Keeper (The Lost Pack Book 2) Read online

  Keeper

  The Lost Pack: Book Two

  Claire Cullen

  Copyright © 2019 by Claire Cullen

  All Rights Reserved

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Epilogue

  Author's Note

  Chapter One

  “Whoa, there.”

  Cole held his hands up, took a step back, and gentled his tone. He could see at a glance that the newest arrival to the stables was nervous. Her ears swiveled back and forth, she was trembling, and she tossed her head every time he moved closer.

  “Easy, Ginny. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but you’ve landed on your feet here. This is a nice place: safe, quiet.”

  The ginger mare whinnied and tossed her head again.

  “I get it,” he assured her, backing away and going for the bag of carrots in the corner. “You don’t know me, or this place.” He grabbed a few slices of carrot. “But I’m guessing you know what this is.”

  He kept his tone low and soothing as he approached her, holding his hand out so she could see his offering.

  At first she wasn’t too happy about his approach, but curiosity overcame her fear, and she ambled forward to investigate.

  “That’s it,” he murmured, holding still and waiting for her to come to him.

  It wasn’t long before she found the carrot sticks and munched on them. He continued to talk softly to her but made no attempt to touch her. It was important to give her time to get used to his presence and his scent.

  “You always were good with the nervous ones,” a voice said from the doorway. “Human or animal.”

  Only Cole’s long-honed instincts stopped him from reacting and scaring his new charge. He glanced over his shoulder at Zane.

  “Need something?”

  “Just checking in.”

  “Or escaping the nursery?”

  With four newborns at the packhouse, he wouldn’t blame Zane for looking for some peace and quiet.

  Zane grinned and shook his head. “Nah, the babies are cool. I can’t wait until they get a bit older.”

  Cole resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The whole packhouse was a little baby obsessed these days.

  Ginny finished her snack and wandered away to explore the rest of the stables so he headed to the door to join Zane.

  “Checking in or checking up?” he asked.

  “Whichever one is easier to swallow,” Zane threw back. “What time is he getting here?”

  Cole checked his watch. “Any minute now, unfortunately.”

  “Look, I know you're not happy about this whole babysitting thing, but it’s only for four weeks. He’ll be gone before you know it.”

  That’s what everyone had been saying. As if that made up for the fact that they’d landed this on him.

  Cole snorted. “Four weeks? I doubt he’ll last that long.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Damn. Cole should not have said that out loud.

  “Oh, come on,” he said, doing his best to cover. “This guy is a movie star. He’ll take one look at the place, call a cab, and be on his way home within the hour.”

  “Is that so?” Zane quirked an eyebrow, looking amused.

  “Maybe it’ll take a day or two, but how long can you really see this guy sticking around for? He’s expecting to volunteer in a house full of kids with plenty of opportunities for a photo shoot. Not a month of mucking out stalls with only me for company.”

  Zane grinned. “I almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Cole waved him off. “Are you staying for the meet-and-greet, or…”

  It would be nice to have some backup, but it might put a dent in his plan to ‘encourage’ the volunteer’s speedy departure.

  “I promised I’d do a run into town for supplies. We’re running short on diapers. But if you need me to stay…”

  “No, no. Go on. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m not worried about you,” Zane said with a laugh. “This guy doesn’t know what he’s in for.”

  He ambled off with a grin and a wave. His footsteps had only just faded into the distance when Cole heard a car heading up the driveway. He secured the stable door and headed around to the front of the house.

  Showtime.

  Josh resisted the urge to hug his bag to his chest and wondered if he looked as pathetic as he felt. From the lascivious looks the cab driver kept giving him through the rearview mirror, he was masking his feelings pretty well. Wasn’t that what acting was all about? Showing people what they wanted to see?

  He turned his attention to the view out the window. They were deep into the countryside; he hadn’t seen a house for miles. It felt like they’d been driving for hours.

  “Is it much farther?” he asked, hiding a shudder as his words drew the driver’s eyes back to him.

  “We’re almost there,” the driver assured him.

  Not that arriving at his destination was much preferable to this car journey. Stewart had made it very clear that this was Josh’s only option. His agent had walked him to the cab, promising him every step of the way that the four weeks would fly by. Josh knew the time was as likely to crawl as it was to fly, especially for him. He’d said as much, but Stewart had been very firm that this was necessary.

  The last few weeks had really done a number on Josh’s reputation. He’d been dropped from two upcoming movies, and three roles he’d been shortlisted for had fallen through. Not exactly unexpected, given that clips of him having sex with a married alpha actor were all over the internet. He shuddered again at the recollection, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat at the flashes of memory from that night.

