved that off. “You know I’m dying to hear the whole story about you and Colby, but you must be exhausted. Do you want a shower before you go to bed? That’s fine. I’ll run get one of my sleep shirts for you, and my daughter has extra clothes she can share. You’re about the same size. I’ll be right back.”
Cole’s mom turned toward the door but paused and whirled back around to give Gina a hard hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. Be right back!”
She was back in three minutes with an armful of clothes and a girl with long rumpled hair the color of a walnut shell. Not a girl, Gina realized. In spite of her slender built, she must be around twenty, only a year or two younger than she was.
“I’m Patia,” she announced ebulliently. “Cole’s sister. Are you really his mate?”
Gina’s mouth fell open.
“Hypatia,” her moth said warningly. “Gina has been walking all night. She needs to rest.”
“I know, I know.” The girl smiled, showing off dimples. “I just had to meet her right away, before…” Her smiled dimmed. “Before I go visit Ray.”
A flash of memory struck Gina like a fist. She had met a handsome young man named Ray at the coffee shop where she worked. He was on the train the day her stepfather’s men came. Gina clamped her jaw tightly. They had shot him along with every other man on the train.
Patia’s smile bloomed again, a little forced. “We have to talk tonight. I can give you all kinds of ammunition to use against my brother when he does his impression of a dictator. Which, I’m sure you’ll find out, is almost all the time. But really, he’s a sweetheart. You’ll want to kill him just about every day. I do. But the rest of the time will make up for it.”
“Thank you.” Surprised and a little grateful by Patia’s words, Gina smiled. “I think I’ve already found out that I’ll need some ammunition.”
Patia laughed. “So you haven’t accepted him yet?”
All three of the Wolfe women seemed suddenly very interested in the answer.
“Not yet. I barely know him.”
“You will,” Patia said, some of her sunny effervescence back. “Get to know him, I mean. You know, even when I want to strangle him, I love him. I bet you will, too.”
Want to strangle him? Already been there. Not knowing what to say, Gina just smiled.
Mrs. Wolfe ―Gina cut herself off. All these Mrs. Wolfes were confusing. If Gina accepted Cole she would be another Mrs. Wolfe. There are worse things to be, she reminded herself. For instance, one of many, many Mrs. Allersens. Carla shooed her daughter off to get dressed and laid out the clothes she had brought for Gina. She and Rose pointed out the bathing room at the corner of the mezzanine hall, wished her good sleep, and left.
Not sure of how much hot water was available, Gina showered and dried off in record time, scurried back to her room, changed into a crisp cotton nightgown trimmed in lace, got into the soft bed, and fell blissfully into sleep.
Happy Independence Day!!
Here in the states we are celebrating the 4th of July. That means picnics, potlucks, parades, watermelon, fireworks, and READING! At least, for me it means reading. I am remaining at home today to take care of my mom. She has dementia and loud noises scare her. When she’s scared she is a little hard to deal with. So a quiet day at home reading and an early night is just what we need.
If you are reading too, you may like to pick up one of my books. They are all on sale either for free or for $0.99 until this evening. That’s a great price! My books are on sale everywhere ebooks are sold. Here are a few links.
Here is a link to Barnes & Noble
Happy 4th of July!
Happy Reading!
Tuesday Teaser July 3, 2018 Gina’s Wolf Part 17
Look, I didn’t forget to post the teaser on Tuesday!
Honestly, I almost did forget, but luckily I remembered in time. This is a little rough and I think I’ll make some changes during revisions, because one character doesn’t act like I think she would act. I’ll have to do some thinking about it. But meanwhile, here you go:
“Where are we going?” Cole asked his dad.
“The Limit,” his father replied. “We have rooms there.”
Gina knew of The Limit, although she’d never gone inside. The high-end restaurant and club was outside her budget. She’d seen the outside of the historic mansion that housed the restaurant and had wondered what it was like inside. It looked like she’d get to find out.
At this crazy speed, they reached the posh district in only ten minutes. Sal cruised through a gate in a stone wall and drove up a long driveway.
The house was dark, but as they drove around to the back, Gina saw lights come on in some of the windows.
