Chapter 18 Shepard
Shepard
I swing my ax in a wide arc as I chop up some firewood, working up a sweat. I’m gathering up some winter fuel for the lodge’s fire.
The guests have complained of a chill in the lounge, and now it’s up to me to collect some firewood the old-school way.
Besides, I enjoy the outdoors and being one with nature. I may have even been a bear in a past life, because I have a strange love affair with honey, too (and I like to scratch my back against a tree when I have an itch I can’t reach).
Snowball supervises me as he perches on my stack of logs, making sure I do a thorough job. By the time my phone buzzes in my back pocket, I’m dripping worse than a faucet. I even had to take off my flannel shirt to cool off.
It's Robin, the self-appointed brains and face of our organization, as I answer on the third ring. “Yeah?”
“Shepard. Noelle just called.”
My eyes widen, and now I use my flannel shirt to wipe the sweat off my forehead. “Shit. What for?”
The Alpha sighs. “She… wants to talk…”
Talk? Fuck! That’s never a good sign, especially when it comes from a woman.
“Come to the lodge. She will be here in an hour.”
I’m going to need a little longer than an hour to get ready. I’m sweating and covered in dirt. “All right. I’m almost finished out here, anyway.”
Robin is just about to hang up when he stops me again. “Hold on…How’s Frost? Has he surfaced yet?”
I haven’t actually seen or heard from him. I bet he is still sleeping off his hangover. He was a mess last night, and worst of all, he embarrassed himself in front of Noelle’s dad.
We’re trying to win this girl back, and he goes and pulls a stunt like that. I’m just glad Joel was around to bring him back home.
No doubt Frost would have passed out in the snow, frozen to death.
“Check in on him, would you? This is important. She wants to talk with us all, and I won’t have him screwing this up.”
Robin finally hangs up. As I collect the firewood, I look to the cat. “I envy you…”
Snowball just blinks up at me slowly, and oh, to be a cat with zero fucks.
It looks as if the guests will have to wait for their logs; I have more important matters to attend to, like getting Frost up and ready to meet with Noelle.
That’s if he does want to meet her, but he has no choice. I will drag him out of bed, whether he likes it or not.
I make a move for Frost’s cabin. Snowball follows behind me, keeping pace with his shorter legs.
I don’t even bother knocking on Frost’s door. I just grab my key and barge inside.
The place is a mess. Old Chinese takeout boxes cover the coffee table in the living room, and an old pizza box with the crusts still inside.
When I make my way to the bedroom, I find him sprawled across the bed, spread-eagled as his arms and legs hang off the mattress.
Instead of waking him gently, I kick his leg, and he stirs, glaring up at me with those piercing blue eyes.
We all got the eyes from our mother. It’s the only thing we have in common, but we each take after our biological fathers in looks and personality.
The doctors said it was a medical breakthrough when our mom got pregnant with us. Triplets with separate fathers—a spermatozoon each from three different Alphas.
Normally, Alpha sperm is competitive. Yet, it seems my brothers and I were pretty adamant about sharing our lives together.
So, our bond goes way back.
But looking back now… I should have eaten Frost in the womb. He is trying my patience right now. “Get up. Noelle is coming around to talk. You will not fuck up this chance for us.”
Frost groans, throwing his head back on the pillow. Snowball jumps up onto the bed and nestles down on Frost’s chest, tucking his legs beneath his body as he assumes the loaf position.
“Why should I bother? Robin already fucked up our chance… And get this cat off me. He’s suffocating me.”
“No. Get him off yourself because you’re coming. Even if I have to drag you out of bed kicking and screaming…”
The Alpha snorts, rolling around onto his stomach. Now Snowball sits on his back as Frost falls back to sleep.
I shrug. “Fine. Be that way. Just know that I hid your guitar. If you want it back, you will have to get out of bed.”
Frost snaps his eyes open. “Where is she?”
She? For fuck’s sake…He’s talking about the guitar.
I smirk as I head for the door. “You will have to find out after you’ve joined us.”
I took the guitar after I tucked him into bed last night. I thought it would be a way to teach him a lesson. No guitar until he ditches the booze.
“Fine.” Frost swings his legs over the bed, yanking up his boots. Then he grabs some ripped jeans and a band shirt, heading to his bathroom to brush his teeth angrily.
Before we head out, I glance back at the bed. Snowball is nestling down on Frost’s pillow now, and it looks like he has made his choice.
Frost glares at the cat with disdain. Then he rolls his eyes, marching ahead of me. He slips his hands into his pockets, refusing to meet my eyes as we walk to the lodge.
Robin is pacing back and forth when we find him in one of our meeting rooms. Guests can hire the room for functions and business meetings, but right now, it serves as our pack’s council room.
“Thank God you’re both here. She’ll be here any minute.”
Damn. My heart rate picks up a notch, and only the heavens know what this could be about.
Frost leans against the wall, trying to look unbothered by the whole situation, but I can tell he’s afraid, too.
He can’t hide anything from us.
“Did you take painkillers at least?” Robin asks Frost. “Because I swear if you say something to ruin—”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to kiss her if that’s what you’re worried about. That’s your job.”
Robin clenches his jaw at Frost’s attitude, and it’s more than I can do to diffuse the situation. But I agree with Frost, even if he is an ass.
After all, Robin was the one who fucked up last night, not us. Frost may be hungover and irritable, but at least he has a little restraint.
He's been the best behaved where Noelle is concerned.
We have a view of the parking lot from the room, so we all catch a glimpse of her red hair when she gets out of the car.
My heart ricochets again.
Well, this is it. It’s sink or swim time.