This last week or so has been a crazy one for me. Last Tuesday through Thursday I was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota having testing done in regards to my Samter Triad/AERD to determine if I was a good candidate for aspirin desensitization. That’s why there was no teaser last week. I had expected to be done with all of that by now, but it turns out the inflammation in my sinuses (along with new, bigger and badder polyps and worsening asthma) meant that we couldn’t do the Aspirin Desensitization right away. Instead I’m home with 5 different medications to tame the sinus troubles to a level where the procedure wouldn’t be as risky. The doctor called it a Polypectomy without surgery.  Hmm. I have Prednisone, Budesonide rinses, Flo Vent, Singulair and an antibiotic.  I will go back down to Mayo next Monday and be there through Thursday, and possibly Friday.

There, was that TMI? I didn’t even tell you about the urine samples I have to collect over the next 36 hours and mail back to Mayo. No, we definitely don’t need to discuss that! Instead, let me crow for a minute about Wolf’s Princess!  It got a Top Pick from Night Owl Reviews!  You can read it here 

And now, here is the snip from Olivia’s story.

At ten minutes before eight o’clock, Olivia finished her work in the Eatery. She rushed upstairs to wash her face and comb her hair. When she had first come to the Plane Women’s House, Hawk and Renee had put both their adult sons into one bedroom and offering her the newly vacant one. They had become her surrogate parents. By the way he’d treated Kit, Uncle Hawk was taking his position far too seriously. She hoped he wouldn’t round up every man in the pack to guard her while Kit visited.

She had just finished combing her hair when Victoria poked her head in. Her older cousin watched with a knowing eye. Olivia wished she could tell her to go away, but this was Victoria’s room too. She lifted an eyebrow at her older cousin.

Vic laughed. “Getting all dolled up for your date?”

“Don’t start,” she warned.

The laugh gentled to a smile. “Okay, sorry. I like him.”

Olivia’s eyebrows pulled together in dubious questioning.

“No, really,” Vic insisted. “I like your cat. He has guts. And he must think of a lot of you. He came all this way to find you, and he stood up to Uncle Hawk, but not arrogantly. His little speech was precious.”

“Precious? He’s not a puppy.”

“No. Miaow.” Victoria curled her fingers into claws and slashed at the air. “He’s a yummy little kitty.”

Instead of replying —and what she would have said, she wasn’t sure—Olivia pushed past her cousin to hall to the living room. As she went by, Vic murmured, “Prepare for the gauntlet.”

As soon as Olivia entered the living room she understood Vic’s comment. Uncle Hawk stood in before the apartment’s front door with his arms crossed. His elder son, Sharp Tooth, was on his right, and his younger son, He Charges, was on his left. All three men stood in identical stances of spread legs and arms folded over their chests. She sighed and walked to the door, only pausing when Hawk placed his hand on the door to keep her from opening it.

“We won’t stop this man from seeing you,” he said in his low, slow voice. “But you will be careful.”

“Of course I will,” she said with patience. They were only doing what all the men of the Clan did, and at least they weren’t forcing her to stay in her room while they sent Kit away. And only the three of them standing guard over her wasn’t too bad. “I promise.”

He opened the door and led the way out. Charges and Sharp followed behind her. At the foot of the stairs stood Uncle Des, the Alpha of the House, with his two sons behind him. She faltered when Des nodded at Hawk and said the thief hadn’t arrived yet.

“Maybe he won’t show up,” Des’ younger son, Gray Shirt, suggested in a hopeful tone.

His brother, Broken Rock, gave him a glare. “We should be so lucky.”

Des raised one hand. “Boys, go down and make sure there’s wood enough for the stoves. We don’t want our guest to be cold.” His voice suggested the opposite. Rock and Gray turned and went toward the restaurant. “Charges, you take your brother and keep watch at the door for the caller.”

That left her alone with Uncle Des and Uncle Hawk. Des wore his habitual grim expression, but it was just as little darker than usual. The light hanging above them glinted in the silver wings at his temples in his long black hair.

