Portland, Oregon

Parker leaned back in her chair, pushed her glasses up, and pinched the bridge of her nose. While she enjoyed being busy, this was a little over the top, even for her. After a crick of her neck from side to side, she sighed and refocused on the monitors on her desk.

The latest round of ransomware sent chills down her clients' collective backs. It wasn't surprising, then, when demands for forensic security audits flooded in. No matter how much she tried to convince them they were protected, they insisted on the extra precaution. She even had a few offers to double her hourly rate to put them at the top of the pile. However, charging anyone eight hundred dollars an hour, even if they could afford it, did not sit well with her.

To top it off, she had spent the better part of the morning fielding calls from a raft of new clients who were in desperate need of bolstering their network security. As with the rest of corporate America, they had just received a huge wake-up call. Most were referred to her by one of her existing clients, or they heard her lecture at one of the many conferences where she was a guest speaker.

She had been so focused on the computer monitors flashing lines of code, and the files scattered across her desk, that she did not notice her personal assistant was standing in front of her until Beth cleared her throat. Parker leaped back in her chair and put a hand to her chest. "Jesus Christ, Beth. The way you just appear isn't natural. You need to wear a bell around your neck."

Beth tossed a stack of unopened mail on Parker's desk. "Well, if you'd answer your phone, I wouldn't need to interrupt you."

She shifted a mound of paper and files to reveal her office phone. Nothing on the display revealed any missed calls. "What do you mean?"

"No, not your landline. Your cell. That sexy cousin of yours called. He's been trying to reach you."

Parker fished her phone out of her over-sized handbag and groaned. She had missed eight calls from Bobby. "I forgot I put it on silent this morning."

Beth sifted through the remaining mail and headed to the door. "Well, you better call him back, he said it was urgent. And Marc wants to see you. He's found a problem with Blue Horizon's firewall."

Beth popped her head back around the corner with a wicked grin on her face. Her distinctive purple hair was hard to miss—no matter how much people tried. "If he is coming to visit, let him know I am more than happy to show him all that Portland has to offer." With a sly wink, she was gone.

Parker rolled her eyes and dialed Bobby's number. She did not know who to be more concerned for—her cousin or her PA.

"Hey, how's my favorite cuz?" Bobby said.

A broad smile spread across Parker's face, and she sat back in her chair. "I thought you'd be in New York. Hasn't that weirdo convention started already?"

"Nah, it starts this weekend—and that would be Awesomeness Con, to you. Parks, have some respect, you are speaking to the grand prize winner of an audience with Mr. Freaking Stan—the legend—Lee. Booyah!"

Her head dropped to rest on the palm of her hand, and she shook her head from side to side. Bobby's obsession with comics was a little extreme, but he could have worse hobbies.

"I head off tomorrow," Bobby said. "Hey, Parks, umm..."

He went quiet, as if struggling to find the right words. "We were wondering...that is, Alpha Morgan was wondering...if you would come to Brandenburg to meet with him."

"Sure, no problem, I was planning on driving up this weekend to catch up with Clara anyway. Didn't she tell you?"

The line was silent. Parker frowned and checked her phone, thinking they had been disconnected. "Are you still there?"

Bobby stuttered as he spoke. "Um, Parks, do you think you could come out sooner...like tonight, perhaps?"

She bolted upright, took her reading glasses off, and placed them on the desk. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine cuz, don't panic, but they need you here ASAP."

She glanced at the time on her computer monitor. "Okay, I'll try to beat the city traffic out of town. I should be there before ten." She paused. Being summoned wasn't a usual occurrence. Something was up. She swung her chair around to face the Portland skyline outside her office window. "Bobby..." Her voice caught in her throat. "What are you not telling me?"

There was another short silence before he answered in a mumble. "Alpha Locke is here."

Parker drew in a sharp breath, and a heavy rock plummeted to the bottom of her stomach. Her hands trembled, and she nearly dropped the phone. "Oh."

"You still there?"

The initial shock slowly wore off, and she rubbed her temple as her mind went into overdrive. "Y-yes. I was just checking my calendar."

"I gotta go and let Alpha Morgan know you're on your way. See you when you get here."

Parker took a long moment to digest the conversation. She frowned. Morgan wouldn't request help unless the situation was serious. Her hands continued to tremble at the thought of Daniel Locke. She looked down at them and groaned. You have got to get a grip. If she did not, she wouldn't be able to make the five-hour drive from Portland to Payette.

