Jeremy Danvers was not a man who lost control. His life was organized around the idea of secrecy and authority. Being Alpha of North America meant his life was filled with great responsibility, and often great turmoil.
In the past years that turmoil had grown, with attacks growing from Mutts, and a new threat in the form of witches. His family had grown and shrunk, and he had stood strong as their leader through it all. Now as he stood staring out the window of his large study, staring at the falling snow, he sighed deeply, loneliness echoing through his heart.
Clay and Elena had taken a vacation to Greece, wanting to spend time together in someplace warm and beautiful, away from the house where Logan had died. Nick and Paige were also taking time away together, leaving him alone in the giant house at StoneHaven.
He could hardly blame his family for wanting to be away from the house, it felt dark with emotion and memory. His paintings of late had been brooding and dark, reflecting his own emotions and memories. Despite the bright light coming in from the windows, the room was shrouded in darkness, leaving him feeling oppressed.
Shaking off his haze of emotion, he moved away from the window and went to his room to change into workout clothes. Running down to the basement he began to punch and kick at the heavy bag hanging in the corner, releasing his anger and grief onto it.
An hour later he was streaming with sweat and his anger had faded, leaving him feeling more emotionally level. Wiping his face off with a towel, he walked up the stairs to the kitchen, his body aching with hunger.
Part of him yearned to run, to be free and romp through the snow, but he didn't find the idea of possibly dealing with hunters to be an appealing one. Slamming through the kitchen, he made a sandwich and ate it standing at the counter, glaring at the empty kitchen table, where his family normally gathered. The phone had been ringing all week, annoying him. He knew it wasn't his family, they had his cell phone and would have called there if there was an emergency. Whoever it was, he didn't want to speak to them.
He just wanted to feel at home in his own home again...this loneliness was driving him mad.
Growling with frustration, he flung open the door and stood in the freezing air, taking a deep breath. Perhaps a run wouldn't be such a bad idea...if he kept to the north side of the property, he shouldn't encounter any problems.
As a chill ran over him he felt the Change begin, and breathed deeply, pulling his clothes off. As it completed he took off, galloping through the snow, his powerful haunches propelling him forward.
Jumping over fallen trees and dodging low hanging branches, he panted, finally feeling relief from his heavy emotions. His joy grew as he ran faster, leaping and biting at the snow, feeling playful. He yipped at the squirrels and rabbits that ran across his path but didn't give chase, choosing instead to continue his run across his enormous property.
As he passed closer to the road side of the property, he swirled his head, smelling a human. His ears perked forward and he slowed, trotting closer to the tree line. When he peered through the pine branches he saw a car on the side of the road, with a woman crouched beside it, attempting to change the tire.
"Piece of shit tire…piece of shit car…just like your piece of shit ex-owner. I don't know why I took you…" she grunted and pulled the tire off, continuing to mutter to herself, "Oh yea, because you're the only thing that worthless piece of shit actually cared about. Other than cheating on me of course…"
Dragging the new tire over, she slid it into place and began to put the bolts back in place, swearing with effort. "Fuck! I hate you!" she muttered. When she had finished she stood and kicked the tire before walking to the back of the car, tossing the jack and the tire iron into the trunk.
Slamming it shut she leaned against the side and Jeremy could see her face for the first time. With olive skin and dark hair tucked into a bun, she was lovely, except for the angry, disgruntled expression she was wearing.
Looking up to the sky, she closed her eyes and sighed, whispering, "Why God, why? Wasn't dealing with a cheating husband enough? Now his fancy ass car breaks down on me in the middle of nowhere? Why can't I catch a break?" Her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands.
Jeremy could hear her crying softly and whined gently, wanting to go out and say something. The desire to do so was startling. He normally would have run away, ignoring the situation, but something about her distress reached deep inside him, and touched upon the wellspring of his own grief and anger.
At the sound of his whine her head came up, searching for the noise, her dark eyes searching for the source.
He hunkered down and when she turned away he backed up, turning back towards StoneHaven. As he ran, he pictured her eyes, so haunting and expressive. Shaking his head, he growled, he didn't need to be distracted by some random woman.
As he ran back into the house he began to Change back, groaning as his body underwent the painful process. When he was back to his human form he gathered his clothes and went to shower, his skin prickling painfully from being so cold.
When he had redressed in his standard jeans, button down shirt and waistcoat he made his way down to the study, pouring himself a glass of scotch before settling down on the couch by the fire with a book.
