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It was official; she’d found a kindred spirit. “I look forward to it. How long have you been a part of this pack?”
“Since the founding howl. Back when we ran uncharted across Europe and werewolves were a young breed.”
Impressed, one brunette eyebrow rose in question as Cortana saw the other woman in a new light. “One of the original wolves?”
“Yes, one of them.”
There was no pride in Ava’s confirmation, only reluctance. She nodded toward a white Jeep Grand Cherokee that was parked along the edge of the perimeter.
“Come on, we can make good time without the normal traffic.”
And they did. Easy conversation flowed between them, and the hour-and-a-half trip breezed by without fanfare. Fields of yellow wildflowers passed beyond the windows, the moonlit mountains drawing closer in the distance. It wasn’t long before they trekked through the steep and winding road between the mountains, sheer slabs of rock stretching high overhead.
Estes Park, the tourist town asleep under the crescent moon, was a welcome sight when they finally arrived. Twenty minutes later, they entered pack lands. The wolf territory stretched widely over peaks and plains, unrestricted by human authority or property line.
As Ava navigated the vehicle into the den’s underground parking garage, a hint of anxiety churned in Cortana’s gut.
She had never visited a werewolf den before, and there had been little occasion to practice her understanding of pack law or worry about dominance dynamics. Now, trotting into the mouth of the literal wolf, that lack of knowledge seemed like a gaping hole.
Evergreen tickled her senses when the car door opened, and the predator beneath Cortana’s skin perked at the howls echoing nearby. It was a vastly different world from her home in the City.
Cortana remained silent as she accompanied her host into the massive den, each shouldering several suitcases. Her pantsuit, a professional off-white, had three wrinkles too many to be considered fresh, but hopefully her hosts would forgive the faux pau considering how far she’d traveled.
Several hallways and a staircase later, she found herself surrounded by werewolves. Joyous yips split the air, reverberating across the timber and drywall interior, the immortals around them in both human and wolf form.
Long mahogany benches ran parallel to the grass-green walls, and the middle of the cavernous interior was open and covered in turf. The pack, it seemed, enjoyed running the length of it while they tossed a football around, and most of their number were joining in the games.
No one batted an eye at her entrance, though a few threw her eerily animalistic smiles. She consciously reminded herself to nod pleasantly, but brushed up alongside Ava as she paused in the entranceway.
“Where’s Riaz? He’s your alpha, isn’t he?”
Though she’d aimed for casual, the query was a bit stiffer than Cortana had intended. Ava’s features tightened in response, before her expression smoothed out.
“Yes, but I’d suggest you unpack first. Riaz is a bit tied up at the moment.”
“He’s not coming to greet me?”
Ava grimaced. “Riaz isn’t known for being the most …” she searched for the right word, “… organized alpha there is. Honestly, he probably forgot you were coming.”
Blinking, Cortana refrained from reacting to the disclosure. She’d had the Meet and Greet scheduled first thing upon arrival, and this would offset her schedule by fifteen minutes. In the interest of maintaining positive species relations, she waved a dismissive hand to cover her annoyance.
“It’s fine; I’m sure we’ll touch base later.”
Tension ebbed from Ava’s shoulders as she bought the lie, and Cortana couldn’t fault her for it. Clearly, the wolf known as Riaz was a few pearls short of a clam, and if he chose to dismiss her with his ‘forgetfulness’, it was his loss.
He wouldn’t stand in the way of her mission. Ava certainly seemed a capable second, and Cortana had no doubt they’d work well together in the field. No one was as eager to proceed as she was: this was her opportunity to find new purpose in life and feel useful again.
Deep in her bones, the oncoming sunrise encouraged her toward sleep, but she didn’t answer its call. She scrutinized the space and its people with the eyes of a predator, logging every detail into the mental folder she’d created for just this occasion.
“I’ll show you to your quarters.”
Beckoned down a side hallway, Cortana trailed the other woman while Ava’s thumbs flashed over her phone to send a text. Silently, they strode through wide corridors until the werewolf propped open a solid cedar door to reveal a generous living area and kitchenette.
Impressed, the vampire rested her bags against the natural ivy wall, the greenery lighting up with the ambient rays of the oncoming sunrise. Before she could ask, Ava pressed a button to swathe the rooms in darkness and held out the remote.
Cortana offered the other woman a smile. “Thank you.”
“We’d hardly be a considerate host if we allowed our first vampire visitor to burst into flame.” She shrugged. “When you wake this evening, scream and I’ll find you.”