No longer able to put off the inevitable, she bolstered her courage, called for Beth, and gathered up the folders on her desk.

Beth poked her head around the door. "Yes, boss?"

"I'm leaving early, and I might be away for the next day or so. I need you to reschedule my meetings, and let McMillan know I'll email him my final report in the morning. Tell Marc I'll swing by his desk on my way out."

Beth took notes on her phone. "What about the Van Wyk event tomorrow night?"

Parker cringed. She had forgotten about the gala. She and her team had tracked down Van Wyk's former CEO, who had fled the country with millions of embezzled dollars. The CEO had been caught, extradited back to the States, and was now in jail awaiting trial. Thanks to her team, the money had been retrieved—mostly.

"Just make something up."

She locked the folders in a secure filing cabinet and dashed out of her office.

At home, she packed an overnight bag, grabbed two laptops and a VPN security key, and tossed them into her late model Chevrolet Blazer. She made a thermos of her special tea for the trip, alarmed the house, and headed out. When she had cleared the city limits, driving east on I-84 toward Idaho, she finally allowed herself to contemplate what this summons meant.

This visit was not optional. It was a command to make an appearance on pack grounds.

One of the few Humans aware of the existence of Werewolves, she was an extended member of the Brandenburg pack, and had been since Bobby was turned against his will a decade ago. Morgan and Clara Bergman, the pack's alphas, had taken her cousin in when it seemed his life was falling apart. She owed them everything. There was no question of whether she would help or not.

Her mind, however, struggled to understand why Daniel Locke was there, especially in light of how he felt about her. Their last contact had not ended on amicable terms. She shuddered at the memory. Three years later and it still terrified her. She pressed a button on the dash.

"Call Bobby."

He picked up before she heard the first ring. "Do you know how to get ketchup out of a shirt?" Bobby's voice was panicked. "I just dropped some on my Iron Man vs. Iron Maiden t-shirt. I can't meet Stan Lee with a dirty shirt."

"Good grief, Bobby, wear something else, then."

"I can't, it's the only thing I have left without holes."

That did not surprise her in the least. Her cousin was an absolute slob.

"Bobby, you're a grown man, I'm sure you can handle your wardrobe malfunction on your own."

Bobby mumbled under his breath, and the line went quiet. Parker frowned. "You still there?"

"Are you on your way yet?"

Parker rolled her eyes. From the way in which Bobby posed the question, she suspected she was about to be dumped with a smelly t-shirt and a bottle of detergent.

"Yes. I managed to sneak away without anyone noticing."

"It's hardly sneaking when you're the boss."

"About that. Um... Bobby...."

Bobby, clearly aware of what she was about to ask, stopped her. "I can't tell you why you've been summoned. Only that there was some secret squirrel meeting, and I was sent word to get you here ASAP. Other than that, I don't actually know."

Well, that at least answers the question of why Daniel Locke's involved.

Before she could say anything further, Bobby cleared his throat. "I'm assuming you'll arrive with a supply of your special tea?"

She narrowed her eyes and snapped at him. "It's Calendula, and I think you already know the answer to that."

"You know, Parks, they already believe you're strange with no unique scent. I don't want to be around when they discover that you've been deliberately masking it. They'll think you're trying to hide something."

Parker took a deep breath before replying. This conversation had been replayed countless times over the years, to the point that she was sick to death of the subject. This was the only topic that caused friction between them.

"You know damn well why! How the hell am I supposed to function around Werewolves when you know what I'm feeling before I do? You use this to your advantage when you deal with us Humans, and I won't put up with it. Besides, my feelings and thoughts are nobody's business."

"Chill, Parks. I won't say anything."

Bobby wisely changed the subject, and they discussed his trip to New York. She now knew more about the Marvel exhibition and Stan Lee than she ever wanted to. Period. By the time he finished and they had ended the call, she was seventy-five miles closer to her destination. She focused on the road ahead and sifted through recent conversations with Clara and Morgan, the Brandenburg alphas. There was nothing that stood out to warrant her summons, nor the Alpha Commander's presence.

Parker turned up the music. She needed something to distract her. The insides of her stomach were tied in knots. Being stuck with the sharp end of Daniel Locke's wrath over the phone was one thing, but how on earth was she going to deal with the insufferable man in person?

