“Why her?” Anders asked.
Miles felt a flare of unexpected rage, and Anders let out a yelp of pain in response. “What do you mean, why her?” Without meaning to, he half growled and half said it. “Are you insulting her?”
Anders took a step back, eyes widening, looking startled. Miles was known to be a gruff, irritable jerk, but he didn’t take it out on those who were closest to him.
“Peace,” Anders said, holding up his hands and bowing his head in submission. “There were a dozen women on the bus, and I was just curious how you’d decided on that one. I’m not insulting her; you have great taste. She’s hot. Great body. Nice face. I mean, not that I’m interested in her. She’s not my type. Even though she’s gorgeous. Okay, should I just go tear my own throat out now and save you the trouble?”
Miles snorted. “Please do, but dig yourself a grave first. I’m going to be a little busy charming the panties off my new Mrs. Right…Now.”
Baldwin shook his head in mild disapproval. Anders barked out a laugh. “Now there’s the Miles I know and cower before. The hopeless romantic.”
“That’s me.”
“Well, before you go make her day, we’ve got an issue with one of the Stoney Creek bears who’s starting to clear part of the Bronwyn Beavers’ property like they own it,” Anders said. He held his radio out to Miles. “The head beav wants to talk to you.” He stifled a snicker as he said that.
Normally Miles would have laughed at Anders’ juvenile humor, but right now he felt a flash of anger and frustration. The female was calling to him sharply, waking his wolf and making it pace and howl. Unfortunately, she’d have to wait. The Bronwyn Beavers were under his pack’s protection, and they paid for it with dam-building and tree-clearing services. Pack business came first, always.
With a regretful glance in her direction, he took the radio from Anders.
Chapter Four
The new arrivals had been told to report to the meeting hall to find out where they’d be staying and what jobs were available. They were in no rush, though. They were gathered in little groups, chattering excitedly, taking in their new surroundings.
“It issogorgeous here,” Dakota said to a coyote shifter named Naomi, inhaling deeply. “Get a whiff of that fresh air. And those mountains. It’s so flat where I’m from!”
Naomi and Dakota had been seat-mates for the last three days on the shuttle bus. Dakota had lucked out; Naomi was funny and goofy and cheerful, and she’d insisted on sharing all the snacks she’d brought with her.
“I thought your branch of the Montenegro pack was from the Sky Lakes region in Oregon,” Naomi said, looking puzzled. “Aren’t there tons of mountains there?”
Dakota tried to hide a grimace of dismay. She couldn’t slip up like that.
Tina had briefed her on the Montenegro Pack. Jamie Roberts, the girl she was pretending to be, came from the Oregon branch of the pack, known as the North Montenegro pack. They’d broken off from the Nevada pack over some dumb dispute twenty years earlier. And they lived right near a mountain range.
“Uh…yes, but the mountains here are much taller,” she muttered. “We’ve got, uh…very short mountains where I’m from. More like hills.”
“You know what I like about this area?” asked Macy, a lean, scrappy-looking fox shifter. She’d been sitting behind Dakota and Naomi on the bus.
“No cops?” Dakota suggested. Macy scowled at her, but it was true. Every time they’d been at a rest stop and seen a cop, she’d quickly headed back to the bus.
“The scenery,” Macy said, glancing over at several male wolf shifters who were standing in the middle of the town square. She winked at Dakota and Naomi. “See you later. Hello, boys.” She sauntered over to the wolves.
Dakota looked around for some clue as to where they were supposed to go, and her gaze lit on half a dozen picnic tables that had been set up outside the Granite Flats meeting house. There was a big sign that read “New Arrivals”. A tall, muscular, stern-looking woman stood next to the sign, with a scowl on her face.
“Shall we?”
They walked over to the picnic tables, where shifters of different species were handing out cups of coffee to the newcomers. The women from the bus were wandering towards the tables now, chattering excitedly with each other.
A female bear shifter stood by the tables with her hands on her hips, surveying the crowd with a scowl. She was tall and stocky and had shiny brown hair scraped back into a ponytail.
“Listen up!” she yelled at the crowd.
Naomi raised a hand timidly. “Are you in charge here?” she asked. “I have some questions. I was wondering—”
“No questions,” the woman snapped at her. “My name is Anthea. I am a member of Clan Stoney Creek. Everyone in the western half of the territory ultimately answers to the Fenris Pack. The eastern territory is a bunch of wild and woolly assholes who can’t play nice with others, so if that’s your thing, head on over there, but get ready for them to chew you up and spit you out.”
She pointed to where the town square ended. There was a dirt road that led off to the east, hemmed in by trees. “You go past that maple tree over there, you’re in the east, which is Creel’s territory. You don’t want to be in Creel’s territory.”
Naomi flashed Dakota an alarmed look. Dakota whispered, “Well, this is a new frontier. But look, we’re in the safe side of the territory.”