The afternoon light faded into evening, and he finished his book, setting it aside in favor of working on his latest painting. Restlessness overtook him as he stared at the canvas; nothing felt right. Tossing his brushes aside he refilled his glass and wandered through the empty house, yearning for company. His family was gone, and he was a wolf without a Pack.
Sinking down onto the couch once more he sat brooding, staring at the fire, sipping on the scotch as the evening hours slipped by.
Natalia drove down the icy roads slowly, still unnerved after she had gotten a flat tire. She thanked her father silently for having taught her how to change a tire when she was 15, or she would have been stuck on the side of the road, with no cell service.
She missed New York City already.
If it weren't for the great bump in salary and the chance to work with an amazing unknown artist, she never would have come to Bear Valley. But the gallery she commissioned for had been insistent after seeing a piece of the man's work that she had found and shown at an auction.
Now they wanted her to find him and convince him to sell to them exclusively. From what she had found out, he was a recluse, unwilling to speak to many dealers. Which was why she had wined and dined the last one he had worked with and convinced the man to give her his contact information.
She had tried calling, but there was never any answer at the phone number listed, and there was no voicemail. So, after a futile week, she decided to drive up to Bear Valley and find the elusive Jeremy Danvers.
As she drove into the small town of Bear Valley, she raised a brow; it was literally a one street town. She spied the B&B at the end of the street and turned into the parking lot, sitting for a moment to collect herself.
Gathering her purse and her suitcase she locked the car and walked into the foyer, smiling at the young woman behind the counter. "Hello, I have a reservation under Romano." She leaned on the counter expectantly, waiting while the woman searched through the book on the desk.
Nodding, the young woman smiled and turned to grab a key from the rack behind her, swiveling back around to hand it to her, "Here you are Ms. Romano. It's going to be room number 12. Do you need help with your bag?" she asked politely.
Natalia shook her head, "No thank you, I've got it. Can you tell me what time breakfast is?" she asked, hoping it wasn't too early. She was already tired and wanted to sleep in a bit before exploring what little town there was.
The woman nodded, "Of course, it's 8am. It is served until 9:30am. Is there anything else I can tell you?" she asked.
Natalia shook her head, "Nope, that's great. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She waved and grabbed her suitcase, walking up the stairs to the third story, where she found her room. When she pushed the door open she raised a brow, the room was spacious and airy, painted an eggshell blue. With an ensuite bathroom, it was perfect.
Setting her suitcase on the steamer trunk at the end of the bed, she kicked her shoes off and flopped down on it, groaning with relief. It had taken hours to get here, and she was sore and tired. She was desperately in need of a hot shower.
Rolling over she forced herself to her feet and walked into the bathroom, frowning when she saw the clawfoot tub. There was a shower head, but it looked far more appealing to just take a bath. Inspecting the bath toiletries, she found that they were jasmine scented.
Running the water she poured bath salts and bubbles in, sniffing appreciatively as the water flowed in. Stripping her clothes off, she stepped in and sighed in pleasure, letting her head fall back against the tub.
She relaxed until the water began to cool and then washed quickly, letting the water drain when she stepped out. Wrapping the plush robe around her, she walked out to the bedroom and unpacked her clothes, hanging them in the closet and tucking them in the drawers of the dresser.
Dressing in her favorite lace camisole and shorts, she crawled beneath the covers and pulled out her book, reading a few chapters before her eyes began to droop. Setting it on the bedside table, she flipped off the lights and rolled over, spreading out across the bed.
It was something that had taken her time to get used to; being single, not having a body in the bed next to her. But when the body in the bed next to her had gone from a loving husband to a cheating one, she no longer wanted someone next to her.
Still, her hand closed reflexively on the empty pillow and her heart ached. Rolling over to stare at the ceiling, she wondered when her life would feel normal again. It had been two years since her divorce and she still felt pained by it.
It had been hell, and she had come through stronger. Jaded, but stronger.
Now she was 32 and most men looked at her as though she was too old or too damaged to be considered worth their time.
Maybe she was.
Sighing in frustration she rolled over and screwed her eyes shut, trying to fall asleep. She didn't need these thoughts keeping her awake another night. Taking deep breaths, she focused on how she would approach Jeremy Danvers.
She had heard he was reclusive and standoffish. Given her penchant for sarcasm, she wasn't sure they would do well together. She would have to remind herself to bite her tongue, to not be a smartass.