  “Okay back there?” the driver asked, and Josh realized he’d closed his eyes.

  “Fine,” he said, blinking them open. “It’s just a little motion sickness.”

  “You’re not going to throw up in my cab, are you?”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he promised, his attention back on the scenery.

  It was only four weeks. Four weeks where he could keep his head down and repair his image. Stewart had promised that by the time Josh got home, he’d have his next role lined up for him. Something big. So what if Josh had to spend a month surrounded by a bunch of feral kids? He’d weathered worse.

  “This is it,” the driver said as they turned into a driveway.

  Josh looked on with interest as they followed a winding path surrounded by tall trees. The trees finally parted, and the house came into view. Though house was overstating it. It was more of a cottage; single-story and run down. Not at all what he was expecting. How could they fit a group of kids in such a tiny space? Surely they’d all be right on top of each other?

  As they slowed to a stop, a man
rounded the corner of the house. Tall and dark-haired, wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscles. Alpha, clearly. He stopped and watched their arrival, a blank look on his face, and his arms crossed. There’d be no friendly welcome here.

  He waited a minute to see if anyone else would emerge from the house, but no one came. Reluctantly, his instincts telling him something wasn’t right, he pushed open the cab door and climbed out. The driver already had the trunk open and was lifting his bags out.

  Josh plastered a friendly smile on his face and waved at the unapproachable alpha. Maybe the driver had steered them wrong? This did not look like a kids’ home.

  “Hi, I’m Joshua. I think maybe we’re in the wrong place…”

  “No, this is it,” the alpha said shortly. He glanced past Josh to the driver. “Those your bags? Better grab them and come with me.”

  “Uh, sure.”

  The driver held out his bags, and Josh hurried over to grab them. He slung one over his shoulder and hefted the other into his hands.

  “Good luck,” the driver said with a grin, giving the alpha a salute and heading back to his car.

  Josh’s stomach sank as he took in the alpha waiting impatiently for him, all but tapping his foot on the ground and glaring pointedly at his non-existent watch.

  He took a few steps forward and heard the cab’s engine come to life behind him, the car quickly turning around and driving away.

  The alpha looked him up and down again, his gaze lingering on Josh’s bags.

  “You don’t travel light, do you?” he said with a snort.

  “I am here for a month,” Josh replied, tugging the strap on his shoulder a little higher.

  His stomach churned uneasily: he had a bad feeling about this whole situation. It wouldn’t be the first time that one of Stewart’s plans turned out to be nothing like what he’d led Josh to expect.

  “Is this really a kids’ home?” he asked as the alpha turned and made for the cottage. “It doesn’t look like any children’s home I’ve ever seen.”

  The alpha didn’t turn, but he did answer, pointing to the left, through the trees.

  “The children’s home is a quarter-mile that way. You’re not staying there. You’re staying here, with me.”

  “Where’s here?” Josh demanded. “And who the hell are you?” This wasn’t what he’d agreed to. This wasn’t what Stewart had told him to expect.

  “I’m Cole. These are the stables,” the alpha said shortly. “I hope you know your way around a sweeping brush.”

  Josh shifted the strap on his shoulder again, wincing as it slid against a bruise. The alpha strode into the house ahead of him, not once looking back. Josh ducked his head and followed. This was going to be a long month.

  Chapter Two

  The first day in the company of his ‘volunteer’ was awkward but uneventful. By mid-morning on day two, Cole needed a break. He headed over to the packhouse, making a beeline for the kitchen.

  He was halfway through a cup of coffee and an oatmeal biscuit when Oliver wandered in, a newborn over each shoulder. Brax followed a moment later with a third baby in his arms.

  “Didn’t think we’d be seeing you this morning,” the alpha commented.

  “Oh, you know. Needed a bit of breathing space now that I’ve got a roommate.”

  Brax snorted, but Oliver had the grace to look a little contrite.

  “We know it’s an imposition, Cole. If there’s anything we can do to help...” the omega offered.

  Cole waved that off.

  “I don’t blame you for not wanting a stranger in the packhouse around your newborns. We all have to play our parts, right?”

  “Right,” Brax said as he held the baby out to Cole. “Here Killian, say hi to your favorite uncle.”

  Cole set his coffee cup aside and took the offered infant.

  “I knew I was the favorite,” he murmured quietly, settling the baby against his chest.

  He wandered into the living room. Duke was there with Jack and Eric. Cole flopped down onto the couch next to Duke. Killian made a little sound of complaint but settled when Cole rubbed a hand across his back.

  “How’s your guest?” Duke asked.

  “Quiet, so far. He was sweeping the yard when I left.”

