“I don’t think he got your number just for business.” Mabel chuckled. “He can’t take his eyes off you.”
Ronni turned to look out the window and met Bodie’s gaze. She couldn’t explain it, but something about him seemed very familiar.
* * *
The morning might’ve been a bust, but starting the afternoon meeting his she-wolf in person had overshadowed the disappointment.
Ronni Lyles.
Now Bodie had a name to go with the beautiful face that haunted his dreams. And an excuse to see her again. Once Willow picked up her supplies, he planned to stop by Ronni’s store and take her to lunch to thank her. He couldn’t wait to see what developed from there.
Walking inside the rustic-themed lobby of the Walker’s Run Resort, he noticed a huge wolf totem with a large black bird at the top in one of the far corners. The irony wasn’t lost on him, but maybe it was on the wolfans.
Legends often associated wolves and ravens. He wondered if and when the two shifter species had been allies and what had come between them.
A tall, blond man appeared in a hallway near the registration counter. Bodie met him halfway across the lobby.
Smiling, Tristan extended his hand. “Glad you could make it.”
Bodie accepted the cordial handshake, feeling a little awkward suspecting his friend’s wolfan secret yet remaining quiet about his own shifting abilities. But, until he knew more about the Wahyas, caution was paramount.
“I’ve been meaning to catch up with you.” Tristan led Bodie down a carpeted hallway decorated with rich tapestries. “Between getting our security force up and running and Nel coming home, I’ve been short on time.”
Having long hours and an erratic schedule with his own job, Bodie completely understood.
“Speaking of which, I’m not able to stay for the meeting. I need to pick up Nel for a doctor’s appointment.”
“Then why am I here?”
“I want to introduce you to Gavin Walker, the man in charge of the Co-op. He wants to discuss what happened in the wolf sanctuary last night.”
Bodie hoped it wasn’t more of the same stone-walling he’d received from Cooter.
They stopped in front of a large wooden door. Before Tristan’s knuckles rapped against the wood, a strong, masculine voice called out, “Come.”
Bodie’s palms began to sweat. Wolfans must have damn sensitive noses if the one inside the room had smelled them coming.
Tristan pushed open the door and ushered Bodie into the office. “Gavin, this is Sergeant Bodie Gryffon from DNR.”
“Welcome to Walker’s Run.” The older man sitting behind the mammoth mahogany desk slowly rose. Intelligence and wariness shone in his icy blue eyes. His hair and close-cropped beard might be snow-white but he exuded health and vitality and more than a little cunning. He waved at the two captain’s chairs in front of the desk. “Please have a seat.”
Bodie took the one on the right, closest to the open window. He might not be able to outrun a wolf to the door, but he could fly out the window if necessary.
“Sorry to make introductions and run,” Tristan said to Bodie. “But I promise we’ll catch up later.”
“Today is the ultrasound, isn’t it?” Gavin asked.
“Yep.” Tristan grinned. “Boy or girl, doesn’t matter. We just want the baby to be healthy.”
“So do Abby and I.” Gavin gave a slight nod. “Do let us know.”
“Will do.” Tristan ducked out of the office.
Bodie had yet to meet Tristan’s girlfriend, but he wished her all the best. Pregnancy, even in modern times, was risky. So was the post-delivery, which was when Bodie had lost his wife.
“Are you all right, Sergeant Gryffon?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, a bit more solemnly than intended. He hadn’t thought of Layla in a long time. They married out of duty, not love. Because the Tlanuhwa numbers were alarmingly low, marriages were arranged by their Tribunal to ensure the best matches for healthy offspring. Despite the emotional distance between them, Layla had given him a daughter. For that, he would always be grateful.
“I had a number of calls this morning about you,” Gavin said.
“It wasn’t my intent to alarm anyone. I was simply following up on a report regarding a possible poaching incident in or near the Co-op’s wolf sanctuary,” Bodie answered.
“The Co-op has dealt with poachers in the past.”
“So I’ve heard.” Bodie didn’t want that happening again, especially on his watch. “However, I’ve been assigned to this area and it’s my job to deal with these situations.”
“We appreciate your commitment, but whatever happens on Co-op property is not your concern.”
“Actually, it is. I have the same power and privileges as any law enforcement officer. And, in situations regarding game and wildlife, I actually have more authority. Which means your wolf pack is completely within my realm of responsibility.” And it was a responsibility Bodie took seriously.
A subtle tension crept into Gavin’s body. Bodie knew to tread carefully. He did not want to get on the bad side of the man who had the power to help him on a personal level.
“The problem I face is that I work alone and I can’t be everywhere,” Bodie said. “I’ve noticed the Co-op’s security teams patrol well beyond the wolf sanctuary.”
“They do.” Gavin leaned back in his chair. “The Co-op owns a lot of property, which is why we maintain a separate town charter. Our lands, including our wolf sanctuary, lie outside the jurisdiction of the Maico sheriff’s department and emergency services, so we created our own.”
“The Co-op is its own public municipality?”
“Municipality, yes. Public, no. We maintain an exclusive membership.”
“What are the requirements?”
“Most of our members were born into a Co-op family,” Gavin said.
Well, Bodie wouldn’t be joining their ranks that way.
“Others married members or were inducted because of determinable loyalty to the Co-op and our mission.”
Things were looking up again. “And your mission is?”
“To safeguard and provide for our families and community, and to protect our way of life.”
“An admirable mission close to my heart.”
“Then perhaps you are a kindred spirit.” Gavin smiled. “I hear your family came with you to Maico.”
