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“Have you always been based here?”
“We’ve always been in Bakersfield, but in this building, no, not really.”
Marshall waited for Aaron to explain. With a wry grin, Aaron continued.
“There’s a large house at the end of town, which is the original pack house. This building was the home of the town’s paper mill. It was built in the middle of the last century and employed a good proportion of the town. About twenty years ago, we built an eco-friendly, more efficient factory a little further out of town. One of my uncles is an architect, and he redesigned this building into a livable space.”
Marshall looked around at the rough-hewn walls interspersed with modern materials. It had a rustic, industrial look but was still warm and inviting.
At the main entrance, Aaron stopped to greet the young man working at what appeared to be a reception desk. While they chatted about pack business, Marshall watched the antics of two youngsters, a wolf pup and lion cub, both in shifted form, chase each other around the large play area. He chuckled when the lion cub jumped up onto one of the low platforms that surrounded the base of the tree and taunted his wolf friend with lazy swipes as they tried to jump up.
The wolf cub let out a small howl of frustration that had Aaron switching his attention to the pair. He grinned, and Marshall’s stomach dropped at the sight of a dimple on his left cheek. Aaron gestured to him to follow, and they crossed the bright and airy atrium to the cubs.
“Now, Jonas, you aren’t teasing your friend, are you?” Aaron asked, slowly crouching down to be at the same level as the cubs. The lion cub stared at his Alpha with wide eyes before jumping down and rubbing against Aaron’s knee.
“I didn’t think so,” Aaron said with a smile.
Marshall felt the press of a cold nose against his hand, and he smiled at the curious wolf pup.
“Hi there, little one.”
“Marshall, this is Jonas and his best friend, Peter. Boys, this is a new friend to the Pack, Marshall.”
At the introduction, both youngsters rubbed against Marshall’s legs. He leaned down and gently stroked along their backs.
“Okay, kids. I’m sure your parents are wondering where you’ve gotten to, so off you go,” Aaron told them, scratching them both behind the ears. As they scampered off, he rose from the crouch he’d been in. As he righted, he swayed, and Marshall shot out a hand to steady him.
Heat pooled in Marshall’s gut at the connection. All at once, he was hyperaware of the shifter in front of him. Dark amber eyes surrounded by thick lashes drew him in. Marshall’s eyes dropped to Aaron’s full lips. He took in the hint of stubble peppered along a defined jawline.
“Thanks,” Aaron said, his voice husky, which sent another bolt of awareness through Marshall.
“You’re welcome.”
They stared at each other for a long second, both lost in the spell of each other. A door banging on the floor above them brought them back to awareness.
“How did you manage to get a full-grown tree in here?” Marshall asked, gesturing to the large tree that they were standing next to. Its branches reached right to the top floor, three stories above.
“Ah, it’s easy with a bit of magic,” Aaron said, amusement making his eyes twinkle.
“Magic?” Marshall asked curiously, remembering Saint’s words about the powerful protection wards on the building. Their mages must be strong to create and maintain something like this.
“Sort of. The tree was already here, and they built the original mill around it. Back then, this area was an open courtyard, and the elders that settled the land and built the mill were told not to touch the tree.”
“When we remodeled, we knocked out part of the upper floors to open up to the roof, created the mezzanine floors, and put in a retractable glass roof that we open up in the summer. “
Marshall tipped his head back to take in everything Aaron was explaining.
“That’s really cool,” he said. “So, who lives here?”
“There’s a mix of Pack Betas and security that live on site. There are several self-contained apartments on all floors for other Pack members that work here. Mom and Dad have a small apartment, and Josh has a suite of his own too.”
“What about you?”
“I have an apartment down there,” Aaron indicated to the wing where the family room was.
“Hey, Alpha,” a voice called out.
Aaron smiled and turned to wave to the owner. “Hi, George. How are you today?”