“Everybody out!” the little driver screamed over the idling motor.
Cole’s dad hopped out and raised his hands to help Gina down. The men poured out of the back of the truck. Sal roared off toward a stable turned garage before the tail gate was closed. The sound of the heavy metal door banging against the truck faded quickly.
Cole took her hand and led her into the house. The rest of the men trooped in after them. They went through what must have been a mudroom, although it was too dark to see it clearly. The next room was a large kitchen. A light flipped on, dazzling Gina’s eyes. A voice quavering with age spoke.
“Mr. Wolfe? What are you doing up? It’s not dawn yet. Even the cook isn’t up yet. Couldn’t you sleep?”
The woman who spoke was tiny with a puff of silver hair rising around her head like a halo. Going by the wrinkles on her face, her age must be great. There was a younger woman on her left, probably around forty or so, with dark blond hair brushing her shoulders. A slightly older woman with long brown hair was on her right. That woman’s eyes were fixed on Cole with tears gleaming on her lashes.
Cole’s dad spoke respectfully. “We went out to find my son, Ms. Mary.” He nodded to the younger woman. “Rose said she knew where he was.”
The old lady turned to her youngest companion. “You are so clever, my dear.”
Rose smiled, nodding at Ms. Mary, but her gaze turned quickly to Cole, and then Gina. The third woman launched herself at Cole, clenching her arms around him. He let go of Gina’s hand to hug her hard.
“Colby,” she said over and over. “Colby. Colby, you’re alive.”
“Mom. I’m alright. What are you doing here?” He lifted his cheek from her hair to glare at his dad. “This isn’t a good place for her. Or Aunt Rose.”
“Or your sister?” His father gave a faint grin.
Cole’s mouth dropped open and snapped closed. “Patia is here? Dad, it’s not safe.”
“If you think I could have kept your mother home when you were lost and maybe dead, then you don’t know her. And your sister is frantic with worry about her mate.” He went to his wife and son to join in a group hug.
Gina stepped back to give them room. One of the naked men behind brushed past her to hug Rose. Gina primly averted her eyes, but not before she saw the strong line of his back and the curve of his muscled butt.
“Well.” Ms. Mary cleared her throat loudly. “I’m very happy you found your son. But it is time you gentlemen put on some clothes. The kitchen staff will be here in a few minutes and they are too young to see such a thrilling sight.”
Gina choked trying to stifle the giggle that flew into her throat. The men behind her made a hasty retreat to the mud room.
The old lady came and took Gina’s hands in her own frail, blue-veined hands. “My dear, you are frozen right down to the bone. Please, come in. Sky, build up the fire in the …” She trailed off, frowning slightly at the man still hugging the blond woman. “Sky, hurry and get dressed. We need to decide where this lovely young lady is going to sleep.”
Cole untangled himself from his parents. “With me,” he said forcefully.
Gina opened her mouth to protest. His mother spoke first, in a hopeful tone. “Did she accept your mate claim?” She turned to Gina. “Did you?”
“No!” said Gina.
Cole’s dad made soothing noises. “Now, sweetheart, there’s no reason for them to be apart. Colby would never take advantage, and it would be a good way for them to get to know one another.” His smile turned roguish. “And it worked for us.”
His wife sniffed. “It did work for us, Taye, but if your mother had been there, what would she have said?”
Taye’s smile fell. “There’s not another room free,” he persisted.
“There is plenty of room,” his wife decreed. “And if not, you and Colby can bunk together, and Colby’s mate and I will share a room.”
Neither Cole or his dad looked happy about that.
The man called Sky suggested, “She could stay in the women’s dormitory in back.”
“No,” said Cole forcibly. “My mate stays with me!”
“Gentlemen,” said Ms. Mary in a thin shout, “go get dressed!”
Too late. Two teenaged girls came into the kitchen, gasped, and broke into red-faced giggles. Taye and the man called Sky hurried past them and disappeared into the house. Ms. Mary took charge.
“Denise, you and Rachel forget you saw anything upsetting and get to work. Make coffee and bring it to my room.”