“Olivia,” he said sternly. “You won’t be alone with him. If he does one thing to make you uncomfortable, just raise your hand and we’ll escort him out.”

Yes, but will he be alive when you do? She didn’t say it out loud, but knowing her male relatives it was a valid question. And really, who knew what Kit would do? He was practically a wild animal. “Thanks, Uncle Des,” she said. “I’m sure it will be okay, but I’m glad you’ll be there. Where are we meeting? In the kitchen? Or the family dining room?”

“In the restaurant. Renee is still in the kitchen and he’s not family, so he doesn’t come in to the family areas.”

She nodded. That was fair. And six of her menfolk as guards wasn’t too bad. Actually, everyone seemed to be behaving pretty reasonably. For wolves.

When she entered the restaurant she saw why they were being so unusually reasonable. Another dozen men of the House and Taye’s den were there, seated at the scattered tables and drinking coffee or hot cider. Colby raised his mug to her with a fierce smile.

“Oh, no,” she groaned. She turned to the men behind her. “Uncle Des, this is ridiculous.”

“It’s just caution,” he said mildly.

Colby stood with a scrape of his chair over the wood floor. “I don’t trust him,” he said flatly. “He stole you before. He’d like to do it again. He won’t get the chance.”

There was no sense trying to argue with them. “Fine,” she growled. She moved to a small table that seated two. Des took her arm in a gentle but firm grasp and led her to the longest table in the room, the one reserved for groups of twelve.

“You sit here on this side facing the door,” he said. “When the young man arrives. He’ll sit opposite you.”

“But we’ll be ten feet apart!”

“Exactly.” There was satisfaction in his growl. “You’ll be alone at the table, so that’s nice, right?”

Alone at a table with eighteen of her dearest male relatives in the room. Lovely. She took the chair Des indicated. What did she expect? And maybe it didn’t matter anyway. Like Gray said, he might not even show up.

But he did, and with his silky caramel colored hair lying in shiny waves over the shoulders of a perfectly fitted dark brown corduroy suit coat, he was amazingly handsome.

The teaser is pretty short this week. Sorry about that! I am submitting a short, short snip to a Halloween anthology and it took me much longer to do that than I expected it to. That will be coming out in mid-October and I’;ll share details with you when I get them.

I did settle on a name for the story and it is Daughters of the Wolf Clan 1: Olivia’s Mate. That means, as I’m sure you guessed, that there very well might be more stories in the Daughters series. Victoria? Patia? Maybe.  And here is the cover art.  As I said, the snip is short, but I hope you can enjoy it anyway.

Uncle Hawk nodded to Nathan and told him to follow Kit, but Marty waved him back. “I’ll go,” he said.

Victoria stiffened in protest. “But lunch,” she began.

Marty glanced regretfully at the workroom. “Hate to miss that good food. And I especially hate missing time with you, but sometimes a man has to do what he has to do. Ray?”

“Yeah,” Ray grumbled. “Right behind you.”

The two Madison men went to the workroom to collect their coats and came back out and left the store, leaving Patia and Victoria looking miffed. Uncle Hawk and told them all his gravelly low voice to hurry up and get their drinks before the food got cold.

Olivia selected a root beer and took it back to the workroom. She grabbed a seat at the end of a table. As she expected all the girls wanted to sit beside her and pump her for information.

Kit was here. Olivia had a hard time believing it. Had he really been searching for her, or was this meeting accident?

Predictably, Victoria secured the seat beside her. Aunt Carla and Patia sat across the table from her. The inquisition was coming, but Olivia hoped food would delay it. Uncle Hawk was eating standing up, leaning a shoulder on the wall behind Olivia. Nathan was at one side of the door, with his dad Red Wing at the other. All three of the wolf warriors exuded an air of watchfulness. No, watchdog-edness. If a stranger passed through that door, he might not live to go back out. Olivia felt like her shoulders were weighed down with lead. They were going to ask her questions that she didn’t want to answer, maybe couldn’t answer.

