Yielding to the Wolves [Werewolf Brides 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “Look for boot prints,” said Tedros.

  He went to the right along the fence line, and Zoan searched to the left, but either the intruders had marched on dry soil, or had given up and stayed in their vehicle.

  Zoan pulled out his cell phone, kneeled on the ground, and took pictures of the tire tracks.

  “There’s thousands of blue pickups in Coopersville,” Teddy said.

  “I know. And likely half of them have tires just like this. But it’s a piece of evidence in case they are discovered on our land at some stage. They could hardly say they were lost when they’ve obviously tried to get around a fence.”

  “That’s true.”

  Since they had plenty of barbed wire, they didn’t just put it on the fence across the road, they extended it thirty or forty feet along the field fences either side. “Let’s not make things too easy for the bad guys,” said Zoan.

  “Now we get to see what’s been happening at the other end of the private road,” said Tedros as they finished and threw their gloves into the back of the truck.

  Zoan handed him a bottle of water. “Yeah. I can’t wait.”

  Tedros grinned. Sarcasm was dripping from every syllable Zoan spoke.

  But there was nothing to see when they drove around the farm and approached the private road from the other end. There were no tire tracks and no sign anyone had been here. Nevertheless they used the rest of the barbed wire, extending it a long way on either side of the fence.

  Tedros pulled his T-shirt up to his face and wiped sweat off his skin. “I really need a shower.”

  Zoan pointed to his shirt. “And a change of clothes.” Where he’d held the shirt were two big black marks.

  “Oh, shit. What’s the time?”

  The last thing he needed was to look like a filthy, stinky mess when he and Okapi spoke to Keisha. Not that she didn’t know he could be clean, just that it seemed disrespectful somehow to be less than perfect when he asked her out on their very first date.

  “Almost four? Why?”

  “Oh, that’s okay. I’ve got time for a shower. I’m supposed to meet Okapi at half past.”

  “We’d better get moving then. Come on. I’ll return the tools so you can hit the shower.”

  “Thanks, Zoan.”

  “If I ever get a hot date, you can return the favor.”

  Tedros blushed. However had Zoan guessed?

  * * * *

  Keisha was feeling very happy with herself. There’d been half a dozen occasions when she’d gotten stuck during the day, not knowing how to find out some information or how to do something on the computer program. But each time she’d slowly checked all the various things on the tool bar, reread her instructions, and worked it out by herself. Principally because she didn’t want to seem like a clueless idiot, but also to reassure herself that she was a capable adult, worthy of holding down a paying job.

  She’d been rejected for so many jobs. She’d been told she was underqualified, that she was overqualified, that she was too old, too young, too inexperienced, overexperienced, even that she had big boobs and men would look at them instead of at her face. All of which had killed her self-esteem. It didn’t matter how many times she told herself she was worthy of a proper job, the cruel facts were that she’d never held down a “real” job. She’d stocked shelves in a hardware store. She’d been a checkout chick in a grocery store. She’d had a few casual short-term positions in an office as a very junior junior. But she’d never ever had a real job. And for the last two years, ever since she’d turned twenty-one, that had been the most damning thing of all when she sent in job applications.

  In her neighborhood, girls worked in shops or brothels. There really wasn’t much else to choose from. Which was why she’d left and come here as a mail-order bride. But today she’d proven to herself she could do proper office work. Well, as long as it was relatively simple, anyway.

  The sound of a man clearing his throat had her looking up at the door and there stood Okapi and Tedros. Okapi looked exactly the same as he’d looked this morning. Crisp white shirt, dark pants, and shiny black shoes. Tedros looked as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. His dark brown hair appeared to be damp, and his navy jeans and blue T-shirt looked freshly ironed. But likely she was just imagining that.

  Keisha wanted to ask, “Why are you here?” She knew what she wanted the answer to be, that they wanted to date her. But she couldn’t imagine that’s why there were here in her brand new workplace on her very first day. So instead she asked as blandly as she could manage, “Can I help you?”

  Teddy looked at her with those enormous eyes. It was almost as if he were pleading with her to do something, but she had no idea what that could be. She’d scarcely spoken to him and he’d never even hinted that he wanted her to agree to do something for him. And as for Okapi, he’d been completely businesslike with never a hint of anything personal in any of his requests. She kept her helpful look on her face and waited.

  “Do you know anything about chess?” asked Okapi.

  “Chess? Like, the board game?” Keisha was confused. She’d heard of it, of course. In fact, she’d even known a couple kids who played the game back in high school, or maybe it was middle school.

  “Some people play it on computers, too. These days, the computer often wins, but when computers first started to play people who were very good, they always lost,” added Tedros.

  Keisha nodded, but she had no idea where the conversation was going.

  “On Saturday there’s going to be a huge chess display in Coopersville, including a match played with life-size pieces. The game is going to be a reenactment of a famous contest. A match that’s unusual because it was played very offensively where most players prefer to play defensively. So it should be a lot more exciting to watch than a regular game,” explained Okapi.

  “You said life-size pieces. However do they move them then?” asked Keisha.