Eventually she drifted off to sleep, clutching the spare pillow to her chest, her limbs spread across the bed.
The next morning Natalia rose at 8am and dressed casually in jeans, a sweater and her boots. She found the breakfast table empty, and when she sat down, a few minutes passed before the door opened and an older woman came out with a tray, laden with pancakes, eggs and bacon.
"I know it looks like a lot, but we have another guest here, so you eat as much as you like, don't worry about it dear" she said with a smile.
Natalia smiled, "Thank you very much." She filled her plate and dug in, appreciative of the good food and the great coffee. When she had finished she walked out to the foyer and smiled at the young woman, "Good morning. I didn't ask your name last night, I'm sorry. "
The woman smiled back brightly, "That's ok. I'm JoAnne, it's nice to meet you." She reached her hand out and Natalia shook it quickly, "Nice to meet you, I'm Natalia. I was wondering, are there any places of interest to visit?"
JoAnne grinned, "Not really. There are a few shops and some bars, and a beautiful park. There's a winery a few miles down the road and the Danvers place, but that's a good twenty minutes away."
Natalia nodded, "That's about what I thought. Okay, well I'll check it out. Thank you!" she tugged her jacket on and tucked her purse on her shoulder before walking outside to the Porsche Cayenne that had been her ex-husband's.
It was a beautiful car, but not one she would have chosen for herself under normal circumstances. When she had caught her ex screwing a string of women…she had decided to screw him and take his beloved car.
As she drove it down the street towards the small shops she had to appreciate the smooth drive. After parking she went into one of the stores and began perusing the racks, smiling at the sales woman.
"Can I help you find something ma'am?" she asked.
Natalia shook her head, "No, I'm just looking. I'm only in town for a short time, and I wanted to see what your beautiful town has to offer." She smiled at the woman and was rewarded when she smiled back, "Oh well thank you darling. What brings you to town?" she asked.
Natalia hesitated a moment and then spoke lightly, "I'm here to see Jeremy Danvers. I collect art for a gallery and I hear his work is amazing. Have you ever seen it?"
The other woman's face grew dark, "No. No one around here associates with the Danvers. They're odd folk." She fidgeted and then asked sharply, "You find anything you want to buy?"
Natalia sensed she had asked the wrong thing by inquiring about the Danvers, but she didn't know why. Shaking her head, she smiled at the woman, trying to reassure her, "No, but I do love some of these items. I'll have to come back. Thank you for letting me look."
The woman nodded and watched as she left. Natalia walked to another store, delighted when she found it to be a bookstore. She was confused however when she entered and the man behind the desk hung up the phone and turned to stare at her.
His brow furrowed and he pointed to the door, "Sorry ma'am I have to close early, I'll have to ask you to go." His tone wasn't pleasant, and Natalia felt uneasy.
She nodded and backed out; staring up the street to the store she had just been in. It too was closed. Could this really be from her asking about the Danvers?
Shaking her head, she walked back to her car and drove the short distance to the B&B. Walking back inside she frowned at JoAnne, "Why would people be so antsy about the Danvers?" she asked.
JoAnne stared at her and then shook her head, "There have been a number of murders here in the past year. Odd things. You asking about them…makes people nervous. Why do you want to know about the Danvers?"she asked curiously.
Natalia shook her head, "It doesn't matter. I'll go see them today. The faster I get this done, the faster I can get out of here." Sighing, she went up to her room to change.
If she wanted to meet with Jeremy Danvers, she wanted to make a good impression. She quickly slipped on a polka dotted long sleeved blouse, tucking it into a pencil skirt and zipped on her favorite black boots.
Piling her hair into a messy bun, she slipped pearl drops into her ears and a strand around her neck before slipping her coat on and shoving her portfolio into her purse.
She waved goodbye to JoAnne and walked out to the car, programming the address for… "StoneHaven?" she murmured softly, shaking her head. It sounded like an asylum.
As she pulled onto the road, she took a deep breath, hoping that this meeting would go well. She needed this commission to help get her life back in order, and to prove that she could get rare, talented artists that were reclusive to work with her.
That kind of pull would be an asset to her future. She might be able to start her own gallery someday.
The forest sped by as she contemplated her future and the meeting, and before she knew it, she had arrived at the large gates in front of StoneHaven.
To her surprise, the gates opened, allowing her to drive up the path slowly.
"Here we go" she murmured.