  Cole had half-hoped Joshua would be gone by now, but maybe reality hadn’t sunk in yet for the omega. Mucking out the stalls might be enough to send him packing. Cole had his fingers crossed.

  “Have you seen Thorn today?”

  Cole was surprised by the abrupt change in subject but glad for something else to focus on.

  “Not so far. Didn’t he have his first shift last night?”

  Thorn had been talking about joining the local volunteer firefighters for months and had finally taken the bull by the horns. They were trialing him for a month.

  “Yeah.” Duke paused. “I don’t think it went well. Maybe you could talk to him?”

  Cole let out a soft snort at that. “Do you want to rile him up? Because I am the perfect person for that. If you want to talk him down, Zane is the man for the job.”

  The beta had a calming influence on the alphas of the pack. Most of the time.

  “Thorn won’t talk to him, or me. Maybe Brax can try.”

  “Brax has got enough on his plate right now,” Cole pointed out.

  Between recently becoming a father, their pack going public about their existence, and his newly reopened medical practice, Brax’s schedule was full.

  “Maybe Kira? She is a trained professional, after all,” Duke suggested.

  “Would you bare your soul to her?” Cole asked. “I wouldn’t.”

  “I would, and I have,” Duke said sharply. “I do whatever I need to do for Jack’s sake.”

  Killian whined and squirmed against Cole’s chest, and Cole rubbed circles across his back until he calmed.

  “Sorry, Duke. Didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Duke waved off his apology.

  “I don’t blame you for being touchy. You were the one landed with the responsibility of looking after our guest.”

  Cole snorted. “I doubt he’ll be my problem for much longer. I can’t see him sticking it out for a full month. If I thought he would, well… that would be a different matter altogether. Have you seen the stuff the papers have written about him?”

  “Tell me you didn’t look at the photos,” Duke said with a groan.

  “Do you think I want to see that trash? I just glanced at the headlines, that’s all.”

  At Duke’s sideways glance, he added, “This guy is a stranger, coming to live in my home for a month. So yeah, I looked him up. You would have done the same if you were me.”

  Duke gave him a hard look before finally conceding, “Yeah, maybe I would have.”

  Oliver came in to get Killian, interrupting their conversation, and Jack raced over to Cole to demand a story. Come spent some time playing with him and Eric before acknowledging that he couldn’t hide away in the packhouse forever.

  “Are you staying for lunch?” Zane asked as he wandered back into the kitchen. “We’re having spaghetti.”

  “Thanks, but I’d better get back. I’m still getting my newest arrival settled. She’s struggling with the leading rein.”

  Zane grinned. “For a second I thought you were talking about Joshua.”

  Cole laughed and headed for the door.

  He jogged back to the cottage, intent on grabbing a quick bite to eat. All thoughts of food were forced from his mind when he caught the smell of burning as he stepped through the door. He rushed into the small kitchen and was confronted with the sight of Joshua, a plate of burnt toast, and a smoking grill.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded.

  “Um…” Joshua glanced from him to the plate. “Making lunch?”

  “Burning down my kitchen is more like it,” he growled, reaching past Joshua to shut off the grill and push open the window. “Seriously, what omega can’t cook toast?”


  “Oh, because it’s okay for an alpha not to know his way around a kitchen, but if it’s an omega… well, there’s practically a law against that, right?”

  “There is if it’s my kitchen. Do you know how fast a fire would spread in here? We’d never get all the horses out in time.”

  He was aware he’d raised his voice, but it only seemed to incense the omega.

  “Well, excuse me for trying to make a fucking sandwich.”

  The omega didn’t give Cole a chance to reply, dumping his burnt toast in the trash and storming away.

  Cole stood there, his fists clenched, trying to cool his anger and irritation. With a groan, he pressed his chin to his chest and slowed his breathing. He’d flown off the handle over burnt toast. Very mature.

  Once the smell started to clear, he searched through the cupboards and fridge, putting together the makings of two cheese sandwiches and sticking them under the grill. The least he could do was make the omega lunch as an apology.

  A few minutes later, balancing plates and glasses in his hands, he wandered outside. Joshua was sitting against the wall of the stable, basking in the sunshine, his eyes closed.

  “Lunch is served,” Cole announced, crossing to join him.

  Joshua blinked his eyes open and scrunched his nose, watching Cole’s approach. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his expression.

  “Sorry I was such a jerk before.” Cole wasn’t afraid to admit when he was wrong.

  Joshua snorted at that, but his eyes strayed back to the plates in Cole’s hand.

  “For me?”

  “The horses aren’t partial to grilled cheese. Well, Toto maybe. He’d eat anything.”