Parker pulled into the familiar driveway of the Brandenburg compound just outside of Payette, Idaho a little after nine o'clock in the evening. The lights from the three-story stone villa lit the last of the way to the front entrance. It was a welcoming sight. Her limbs were stiff from the long drive, and she was thankful to get out and stretch her legs. She had just opened her trunk when she was picked up and enveloped in her cousin's strong arms.

"Let me down, you big oaf." She attempted to disengage herself from his grip. "I can't breathe."

A broad grin spread across Bobby's wide face as he let her slide to the ground with a thud. "Not my fault you're a bit on the weak side."

Parker grabbed her bags and handed them to Bobby. As usual, his hair looked like it hadn't been combed in a week. "Since you are so big and strong, you can carry my luggage."

"Sure. Hold this."

Parker looked down at the stained t-shirt in her hand and groaned.

She jogged to catch up with him. "Do you know any more about what's going on?"

She was disappointed, but not surprised when he had no answer.

Bobby left after he deposited her in one of the guest rooms in Morgan and Clara's house. She was grateful for the chance to collect herself. There was no way she was going downstairs until she was fully equipped, and scentless. She pulled a change of clothes from her bag and was about to head to the bathroom when a knock on the door interrupted her. Without waiting to be invited, Clara breezed in.

The matronly female alpha pulled Parker into a warm, but firm embrace. "Hey, Liebe, how was the drive?"

She felt a familiar warmth spread through her. Not only was Clara the pack's second Alpha, but over the years, she had become a surrogate parent.

Clara loosened her grip and clicked her tongue with a disapproving tsk. "Are you eating properly? You don't have enough meat on your bones."

Clara had been taken from her native Germany over two centuries ago, but her very German nature had never wavered.

Clara held Parker at arm's length and assessed her. Her sharp brown eyes missed nothing. "You must be exhausted. Get freshened up and come downstairs to the kitchen. I won't have you starving yourself. You will have something to eat before you see Morgan and Alpha Locke. They can wait."

She stiffened at the mention of the Alpha Commander. The blood drained from her face in an instant. Her panic must have been evident because Clara leveled a stern look at her. "I realize you have bad blood between you, but that needs to be put aside." Clara paused, and her forehead crinkled with worry. "There is more at stake here than misplaced pride and stubbornness—both yours and Alpha Locke's."

Her stomach tightened "What's going on?" It must be something serious for Clara to be so direct.

She was frustrated when Clara shook her head and sighed. "Sorry, Liebe, but you'll need to wait until you meet with Morgan and Daniel."

"But—"

Clara cut her off and headed for the door. "Parker, I know what you're thinking, but you both need to...how do they say...build a bridge." She glanced back and continued in her no-nonsense tone. "And that's the last I am going to say on the matter. Be downstairs in five minutes."

Parker remained quiet. She dared not contradict Clara when she was in this sort of mood. Not game to keep Clara waiting, she rushed into the bathroom, showered, and changed in record time. She soaked Bobby's shirt to tackle later, and raced downstairs before Clara sent up a search party.

A sense of panic overtook her at the top of the stairs, and she stopped to wipe her hands on her jeans. She took a deep breath. Get a grip.

Parker slipped into the large country kitchen, relieved to see Clara was the only other occupant. She made her way to the breakfast bar and climbed on one of the stools, just as the older woman placed a dish of Pasta Carbonara in front of her. Her stomach took the opportunity to grumble and she cringed. She hadn't eaten since early that morning.

Clara poured two glasses of Chardonnay and took a seat next to her.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at the choice of drink.

"I think you need something stronger than your usual tea before we go to the library."

Parker's heart skipped a beat. Whatever was going on must be serious. To calm her anxiety, she changed the subject. "I like your new do, by the way, very Helen Mirren."

Clara smiled and touched the back of her hair. "You like?"

Parker nodded and they discussed Clara's sudden jump from grey to honey blond.

As soon as Parker finished her meal, Clara whipped away the dishes and slid them in the dishwasher. "We'd better go. I suspect Alpha Locke will be getting a little impatient about now."

At the mention of his name, Parker's stomach lurched. The nervous energy escalated, and she jiggled her foot before slipping off the stool.

She followed Clara to the library. Just outside the door, Clara halted and placed a gentle hand on Parker's arm. "It's not my place to tell you why you've been asked here. But before we go in, I want to assure you, whatever your decision, both Morgan and I will stand behind you."