Gina doubted the girls were upset by what they saw. The big grins on their rosy faces didn’t look upset.
“Ladies,” the old woman said to her, Cole’s mom, and Rose, “follow me.”
In a few minutes, Gina was seated in a delicate chair close to the fire in Ms. Mary’s private sitting room, with Ms. Mary in a matching chair a yard away. Rose had stoked the fire in the grate to a nice blaze, and she and Cole’s mom sat on a padded bench between Gina and Ms. Mary. Cole’s mom gave Gina a blinding smile.
“I am Carla Wolfe,” she said. “Colby’s mom. I am so happy to meet you. How did you and Colby meet? Have you known him long? Are you going to accept him?”
Gina resisted the urge to lean away. “I, uh, I don’t know.”
“Carla, give the girl a minute to breathe,” said Rose. “I’m Rose Wolfe. My mate is Sky. He used to run this house a long time ago.”
Gina blinked and nodded. “I’m Gina Summer. I met Cole at the coffeeshop I worked at.” How long ago? Two weeks? Three? It couldn’t have been four weeks ago. Everything was happening so fast she couldn’t keep up. “I never even knew about werewo—I mean, wolf warriors until a week ago.”
Carla smiled warmly. “I know it can be overwhelming. When Taye won me in a Bride Fight I was scared to death, and there were no other women at the Den, so I felt alone. You don’t have to worry about that. All of us will do everything we can to help you. Now, we can share a room. If you don’t want Colby to bother you, I promise he won’t come near you if you’re with me. You don’t even have to see him if you don’t want to. I’ll take care of you as if you were my own daughter. So, shall we share a room? Or would you like Colby for your roommate?”
Without even considering her options, she blurted, “I want Cole.”
From somewhere in the house a triumphant wolf howl rose.
Tuesday Teaser Gina’s Wolf Part 16–LATE!
Aaack! I don’t know how, but I completely forgot to post the teaser this week. Please forgive me. I am so sorry! My only excuse is that I got horribly sick on Friday. My temp went as high as 102.1 and I slept pretty much the entire weekend. I did make it into the office on Monday, but I was still exhausted. Then on Tuesday my mom came down with it. My brother was out of town for the week, so I was trying to take care of mom while I was still sick myself. Let me just say that I have a whole new appreciation for moms who take care of their sick families while they are sick themselves. Don’t know how you do it!
And hey, I have a question for you. I have brought 7 members of the Pack/Clan to Omaha, but I haven’t decided who yet. Taye is there, of course, to find his son. Who else would you like to see have a role in this story? Let me know and maybe you’ll see your choice in an upcoming snip. 🙂
I’m sorry the teaser is late, but here it is, and you get more in just a few days, on Tuesday Better late than never? Tuesday Teaser for Tuesday, June 26 Gina;’s Wolf Part 16:
Her hat must have fallen off somewhere along their desperate flight. Gina did her best to tidy her hair. She didn’t want to meet her prospective in-laws looking frazzled or bedraggled. Gina could see the trucks were almost here, three of them, with deafeningly loud engines. Was his father driving one of the trucks? Or was it his cousins that she had met in Omaha that day in the coffee shop?
Two of the trucks sped up and went past them, probably in pursuit of the motorcycles. They wouldn’t catch up. The motorcyclists were her stepfather’s crack advance troops. They could go faster than heavy, lumbering trucks. The third truck slowed and rolled to a stop nearby. But her attention was pulled from the truck by the arrival of what seemed like a whole pack of dogs. The headlights of the truck showed the dogs were big, gray, and fierce. She took half a step back and froze when they … shimmered.
Her mouth gaping open, she stared at the naked men who appeared out of the shimmers. She silently counted seven men. They were equally big and fierce. Some had long black hair, some had shorter hair in black and various shades of brown. One was blond. Most appeared young, probably in their early to mid-twenties. One was in middle age. Although his body was still lean and muscled, silver gleamed in the black of his hair. Was this Cole’s dad? When the men finished embracing Cole, they turned to look at her. The weight of their combined stares made her want to flinch. Of course, she lifted her chin and stared back, careful to keep her gaze on their faces, not other, more embarrassing, portions of their bare bodies. She felt relief when Cole came to her side and draped his arm around her shoulders.
