Mitch turned his truck into the driveway and parked in the garage of the wolf den. Shutting off the ignition, he sat for a long while in a daze, having trouble wrapping his brain around what had just happened. Janette Timbers. Who would have guessed? Especially after all these years! Not him, he was sure of that. Mitch got out of the truck still shaking his head in disbelief. He grabbed the groceries from the back seat, heaving them over his shoulder, and went into the house to the kitchen. His sister, Mariah, came up beside him.
"Here, let me put this stuff away for you." She gave her older brother an odd look from the corner of her eye. "Why are you doing the grocery shopping anyway? I thought that was Emily's responsibility." Emily was one of the pack's older omegas. Mitch had known her as a friend for some time now. Each member of the pack had their own set of responsibilities, according to their talents, and her job was the shopping, and the occasional selling. She had a hell of an eye for a bargain and was a pro at getting the most for her dollar. Therefore, anything having to do with shopping, from groceries to automobiles, or selling, from TVs to radios, went directly into Emily's hands.
"Her daughter is nearing the end of her pregnancy and Emily didn't want to leave her side just in case something was to happen", Mitch started, "I needed a break from everything so I told her I would do it."
"Whatever you say, Mitch." She said shaking her head, with a smirk on her face. She suddenly pictured her burly brother standing in an isle baffled, with both hands on either side of his head in a state of confusion as to what brand of peanut butter to buy and couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. When her mind unexpectedly added to the image an apron wrapped around him, adorned with pretty pink flowers she just about lost it, laughing out loud.
Mitch frowned at her. "What the hell is so damn funny?" He had a feeling that she was internally making fun of him and was not the least bit impressed.
"Oh nothing." She tried to calm her laughter but failed miserably. Mariah, seeing that she couldn't stop the funny images running through her head, thought it best that she leave and walked down the hall to her room, still laughing uncontrollably.
What the hell was that all about, he thought to himself before putting the final items away in the freezer. His younger sister was a real nut; he'd always thought so but loved her none the less. Sometimes he thought that if it weren't for her, their pack wouldn't have near as much fun.
After putting the groceries away, Mitch went to his study and poured himself a drink of brandy before lighting a few logs in the stone fireplace. He took his brandy and sat on the love seat staring into the flames, unable to take his mind off of the petite, timid brunette he had literally run into at the supermarket not two hours earlier. Janette Timbers was the last person he would have guessed was to be his mate. Although, looking back through the years, it all made perfect sense.
*
Mitch had purchased the mansion they currently lived in, along with all 400 acres that surrounded it fifteen years ago. It was a real steal as it was dilapidated and needed a ton of remodeling. It took him and his pack members a full year to get the house livable again. He knew several of his pack members thought him crazy for buying the place. It was built in the year 1800 but had been abandoned since the early 1900's. It had been uncared for, housing the occasional squatter, until his pack moved in. They had outgrown the previous den in the neighboring county, but when Emily showed Mitch this particular property, he instantly fell in love with it. The place spoke to him in a way he didn't understand. It was a real struggle to get the property back into working order but he loved every minute of it. Mitch wanted to do most of the work himself rather than hire outsiders to come in and renovate. It made the place seem more... personal. It was as though the work they did added their personal energy to the land, protecting the pack that much more.
It had been six long months after purchasing the mansion, all of them living in tents until the house was inhabitable again, when he met Janette. Mitch made it a habit to take a run every afternoon, letting his wolf come forth uninhibited. He used this time to roam the grounds and get to know every inch of his property.
One afternoon he came out into the woods after a full hard day of renovating. He stripped his clothes off, dropping them to the side, shifted to his wolf form and sped off into the trees, the same way he had done every afternoon for the past six months. He ran long and hard, reveling in the feeling of the wind ruffling his thick black coat when out of nowhere, a young brown horse raced past him. Mitch didn't take kindly to intruders on his land. Didn't the rider see the 'No Trespassing' signs clearly marking his territory? He immediately followed the horse and its rider. His intention was to run them off telling them in no unclear terms not to come back. But when he finally caught up to them, he was taken aback when he found the rider to be a girl of about ten or so. He couldn't understand how a parent could allow a child so young to ride off on her own in unknown territory, but he couldn't bring himself to run her off either. He was confused by his feelings as he instinctually felt the need to protect the child at all costs. He stalked them quietly, careful not to frighten the horse as he didn't want the small girl to be bucked off and injured. Mitch watched as the girl dismounted her horse and spread out a blanket in the middle of his woods. She sat on the blanket and pulled from her bag, a small tea set along with a few dolls. She arranged the dolls in a circle on her blanket and then retrieved a thermos of hot tea and some cookies. She sat, unaware of his presence, and had a picnic with her dolls right there in his woods. He thought it strange when he noticed she was actually talking to her horse as though the animal understood every word she had said. She referred to the horse as Calico.
After her picnic, Mitch followed her to the tree line where she took off on her horse and galloped to the cottage neighboring his land. He didn't stop watching her until she was safely inside her house.
Mitch had run full speed back to the mansion, got dressed and went right over to the neighboring cottage to talk to the parents about their daughter's trespassing. He knocked impatiently on the door when it was suddenly answered by an older woman and someone who appeared to be her twin sister.
"Ma'am" he said politely. "I fear your daughter has trespassed on my property. She has been riding her horse through my woods and I want it stopped immediately." He said commandingly. "I don't take kindly to trespassers on my property, as they may get hurt."
Mitch stepped back as the two women advanced him. "What is your name, sir?"
"Mitch, Mitch Evans." He said refusing to back down.
"Well here's something I don't take kindly to." Rose glared at him with eyes of warning. "Janette is my granddaughter, and if I hear of her getting hurt whether it be on your property or not, someone will suffer greatly."
Mitch couldn't stop the look of shock that covered his face, as the small woman standing before him put him in his place. Usually he wouldn't have tolerated someone speaking to him that way but with this woman, it was different. There was something odd about her. He almost felt as though she was his own grandmother reprimanding him. "Yes ma'am." He said quietly.
Rose suddenly smiled sweetly up at Mitch. "I will have a talk with my granddaughter and will try to keep her away. However, you know how children can be. I'm afraid she might slip by me every now and again. She's very stubborn, you know."
"I understand. Thank you for your time Mrs..."
