together as if they are best friends,” Snow snorted.
“Not friends,” Stone disagreed, sounding reluctant. “Sky didn’t smell like that man was a friend.”
Paint raised a hand. The other men fell silent, crowding close to hear him speak. He kept his pace steady and his voice to a murmur that the other wolf warriors could hear but strangers on the street wouldn’t. “When I lived here in Omaha a while back, I learned a little about how things work here. Sky needs to keep on the mayor’s good side. Attacking him for holding Rose’s hand would cause bad feelings.”
“Bah,” snorted Mike. “Why did Sky stop us? Taye expects us to keep Rose safe.”
Others growled agreement. Paint let them complain a while longer to get it out of their systems before speaking again. “Omaha is different. We all promised to obey Sky since he’s the alpha here. We protect Rose from any danger, but if Sky allows his mate to shake hands with a strange man, we don’t interfere.”
They snarled unhappy acquiescence, and let loose only occasional growls for the rest of the walk to Sky’s house.
Deep inside, Paint felt his wolf whine when Sky’s house came into sight. The sign on the fence read:
The Sky’s The Limit
A Gentlemen’s Club
Visiting Hours: 6:00pm to 11:00pm Tuesday through Thursday
6:00pm to 2:00am Fridays and Saturdays
Private Entertainment by Appointment Only
He didn’t blame the wolf; he didn’t like living here either. Two years ago he’d spent a few months as one of the bouncers in Sky’s House, and when he went home to the Clan he swore he’d never come back. But Rose needed him. When Taye asked if he’d be part of her escort he couldn’t refuse. So here he was, leading five other men of the Pack, all laden with Rose’s luggage, down the street to the gate in the stone fence around Sky’s house.
As they stood around the gate awaiting entrance, the cat let out another howl. The stupid thing had cried the whole way across town and Paint had an urge to lift the lid on the basket and let the cat run away.
“I love Rose,” Stone remarked. “But I wish she’d left the cat at home.”
The gate opened and Beck Carr, one of the burly men Sky hired as guards, smiled a welcome. “Paint,” he bellowed. “Good to see you. Snow, you too. Where’s Sky?”
Paint walked through the gate. “He’s eating supper with the mayor. We’re all staying on for a month or so. This is Standing Bear, White Horse, Stone, and Mike.” He tipped his head back to the sign. “New hours?”
Beck Carr nodded while staring, horrified, at the basket. His flattened nose wrinkled. “What is that stink?”
Paint lifted the basket. “This is Mitzi. She’s been in this basket for hours. The little pile of sand in the corner doesn’t do much to absorb the smell.”
The guard locked the gate with a scowl. “We got all the mousers we need.”
“Mitzi isn’t a mouser. She’s Rose’s pet.”
“Who’s Rose?”
“Sky’s wife.” Paint led the others toward the house. “We’ll see you later, Carr.”
“Sky’s what?” Carr bellowed at their backs.
Paint just waved and kept going. Since the ladies were entertaining tonight and he didn’t want to go through the visitors in the reception rooms, he led the men around to the kitchen door. The noise of the piano, singing, and conversation from the reception rooms was muted at the back of the house, but wolf ears heard it perfectly well. White Horse and Standing Bear looked with interest in that direction, but Paint herded them into the kitchen.
The cook, Patty Nord, was there, stirring something on the stove, along with a couple of the ladies who worked in the kitchen or carried trays of snacks around the reception rooms. All of them stopped what they were doing to stare. Paint hid his reaction when Zoe, one of the dancers, flinched at the sight of his scars. He was used to it, and it shouldn’t bother him, but it did.
“Paint,” called Mrs. Nord.
“Not friends,” Stone disagreed, sounding reluctant. “Sky didn’t smell like that man was a friend.”
Paint raised a hand. The other men fell silent, crowding close to hear him speak. He kept his pace steady and his voice to a murmur that the other wolf warriors could hear but strangers on the street wouldn’t. “When I lived here in Omaha a while back, I learned a little about how things work here. Sky needs to keep on the mayor’s good side. Attacking him for holding Rose’s hand would cause bad feelings.”
“Bah,” snorted Mike. “Why did Sky stop us? Taye expects us to keep Rose safe.”
Others growled agreement. Paint let them complain a while longer to get it out of their systems before speaking again. “Omaha is different. We all promised to obey Sky since he’s the alpha here. We protect Rose from any danger, but if Sky allows his mate to shake hands with a strange man, we don’t interfere.”
They snarled unhappy acquiescence, and let loose only occasional growls for the rest of the walk to Sky’s house.
Deep inside, Paint felt his wolf whine when Sky’s house came into sight. The sign on the fence read:
The Sky’s The Limit
A Gentlemen’s Club
Visiting Hours: 6:00pm to 11:00pm Tuesday through Thursday
6:00pm to 2:00am Fridays and Saturdays
Private Entertainment by Appointment Only
He didn’t blame the wolf; he didn’t like living here either. Two years ago he’d spent a few months as one of the bouncers in Sky’s House, and when he went home to the Clan he swore he’d never come back. But Rose needed him. When Taye asked if he’d be part of her escort he couldn’t refuse. So here he was, leading five other men of the Pack, all laden with Rose’s luggage, down the street to the gate in the stone fence around Sky’s house.
As they stood around the gate awaiting entrance, the cat let out another howl. The stupid thing had cried the whole way across town and Paint had an urge to lift the lid on the basket and let the cat run away.
“I love Rose,” Stone remarked. “But I wish she’d left the cat at home.”
The gate opened and Beck Carr, one of the burly men Sky hired as guards, smiled a welcome. “Paint,” he bellowed. “Good to see you. Snow, you too. Where’s Sky?”
Paint walked through the gate. “He’s eating supper with the mayor. We’re all staying on for a month or so. This is Standing Bear, White Horse, Stone, and Mike.” He tipped his head back to the sign. “New hours?”
Beck Carr nodded while staring, horrified, at the basket. His flattened nose wrinkled. “What is that stink?”
Paint lifted the basket. “This is Mitzi. She’s been in this basket for hours. The little pile of sand in the corner doesn’t do much to absorb the smell.”
The guard locked the gate with a scowl. “We got all the mousers we need.”
“Mitzi isn’t a mouser. She’s Rose’s pet.”
“Who’s Rose?”
“Sky’s wife.” Paint led the others toward the house. “We’ll see you later, Carr.”
“Sky’s what?” Carr bellowed at their backs.
Paint just waved and kept going. Since the ladies were entertaining tonight and he didn’t want to go through the visitors in the reception rooms, he led the men around to the kitchen door. The noise of the piano, singing, and conversation from the reception rooms was muted at the back of the house, but wolf ears heard it perfectly well. White Horse and Standing Bear looked with interest in that direction, but Paint herded them into the kitchen.
The cook, Patty Nord, was there, stirring something on the stove, along with a couple of the ladies who worked in the kitchen or carried trays of snacks around the reception rooms. All of them stopped what they were doing to stare. Paint hid his reaction when Zoe, one of the dancers, flinched at the sight of his scars. He was used to it, and it shouldn’t bother him, but it did.
“Paint,” called Mrs. Nord.
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