Victoria’s bowl of spaghetti was heaped full, and two garlic breadsticks balanced over the edge of the bowl. She twirled pasta masterfully around her fork and ate it with a hum of appreciation. After devouring half the bowl and one breadstick, she slowed down enough to nudge Olivia’s shoulder.

“So, that’s the crazy feline who stole you?”

Olivia took her time chewing her breadstick. “Yep.”

Her cousin looked at her for a long minute, her fork unmoving. “He doesn’t look all that scary,” she said with a thoughtful tone.

Olivia remembered when she’d first woken up in his cave. He had tried to rape her. He thought she wanted to have sex, and that her struggles were just a game. That had been scary. He did look young and boyish and handsome, but he was a mountain cat who didn’t understand the way civilized people lived. But she couldn’t say any of that. Uncle Hawk and Uncle Red Wing and Nathan could hear every word they said, and she knew they were already itching to kill Kit.

“It was scary when he first took me,” she admitted carefully. “But he didn’t hurt me.”

Aunt Carla tapped a finger on the table to get her attention. “You be careful with him. He’s already shown what he is willing to do.”

“Yes, Aunt Carla,” Olivia replied respectfully. But she was remembering what he had said to Uncle Hawk. He had admitted he was wrong to steal her but he loved her and wanted to court her. Was that truth, or was he just saying what he thought they wanted to hear. Uncle Stone would be here in a few days. If Kit was still here, Stone could tell her if Kit was lying.

“Don’t worry, Aunt Carla,” Nathan said darkly. “Olivia won’t be alone for a minute with him.”

Hello! Happy September. September is my favorite month. It always seems to me like a fresh start, a new season. Probably because school traditionally starts in September. Now that it’s September it’s time for me to get back into a regular writing schedule. But meanwhile, he’s the next snippet of Kit and Olivia’s story. And hey, don’t forget to check yesterday’s post to enter to win a $10.00 Amazon gift card.

Chapter Nine

Kit immediately winced. That wasn’t what he was supposed to say when he found his mate! Justin had told him over and over that when he found his mate he should first approach her father. Swallowing, Kit forced his gaze from his beautiful mate and looked around her father. He remembered that man. Tall, lanky, with a hard, narrow face and long white hair. Not white with age alone, although the man was probably sixty years old, but the blond so light in color that it appeared white. His gaze strayed again to Olivia, whose hair was nearly the same color, but much more beautiful. She was pressed against the clear glass of a door, half hidden behind a large man who scowled ferociously.

Again, he tore his attention from his mate and glanced around. Two young men stood near his mate. He tilted his head, studying them. He was sure he didn’t know them, but they were strangely familiar. Their faces were distorted into snarls that were almost cat-like. No, not almost. Could they be part of a pride here? He stared hard at them for a moment.

But they weren’t his mate’s kin. None of the men here were the ones he had seen that night so long ago. The one standing in front of Olivia was older than the others, his thick black braids streaked with gray. He must be the man in charge. Kit inhaled, preparing to deliver his memorized speech, but paused, trying to puzzle out which greeting was most appropriate for this time of day. Good morning wasn’t right, since it was noon, and good afternoon wasn’t right either, since it wasn’t after the noon hour yet. But he couldn’t stand here like an idiot. Several men had moved to surround him. He took another breath and spoke to the elder man.

“Good noon, sir. I am Christopher McQueen. I would like permission to court Olivia Stensrud. I would be greatly honored to win her for my wife.”

He didn’t take his gaze away from the man he addressed, but he heard several feminine gasps. He was sure one of them came from his mate. The man stared back, eyes narrowed.

“Olivia?” he ground out. “Do you know this pup?”

“I— I— Well, I…”

Since she was only a step behind the man, Kit risked a quick glance at his stuttering mate. Her face was pale, her eyes huge as they stared at him.

“Yes or no, Olivia?” the man demanded.

“Well, Uncle Hawk, um, I … No…Um,” she managed. “Sort of?”