  “Oh, they’re people in costumes who move themselves as directed by the two payers, on a huge board. A chess board has sixty-four squares, eight wide and eight long. The chessboard here is laid out on the ground with different-colored squares for the people to stand on so it’s twenty-four feet wide and twenty-four feet long. Spectators sit on bleachers like at a baseball game so they can see everything properly,” explained Okapi.

  “That does sound like fun,” she said.

  “I have tickets for the chess match and the display hall as well. Would you like to come with us?”

  Keisha was surprised at how hesitant Okapi sounded. Almost as if he expected her to say no. But she meant what she’d said. It did sound like fun. “Yes, I would, thank you. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

  Tedros smiled hugely and she was glad she’d said yes. He seemed so happy.

  “Is eleven all right? That’ll give us time to look at the displays and eat lunch before the chess match begins.”

  “Yes, of course. Thanks.”

  “Great.” Tedros was still smiling at her and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.

  “Right. Well, I’ll see you here tomorrow at nine then. Is everything okay with the data entry?” asked Okapi.

  “Yes. I don’t have any questions for you. I hope I’m not going too slowly.”

  “Take as long as you need. Call me if you don’t understand something.” Okapi nodded at her and he and Teddy left, Teddy smiling back over his shoulder at her.

  A date. Okapi and Tedros had asked her out. She’d better Google chess tonight to make sure she understood what was happening. Oh, and the display, too? What would that be? Like chess sets or something? Perhaps she’d better Google that as well. Keisha shivered with excitement. Finally, finally, finally! A date with Teddy and Okapi. Hell yes!

  Chapter Two

  Teddy turned to Okapi and asked, “What should I do and say today?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “How should I behave? I’ve never dated a woman I truly cared about befor
e. In high school it was just something we were expected to do. Be nice to a girl so she’d agree to partner me to the prom. But now, with Keisha, I really want her to be happy, and at ease. I want her to like me.”

  Teddy hoped he didn’t sound as pathetic to Okapi as he did to himself.

  “Tedros, you’re a good man. A man worthy of finding a mate. Just be yourself.”

  “But what if Keisha doesn’t like me as myself? What if she’d prefer me to be stronger, smarter, more like a movie star or a hero?”

  “If that’s all she wants, she’s not the right woman for us. Our woman needs to accept us for who and what we are. We’ll always love her, care for her, protect her, help her, and give her the things she needs to feel happy and accepted. But we can’t be what we’re not. We’re werewolves and that’s just how it is. We’ve watched her interview, and the woman in real life is every bit as enchanting as the woman on the video. Therefore, she’s worthy of our best efforts to show her how much we care. But if we’re truly not right for her and she genuinely doesn’t like who we are, we have to accept that.”

  “I don’t think I could cope if she hated me.”

  “She’s not going to hate us. She would never have agreed to come out with us today unless she liked us. You must have seen her smile at us? Now go get ready. This is one time we really don’t want to be late.”

  Shit, no. Punctuality was expected. His fourth grade teacher had drilled into the grade, “Punctuality is the politeness of princes.” He’d never quite understood the meaning of the phrase, but the intention was clear. No matter who or what he was, he’d better turn up on time. The weather forecast still promised a sunny day, but Teddy grabbed a sweater to take with him anyway. He knotted it around his waist and hurried back into the living room of his house, where he waited patiently for Okapi. Okapi was constantly checking his emails on his phone or his laptop. As Cooper’s second in command, he had to continually monitor whatever was happening on the farm, just in case there were things he needed to know. Teddy was pleased he’d been able to bring this house into their partnership. Okapi was so much smarter, wiser, and more important than him, but the house was something useful he’d been able to contribute. It was not only much closer to the center of the community than Okapi’s home, it was also a lot bigger.

  Teddy’s father had been one of four sons and the house had been built to cater for a large family. But one by one the uncles had moved elsewhere in pursuit of work or a mate, and only Teddy’s father had remained on the farm, marrying the sister of the man who’d had three daughters. Teddy’s mother had often bemoaned the fact that the three most eligible women in the community were too closely related to Teddy for him to consider marrying them, but Teddy had always thought of April, May, and June as sisters, more than potential brides anyway.

  And now he was about to have his first date with his own potential mate. If only she likes me!

  “Let’s go.” Okapi stuck his head in the living room and continued walking to the front door, so Tedros jumped up and was right behind him. The house was only a few minutes’ walk from the community hall where the human women lived, so they were easily there before eleven.

  Teddy wasn’t looking at his cell phone to know the exact time when Keisha appeared, but he guessed it to be close to eleven. He’d rather look at her instead. She was so pretty. Her hair was a very light brown, and long. He guessed it would fall well down her back if she left it out, but she often wore it in a high ponytail. Her eyes were also brown and she was lean but with curves in all the right places. He longed to pull her into his arms and hold her wonderful body against him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t imagine that happening on a first date.

  It was only now she was standing in front of them that Teddy realized he should have brought the car here, to save her walking back to their house. “If you wait here, I’ll go get the car.”