Parker let out a nervous laugh, and she broke out in a cold sweat. "You make it sound like I'm walking to the gallows." She had the sudden desire to flee the building, get into her car, and make a run for it.

Clara pushed her into the library before she changed her mind. The room, with its floor to ceiling bookcases lined with ancient, musty books, always unsettled her. Having to meet Alpha Locke within its imposing walls reinforced her apprehension.

Morgan stood by the window, deep in conversation with a man she did not recognize. The man wore the brightest pair of board shorts she'd ever seen. From his slim frame and open, mischievous expression, she figured he couldn't be an alpha.

Morgan looked up, and an affectionate smile spread across his face. In three giant strides, she was enfolded in a fatherly bear hug. As with most alphas, Morgan towered well above her, and she felt like a twig wrapped in his powerful arms.

Despite his age, Morgan was a striking figure. He had graying salt and pepper hair and a body that men in their prime would envy. Both he and Clara looked to be in their mid-sixties, but she knew they were at least ten times that in reality.

Morgan turned to his companion. "Parker, I'd like to introduce you to Simon Dumas. He's a Mountain Pack beta who also doubles as the chief financial officer for Locke Industries."

Simon grinned. "Nice to finally meet you, even if it isn't under the best of circumstances."

She shook the offered hand and recalled that they had spoken in the past. His boyish charm and blond hair were irresistible, and she found herself returning the smile despite her nerves. Unlike Morgan, Simon was only a few inches taller than her. Put a longboard in his hand and he would fit right in with the surfer crowd at Rockaway Beach, especially in those shorts.

Before she replied, Simon snapped his hands away and thrust them into his pockets. His smile dropped as he took a half step back, the bob of his Adam's apple indicating something had made him nervous. His eyes darted over her shoulder, and Parker tensed. It could only mean one thing. His alpha. A sudden movement from somewhere behind her had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Her heart thumped so loudly she was surprised the others did not cover their ears from the racket.

Morgan continued with the introductions, oblivious to her apprehension. "I don't believe you have met Alpha Locke, our Alpha Commander."

Breathe, just breathe.

She turned to greet her nemesis with a forced smile, but forgot her mental instructions the moment she laid eyes on Daniel Locke.

Over the years, she had met many alphas, both within and outside of the Alliance. She was used to alphas being naturally larger, faster, and more physically appealing. Throughout their long history, these Werewolves had dominated the bloody and vicious battles fought to protect their packs and secure their lands. Nature had ensured that those who were worthy of leading were supplied with the genetic material to do so. The purer the Werewolf line, the more powerful the alpha.

Her contact with Daniel Locke three years ago had been by phone, and the majority of those conversations involved venting frustration and anger at each other. His rough, aggravating voice was the only aspect of Locke that she knew. In no way was she prepared for the mesmerizing man who now took center stage.

Standing over six and a half feet tall, Locke defied all of Parker's preconceived visualizations. Broad shoulders supported a wide, well-muscled chest that tapered down to a trim waist and a taut, flat stomach. Long muscular legs were encased in tight black jeans, and thick arms rippling with muscles strained his white shirt.

She forced her eyes to his face. Thick, pitch-black hair framed his strong, rugged jawline. A scar ran from his high, chiseled cheekbones, to the corner of his perfectly-shaped, full and sensual lips. His piercing green eyes bore into hers, and she immediately understood how a gazelle felt when being stalked by a lion.

She gulped and hoped her mouth wasn't hanging open. The man exuded raw power and animal sex appeal. It radiated off him in waves. He was a natural born predator who commanded the room purely by his presence in it.

She was abruptly brought back to her senses when Daniel Locke gave her a curt nod, brushed by her, and proceeded to pour a drink. Was she too far beneath him to warrant a proper acknowledgment?

Once done, he turned back to the room, lips pursed. "Let's get this over with."

His brush-off was like a red flag to a bull. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin high. "Yes, let's. I'm sure that his majesty has places he needs to be."

Resisting the nervestriple-somersaulting in her stomach, she collected herself, and nonchalantly sauntered to the chair opposite Daniel Locke.Her blazing eyes defied him to do anything in front of a roomful of witnesses.    

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📎A/N. Thanks for reading.. So what do you think?  It turns out Parker's cousin is a Werewolf... and she's not!!

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Take care and thanks for your support..

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