Kit rushed to the next portion of his memorized speech. It wasn’t time for it yet, but his poor mate couldn’t seem to speak. “Sir, I met Miss Stensrud a year ago in Colorado. I must confess to you that I was young and since I was raised in strict seclusion, I was inexperienced with societal expectations.” Kit had practiced that tongue twisting sentence over and over so he could speak it clearly. He wasn’t sure exactly what it meant, but Justin had convinced him it was the proper thing to say. “In my ignorance, I made a terrible error. I took Olivia, I mean Miss Stensrud, home with me without courting her or obtaining her father’s permission first. I deeply regret that, and I hope that you will forgive my blunder.”

To one side, a very tall woman, as tall as he was himself, lifted one brow. “My, my,” she drawled. “You never said he was so handsome, Liv.”

The man slashed one hand out, eyes still glaring at Kit. “No.” The syllable was harsh and flat.

“No?” Kit echoed, heart sinking. “She’s my mate,” he insisted in a low, quiet voice.

The man leaned a little closer and sniffed deeply. “You don’t have a wolf. She’s not your mate.”

Kit put his shoulders back. “She is my mate. I’m not a wolf. I am mountain cat.”

One of the men beside Olivia spat, “I knew it!”

Kit went on to another bit of his memorized speech, and put as much humble sincerity into his voice as he could. “I know I did wrong. I’m sorry for it. I want Olivia to be my wife. I will love her for the rest of my life.”

“That’s gonna be short,” the man growled. “If you walk out that door right now, I’ll let you.”

His mate poked the man in the back. “Uncle Hawk, we live in the modern world! This is 2091, not 2021. It’s up to me who I marry. Within reason, of course,” she hurried to add. She glanced at him and his heart froze for a long moment while their gazes met and held.

“I don’t know about courting,” she said, still staring at him. “But I’d like to talk to him.”

The man she called uncle scowled even more darkly. “After supper is served and the kitchen and seating floor are cleaned,” he said, reluctantly.

Olivia’s smile trembled a bit. It did something to his stomach that Kit didn’t really understand, but it made him smile back. “The Plane Women’s Eatery,” she told him. “Supper is served from five o’clock until seven o’clock. Clean up takes about an hour. If you come at 8:15 we can sit and talk until nine o’clock.”

“And not a minute longer,” he uncle warned him. “And you won’t be alone either.”

“Yes, sir,” he said respectfully. He would see his mate tonight. They would talk then. He smiled at her, trying to keep the joy bubbling up inside him from taking him over. “Until tonight, Miss Stensrud.”

Hello! This is coming out a little early because I’m off to my local writers’ critique group soon. I am posting all of chapter 8. The first half you read last week. I was going to give you only part of the new section, but there wasn’t really a good place to break. I had absolutely no idea that Olivia had gotten a reputation for playing fast and loose with men. And Patia is a little bit of a snot. Who knew?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Part II

Fourteen Months Later

Kearney, Nebraska

Chapter 8

Olivia shifted her sewing basket to a more comfortable position on her hip and waited for Red Wing and Nathan to finish their quick sweep of the Martins’ Trading Post before stepping into the store. Behind her were some of the other single women from the Plane Women’s House, but she paused in just inside to inhale the spicy scent of the Christmas potpourri Hannah Martin had sitting in bowls around the store. Olivia loved Christmas. She loved the little conspiracies of making gifts in secret to surprise her family, she loved baking and eating the Christmas goodies, and she loved having everyone she loved gathered all together in one place. Last year had been difficult, because her family hadn’t been with her. It was her first Christmas ever without her family. Her parents and brothers had stayed at the ranch, and although she loved her cousins and friends in Kearney, it hadn’t been the same. But this year everyone was coming to the den to celebrate. Christmas Day was only three weeks off, and her parents would be here on the 22^nd.

“Do you mind?” groused her cousin Victoria from behind her.

“Oh, sorry.”

Olivia stepped further into the store and to the side, to let the other women enter. Red Wing nodded and gave his daughter Kendra a sharp look. “You be good today.”

Seventeen-year-old Kendra sighed. “I’m always good, Dad.”

He smiled. “I know. Well, have fun sewing. We’ll bring the lunch at noon.”

Hannah Martin waved to them from behind the counter.

