Red River (Pack 2)

“This is good.” He took another sip of his drink. “Really good. Where did you say you got it?” Because Wesley could see himself becoming a tea drinker if this particular flavor mix was readily available.

“I made it with herbs and fruit from our land.” The sides of Jobe’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, looking pleased. “I keep a large garden at both sides of the house and our fruit trees are generous. I’ll give you a tour tomorrow. You’ll see how beautiful your new home is.”

Looking at Jobe’s glowing face, Wesley was struck with the thought that nothing could look more beautiful than him. The boulder of anger and resentment he had carried from Purple Sky began to chip.

“How long have you been living here?” he asked, wanting to take his mind off his past and his stresses and get to know Jobe.

“This cabin has been in my family for a few generations. My grandparents lived here when I was a pup and I have great memories of those days, so when the time came for me to make my own space, I decided to move in.” He snagged a throw pillow, set it on his lap, and tinkered with the seams. “It’s been mine for about fourteen years now.”

“You can’t be older than me.” Wesley looked at Jobe’s smooth skin. If anything, he appeared younger than Wesley’s thirty-three years. “So you were barely an adult when you moved in here.”

“I was young.” Jobe nodded. “But I wanted my own space.”

“And this was one you could afford,” Wesley said in understanding.

“It wasn’t about money. Our pack is prosperous enough to provide every member with a comfortable life.” Combing his fingers through his straight brown hair, Jobe flicked his gaze around the room. “I could have chosen a different place or torn this cabin down and built one of the new houses so many of the pack members favor, but the energy in this space calls to me.”

Wesley blinked and then looked around the room. The walls were made of logs, the floor from an assortment of wood planks organized like a perfectly planned puzzle. There was enough space to house two well-sized seating areas, each with an assortment of sofas, chairs, and tables. Most of the light came from ceramic lamps scattered around the room, which provided a soft glow to the entire area. Much like the colorful couch he sat on, nothing in the living room looked modern or new, but upon closer inspection, every item appeared unique and more than likely handmade.

“Did your pack members make everything in here?”

“Yes.” Jobe smiled serenely. “Can you feel their energy?”

“Their energy?”

“Mmm hmm. Pack members built this cabin by hand using materials grown in Red River. Same with the furnishings. There’s energy here from our land and our people.”

“I’m not clear on what that means,” Wesley admitted, unsure whether he was missing something fundamental or whether Jobe was a little off.

“You will.” Jobe closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “As Alpha, you’ll connect to our land and our people and bring the two together. Then you’ll feel the beauty in this space.”

Feel not see. The man was good-looking and nice, but he wasn’t all there. Maybe that was why Red River was so desperate for an Alpha they had sought one out sight unseen. Most wolves wouldn’t agree to take on a pretend mate, let alone one that was less than whole.

“Tell me more about Red River,” Wesley said, needing to change the topic to something mundane. He would think of how to deal with Jobe’s issue after getting some sleep. For now, he would learn what he could about his new pack in order to prepare himself for the following day, which was sure to be full of introductions and tours. “The last several hours of my drive here were through uninhabited land.”

As he had driven yet another mile through nothingness, Wesley had wondered if the rumors of Red River’s strength and wealth were fabricated and he was heading toward a pack that didn’t have electricity or water, let alone a source of income sufficient to support all its members. But then the landscape suddenly changed and he was surrounded by trees, bushes, vines, and all manner of plants on all sides. His drive following behind the Alpha’s expensive vehicle past dozens of large, beautiful houses had removed Wesley’s doubts about Red River’s financial condition, but it hadn’t addressed all his questions.

“You said the pack is prosperous but how do the members earn money when they’re so far removed from humans and shifters alike?”

Opening his eyes, Jobe said, “We stay connected to Mother Nature and she provides for us.”

Nearly a dozen years had passed since Wesley had been in college with humans, but he still remembered some of the more unique ones, including those who had babbled as incoherently as Jobe. Unlike those humans, Jobe’s eyes were clear and he carried no scent of marijuana, so Wesley didn’t think drugs played a part in behavior. Catching up with his own thoughts, Wesley paused, blinked, and then inhaled deeply. Not just no scent of marijuana, no scent at all.