“This is Gina Summer,” he said proudly. “My mate.”
She attempted a smile. Cold and maybe a little shock made her teeth chatter. Concern appeared on every face, incongruous with their savage auras. The older man waved toward the truck.
“Let’s get the lady inside the truck, out of the cold,” he said, his tone making it a command.
She expected Cole to snarl at being given an order, but he only rubbed a hand up and down her upper arm. “Yeah, come on, Gina, I’ll help you up.”
The driver’s door in the truck cab opened and a small grizzled man leaned his head out. “I’m not sitting around out here all night,” he called disagreeably. “Get in before I go and leave you here.”
Several of the men exchanged glances. “Coming, Sal,” the older man said.
Cole pulled her over to the truck. The wolf men all followed closely, appearing to sniff discreetly as if trying to smell her. Gina fastened a hand over the throat of her coat and tried to look calm. Cole only grinned at them while he opened the passenger door and jumped in. The older man accepted a wad of dark fabric from one of the others. It was a pair of loose pants which he casually slipped into, as if being naked in front of a strange woman wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He put his hands on Gina’s waist and lifted her to the cab before climbing in after her. The cab would have been roomy with two people, snug with three. There were four of them in the truck cab now.
“Dad,” Cole said, “you could ride in back with the rest.”
Gina stared at the older man. It was too dark in the cab to make out his features clearly, but his build was the same as Cole’s and the way he tilted his head was exactly the way Cole did.
“Sal’s a good man, but he’s not Pack, so do you want your mate sitting next to him? If you put yourself next to him, then your mate is vulnerable against the window.”
Sal, who was obviously not deaf in spite of his age, growled, “Sitting right here.”
Cole grunted in acknowledgement. His response to the crowded conditions was to slide her onto his lap. Gina felt uncomfortable and grateful for the warmth at the same time. The truck cab wasn’t heated.
Cole’s dad slammed the door shut and in just a minute Gina heard the truck’s tailgate squeak and clank as it was opened and the slight sway of the truck as men jumped into the back. Sal put the truck in gear and the almost quiet idle of the engine turned to a monster’s roar as the vehicle jolted down the road at an alarmingly fast speed. Cole tightened his arms around her to keep her from bouncing into the cab’s ceiling.
Cole’s dad raised his voice to be heard. “I’m Taye Wolfe,” her shouted. “Colby’s father. We’ll talk more once you’re safe in Omaha.”
There was no more talk during the short ride to Omaha. The little man drove like a demon. He drove so fast that whoever was manning the gate in Omaha’s wall didn’t have time to get it fully open before they roared through. Gina clenched her eyes shut and hunched her shoulders, expecting a sideswiping crunch if not an outright crash. Somehow, Sal was able to pass through with precision, like he was threading a needle. She collapsed like a wet noodle against Cole’s chest in relief when the truck left the gate behind. Cole rubbed his hand over her shoulder in soothing circles.
“Scared ya, Missy?” Sal screeched.
Gina didn’t answer. He didn’t notice, probably because he was too busy cackling with glee while he raced the truck down dark roads.
“Where are we going?” Cole asked his dad.
“The Limit,” his father replied. “We have rooms there.”
Gina knew of The Limit, although she’d never gone inside. The high-end restaurant and club was outside her budget. She’d seen the outside of the historic mansion that housed the restaurant and had wondered what it was like inside. It looked like she’d get to find out.
After the Crash on sale now!
I have pneumonia. Again. I am awfully tired of being sick. Seems like I am always sick. Sigh. Cough. Yesterday, I mostly slept. I slept for a few hours, got up to get some water and use the bathroom and went back to bed. When you’re too sick to even sit in bed and read you are SICK, right? I am a little better today, enough that I am reading. Sadly, my book budget is already depleted, so nothing new for me. I am re-reading nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. It’s so good!
I thought others might like to read some of my books, but maybe their book budget is low too so…
For a limited time I have put all of my books on sale for $0.99 everywhere!
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