“Go on back to the workroom, ladies,” she called. “We’ll be getting started in a few minutes.”

Olivia led Vic, Nikki, Sammie, and Kendra through the store to the room in the back that had been made into a workplace where the Lisa & Hannah clothing line was created. The Lupa from the den and her daughter Patia were already there, along with Paisley, the daughter of Snake and Mel, and Angela, Quill and Ellie’s daughter. Lisa Madison, her daughter Emily, and her son Ray and her brother-in-law Marty were there too. Patia and Ray were standing close together, whispering to each other. Olivia stopped for a moment, wondering how they were getting away with it. She looked around quickly. None of Patia’s brothers were here, which explained it. Uncle Taye had –amazingly—given permission for Ray and Patia to court, but normally the boys would have forced them to maintain a chaste distance. Aunt Carla didn’t seem to notice that her daughter and her beau were practically leaning on each other.

Victoria cleared her throat. “Mart,” she purred, pushing past Olivia to saunter toward the mayor’s younger brother like a wolf stalking prey.

Marty smiled at her. “Good morning, Miss Victoria. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Call me Vic,” she invited. “All my friends do.”

Olivia walked over to a long work table and put the sewing basket down. Not only was the spicy scent of Christmas potpourri in the air, she reflected, but so was love. For everyone but her. Her earlier happy mood began to slip, and she doggedly grabbed hold of it to keep it from disappearing.

“Good morning,” said Mrs. Madison with a smile. “Thank you so much for coming to help us out.”

She smiled at back Mrs. Madison. “Good morning. I’ll do my best to help, but I’m not much of a seamstress.”

Mrs. Madison, wife of the mayor of Omaha and the Lisa half of Lisa & Hannah Originals, waved that off. “We have so many orders to get out for Christmas that we’re happy to take any help. If you can press a seam or sew on a button, you’ll be a godsend. Even someone to sweep the floor and collect pins will be needed.”

“I think I can manage that part.”

Olivia turned to survey the work room. There were four long tables, each with a sewing machine on one end and a padded pressing surface on the other. Dressmaker dummies in a variety of sizes stood along the walls in various stages of undress. Bolts of fabric leaned drunkenly in corners. It was completely foreign to Olivia. She could rope a calf and slap a brand on it, but sewing was not her forte.

“Run along now, boys,” Lisa said sternly to her son and brother-in-law. “Marty, your mom needs you at home this morning. Her wood box is getting low. Ray, your dad is expecting you at the stables.”

“OK, Mom. We’ll be back for lunch,” Ray said agreeably. “We don’t want to miss the food Miz Renee is sending over.”

Lisa muttered, “Of course not.”

Marty gave Vic one last smile. Olivia didn’t think he was anywhere near as handsome as Ray, but she admitted that smile completely made up for it. She waited until the men had left and then gave Vic a raised brow.

“How serious are you about him?”

Victoria smirked like a cat in the cream. “More serious all the time.”

“Really? Do you think Uncle Shadow will approve?”

Vic swung out of her coat and hung it over the back of a chair. “Mom talked him into letting me come to Kearney for the winter to meet men. I’m only doing what I’m supposed to.” She made a face. “Besides, I’m twenty-six years old. How much longer do I need to wait to find a man my dad approves of? Much longer and my girl parts will forget what they’re for.”

Hannah came in then, and she and Lisa conferred briefly before assigning tasks to everyone. Kendra, the youngest of them, was the best at using a sewing machine, since she’d been working for Lisa and Hannah for two years. Olivia manned one of the irons while Victoria, Angela, and Paisley cut pattern pieces out of fabric at the same table.

Paisley slanted a glance at Victoria. “Are you really interested in Martin Madison? Or just playing?”

The shears sliced through fabric with a sound between a rasp and a crunch. Victoria arched both brows at her twenty-year-old cousin. “Why? Did you already stake a claim to him?”

“No.” Paisley made a face. “He’s too old for me.”

“Uh-huh. He’s all of what, twenty-six?” Victoria’s lips curved in amusement. “We were born in the same month in the same year. I remember meeting him a few times we were kids. Couldn’t stand him back then. But it’s been probably fifteen years, and he’s improved.”