  “It’s not far. We can all walk there together,” said Okapi.

  Keisha didn’t seem to mind, but when they headed back down the road, she asked, “Oh, isn’t it in the big barn behind the office building?”

  “Our house is really nearby. It’s just as easy to leave it there,” said Okapi.

  Teddy opened the passenger-side door for her, then glanced at Okapi. Which of them would drive? Okapi moved the backseat and so Teddy ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in. The good thing about being the one doing the driving was that he wouldn’t have to think of things to say to her. The bad thing was that he couldn’t just sit and look at her. He would have to concentrate on the road and the traffic.

  The farm was on the outskirts of Coopersville. The town was actually named after the werewolves, the original inhabitants of the area. All those born on the farm took the surname Cooper to maintain the link with their founders. Their Alpha was always referred to as “Cooper,” which was a symbol of their unity with this place.

  Tedros parked the car in the high school parking lot after Okapi showed their tickets at the gate. From there they walked to the gymnasium for the first display. He and Okapi tucked Keisha between them and walked slowly from stand to stand, display to display, looking at all sorts of things to do with chess. He’d never really thought much about it before, but chess had been played in the Middle East since around the year 600 and in Europe from the year 1000. It really had a very long and interesting history.

  One booth had famous chess problems posted on the walls, and a crowd of eager chess players was standing around arguing about how to solve the puzzles. Several other booths had displays of chess pieces. This was where Keisha stopped and looked for a long time. Some were beautifully carved out of wood, stone, or metal. Others were painstakingly painted ceramics. Some were ultramodern shapes in glass or wood. There was a nineteenth-century British set, with soldiers and sailors in uniform, and an African set with intricately carved elephants. But Tedros’s greatest pleasure was in watching Keisha look at them all.

  When they reached the food court, Tedros saw the meals had all been given chess-type names. There was a “King’s Sandwich,” a “Knight’s Feast,” and even a “Champion’s Salad,” as well as French fries, cotton candy, and enormous cookies.

  “What would you like for lunch, Keisha?” asked Okapi.

  “One of those huge cookies. I’ve never seen cookies that big before, and they look delicious.”

  “I agree about the cookie for dessert. They do look amazing. But what do you want to eat first? Before the cookie,” asked Teddy. He was thinking of two or three cookies, actually, maybe a chocolate one and a honey oatmeal one, but he wondered whether she’d choose a sandwich or something else first.

  “I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat an entire sandwich. They look huge as well. Perhaps I’d better choose the salad. I can always take the leftovers home and give them to the chickens.”

  Teddy really, really wanted to say that he could think of a few good ways to work up an appetite, but he hardly knew her yet and so he didn’t. He wanted to ask her questions about her childhood, her past, her hopes for the future, but he wasn’t brave enough to do that either. But perhaps Okapi would start the conversation going. Or maybe he would just sit and look at her. She was so lovely he was pretty sure he’d never get tired of looking at her fair skin, her long light brown hair, and her brown eyes with tiny laugh lines. And her glorious, full round breasts. Yum.

  They collected their food and Okapi led them to a table. Tedros noted that once again Okapi had chosen well. The table was on the outer edge of the food court so people weren’t going to be extra close to them and they should be able to talk reasonably freely.

  Teddy handed Keisha the bottle of water she’d chosen, and opened his own bottle of soda, while Okapi handed the bags of food around. Keisha dug her fork into her salad and sighed. “Wonderful.”

  “Can a salad ever be wonderful? Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?” teased Okapi.

  But Teddy was impressed when Keisha answered seriously. “Have you ever looked at the
cheapest foods to buy? Most of it is processed trash. High in fat, salt, and sugar. All the bad things. It tastes great but there’s no fulfillment from it. A meal of only junk food doesn’t give any lasting satisfaction. Now, sure, I could buy things that were on special deals. I could clip coupons and source items that way, but fresh foods were quite limited in my hometown. Usually to what was oversupplied and the stores were trying to get rid of, so the prices were marked down. It’s been a long time since I could go out to something like today and just buy a meal.”

  “What happened, Keisha? What’s your story?” Teddy felt his face blushing as he hastened to add, “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”

  “My story is the same as that of thousands of other people. My parents moved into a neighborhood as young adults. They made their home there and their friends were there. But over the years the neighborhood declined. Many corporations moved out, and there was less work available. The apartments weren’t maintained well, so people moved out. By the time my parents had decided to move somewhere else, after most of their friends had gone, the price they would have gotten for their apartment was so low they couldn’t afford to go anywhere nice, so they stayed.”

  “And you stayed with them,” said Okapi.

  Keisha shrugged. “I didn’t have much of a choice either. My high school graduation certificate didn’t get me any decent jobs, and the older I got the worse my employment record looked. My dad had put most of his savings into a small business start-up company with a friend he’d worked with for many years. The other man took the money and disappeared, leaving my parents with nothing. My dad never recovered from the shock of the betrayal and Mom died only weeks after him. I don’t think she wanted to live without him. So I came here.”