From the table beside theirs, Patia said, “Ray is much better looking. He’s the handsomest man in Kearney.”

“Ray is good-looking,” Victoria admitted. “And he’s a good guy. But Marty’s the guy for me. I don’t know what it is about him, but I really like him. Some people might think he’s Kearney’s representative to the state assembly because he’s a son of the last mayor and the brother of the current mayor, but he’s a leader. He’s not an Alpha the way dad is Alpha. He’s quieter, gentler in his attitude, but he’s still an Alpha.”

Olivia laid a half constructed blouse over her ironing surface, and considered what she knew of Marty Madison. He spent a lot of time in Omaha, so she didn’t know him as well as she knew his nephew Ray. She thought Victoria was probably right. In his quiet, laid-back way, Marty was an Alpha. She handed pressed blouse back to Patia and smiled at Victoria. “And he has a killer smile.”

Victoria winked. “Yep, that smile doesn’t hurt his chances at landing me for a bride.” She looked across the table at Paisley. “So, if it’s not Marty that’s caught your eye, who has?”

Paisley had a fair complexion that showed her blush clearly. “I like Josh Gray,” she said softly.

Victoria whistled. “What does Uncle Snake think of that?”

“He says he likes Josh, but he’s too young to marry anyone yet.”

Olivia pictured Josh Gray in her mind. He was young, maybe twenty. He worked for his father Doug Gray in the power plant south of Kearney. The power generated by the collection of wind turbines, river water wheels, and the sun was what ran the lights, the iron, and the sewing machines in this workshop. It was an important job and guaranteed Josh a good living.

Angela said in a very small voice, “Lars Overdahl has invited me to join him and his family for Christmas dinner.”

“Well, you’re family.” Victoria smoothed the paper pattern over the blue wool fabric. “Your brothers are going too, right?”

Angela drew herself up to her full height, which was a foot less than Victoria’s. “My brother Connor is related to the Overdahls. My mother’s first husband was Mr. Overdahl’s brother. But I am not related to them. That’s not why I’m invited to Christmas dinner.”

All of them stared at Angela. Like her mother Ellie, she was petite and pretty, but her hair was like her father’s, golden brown curls cascading nearly to her waist. She lifted her chin and stared back at them.

Victoria flapped the hand that didn’t hold the scissors. “Seriously? You’re only nineteen! Uncle Quill won’t let anyone court you yet. No way.”

“Well, he is,” Angela said firmly. “I told him so.”

Victoria scowled around at all her young cousins and slapped her scissors into her other hand. “Why is every single father in the Clan more reasonable than mine?” she growled. She shot a glare at Olivia. “So who are you courting?”

Olivia froze. So did everyone else, including Victoria. The ghosts of the men she had flirted with since coming to Kearney a year and a half ago danced in the air between them. When each man had worked up the courage to ask Uncle Des for permission to call on her, she had told him to deny them. At the beginning of each courtship, she had thought she could love the man, but when it came right down to it, she knew she couldn’t. She plastered a smile onto her face.

“No one,” she said with false cheer. “You all have a clear field.”

Victoria growled out a curse. “That was awkward. Liv, I’m sorry.”

Paisley looked directly at Olivia. “Awkward,” she agreed. “But word is getting around that you’re a heart breaker. How many men have you turned down?”

Olivia wanted to shout that she hadn’t meant to hurt any of them. “Six,” she said defensively. “What? It just never worked out. And there hasn’t been anyone in months.”

“Maybe because everyone knows to steer clear of you now,” Paisley suggested.

That hurt. Olivia returned to pressing with fierce concentration until Victoria touched her shoulder lightly.

“Is it because of that damn cat who stole you?” she asked softly.

Of course it was because of Kit. She compared every man she flirted with to him. Every man who courted her was better than Kit in every way. They were civilized, with jobs, and manners, and decent morals, and comfortable homes. But somehow none of them was enough to banish him from her memory. She swallowed now. “Of course not. I just haven’t found the right man yet.”

Victoria raised a pale brow, but to Olivia’s relief, turned the subject. Talk turned to Christmas and what they were making for their fathers and their brothers. It helped Olivia relax, and the morning passed quickly. It didn’t seem like it could be noon when the door opened and the scent of Renee’s spaghetti and meatballs filled the air.

Red Wing and Hawk carried the insulated food boxes to the nearest table. Nathan carried a basket full of plates and flatware from the Eatery. “Renee says to eat it right away while it’s still hot,” Hawk called.

There was a flurry of activity while the fabric and clothing items were put away to keep them from collecting food stains, and the tables were covered by plain muslin. While that was going on, Ray and Marty came in, inhaling appreciatively.

“There are drinks in the store,” Mrs. Martin said. “Coffee, hot and cold cider, water, root beer. Help yourselves to whatever you like and bring it back here.”

Marty waited for Vic to join him, and Patia walked alongside Ray into the store. Olivia was right behind them. Pete was behind the counter ringing up a sale for a farmer from south of town. He was the only customer in the store. The rest of them spread through the one room store in search of beverages. Olivia was at the cold case with Marty and Vic on one side of her and Patia nd Ray on the other when the bell above the door jangled. She glanced away from the bottled drinks to see who the new customer was. So did Ray and Marty.

She frowned a little, not recognizing the newcomer. That was strange. By now she should be familiar with everyone in town. Her breath caught. No, he was familiar. The man was young, wearing a green knitted hat pulled over his forehead and a thick brown wool coat. Standing behind her, Uncle Hawk stiffened, inhaling deeply. He wheeled to take a step in front of her and fix a cold black stare on the newcomer. That wasn’t unusual; it was what happened anytime a strange man was in the vicinity of a woman of the Clan. Marty’s reaction was startling. His lip peeled back in a feral snarl and his eyes took on an odd green glow. He locked gazes with his nephew for one moment.

“Stranger cat,” he hissed.

The newcomer pulled off his hat, revealing golden brown hair that lay in neat waves along his head to a ponytail at his nape. He looked around the store and his green-gold eyes lit when they found her. He smiled in simple happiness and spoke the words that sealed his fate.

“My mate. At last I have found you.”

We have completed Part One of Daughter of the Wolf Clan!  It needs quite a bit of revising, editing, and polishing, but the bones are there.  Now we are about to embark on Part Two. I confess I haven’t gotten too far with it. The action has moved back to Kearney and I’m getting a little bogged down in the next generation. I have no idea why Victoria (Shadow and Glory’s daughter) is doing stealing the show. Oh, I know that at twenty-six she is fed up with her dad’s over protectiveness, and with her mom’s help has gone to spend the winter in Kearney looking for a husband. Poor Shadow must be beside himself to be stuck in the winter camp in the Black Hills while his baby girl (all 6 feet 1 inch and 210 pounds of her) is partying in Kearney. I think she’s angling for her own story.  No! Down, Vic!

But enough of that. I really am bogged down with the next generation. I started a family tree to help me keep track of who was who, but I got bogged down with that too!  I need names for the multitude of Wolfe Offspring! Help a writer out and tell me names in the comments. If you’d like to see it, here is the FAMILY TREE.

Some people are new to this story, so if you’d like the read the VERY UNEDITED Part One all in one spot, Daughter of the Wolf Clan Part 1  Please remember there are a ton of typos and changes in here, so please be kind and ignore them.

And now, here is the beginning of Part Two:

Part II

Fourteen Months Later

Kearney, Nebraska

Chapter 8

Olivia shifted her sewing basket to a more comfortable position on her hip and waited for Red Wing and Nathan to finish their quick of the Martins’ Trading Post before stepping into the store. Behind her were some of the other single women from the Plane Women’s House, but she paused in just inside to inhale the spicy scent of the Christmas potpourri Hannah Martin had sitting in bowls around the store. Olivia loved Christmas. She loved the little conspiracies of making gifts in secret to surprise her family, she loved baking and eating the Christmas goodies, and she loved having everyone she loved gathered all together in one place. Last year had been difficult, because her family hadn’t been with her. It was her first Christmas ever without her family. Her parents and brothers had stayed at the ranch, and although she loved her cousins and friends in Kearney, it hadn’t been the same. But this year everyone was coming to the den to celebrate. Christmas Day was only three weeks off, and her parents would be here on the 22^nd.

“Do you mind?” groused her cousin Victoria from behind her.

“Oh, sorry.”

Olivia stepped further into the store and to the side, to let the other women enter. Red Wing nodded and gave his daughter Kendra a sharp nod. “You be good today.”

Seventeen-year-old Kendra sighed. “I’m always good, Dad.”

He smiled. “I know. Well, have fun sewing. We’ll come back before suppertime to collect you.”

Hannah Martin waved to them from behind the counter.

“Go on back to the workroom, ladies,” she called. “We’ll be getting started in a few minutes.”

Olivia led Vic, Sabrina, Sammie, and Taylor through the store to the room in the back that had been made into a workplace where the Lisa & Hannah clothing line was created. The Lupa from the den and her daughter Patia were already there, along with Lisa Madison, her daughter Emily, and her son Ray and her brother-in-law Marty. Patia and Ray were standing close together, whispering to each other. Olivia stopped for a moment, wondering how they were getting away with it. She looked around quickly. None of Patia’s brothers were here, which explained it. Uncle Taye had –amazingly—given permission for Ray and Patia to court, but normally the boys would have forced them to maintain a chaste distance. Aunt Carla didn’t seem to notice that her daughter and her beau were practically leaning on each other.

Victoria cleared her throat and pushed past Olivia. “Mart,” she purred, pushing past Olivia to saunter toward the mayor’s younger brother like a wolf stalking prey.

Marty smiled at her. “Good morning, Miss Victoria. I’m glad your parents allowed you to spend the winter here in Kearney. It’s been great getting to know you better.”

“Call me Vic,” she invited. “All my friends do.”

Olivia walked over to a long work table and put the sewing basket down. Not only was the spicy scent of Christmas potpourri in the air, she reflected, but so was love. For everyone but her. Ray was devastatingly handsome, and really nice. Marty was twenty six, only a year older than his nephew, but he made a good living. Either of them would have been an acceptable husband. If only she could forget about what had happened to her! Her earlier happy mood began to slip, and she doggedly grabbed hold of it to keep it from disappearing. She smiled at Mrs. Madison.

“I’ll do my best to help,” she said to the Mayor’s wife. “I’m not much of a seamstress, though.”

Mrs. Madison, the Lisa half of Lisa & Hannah Originals, smiled back. “We have so many orders to get out for Christmas that we’re happy to take any help. If you can press a seam or sew on a button, you’ll be a godsend. Even someone to sweep the floor and collect pins will be needed.”

“I think I can manage that.”

She turned to survey the work room. There were four long tables, each with a sewing machine on one end and a padded pressing surface on the other. Dressmaker dummies stood along the walls in various stages of undress. Bolts of fabric leaned drunkenly in corners. She hadn’t lied. She couldn’t sew, especially not on one of these fancy electric machines. When word had come to the Plane Women’s House that Lisa and Hannah were looking for last minute seasonal help, she’d decided to volunteer.

“Run along now, boys,” Lisa said sternly to her son and brother-in-law. “Marty, you mom needs you at home this morning. Her wood box is getting low. Ray, your dad is expecting you at the stables.”

Marty gave Vic one last smile before. Olivia didn’t think he was anywhere near as handsome as Ray, but she admitted that smile completely made up for it. She waited until the men had left and then gave Vic a raised brow.

“How serious are you about him?”

Victoria smirked like a cat in the cream. “More serious all the time.”

“Really? Do you think Uncle Shadow will approve?”

Vic swung out of her coat and hung it over the back of a chair. “Mom talked him into letting me come to Kearney for the winter to meet men. I’m only doing what I’m supposed to.” She made a face. “Besides, I’m twenty-six years old. How much longer do I need to wait to find a man my dad approves of? Much longer and my girl parts will forget what they’re for.”