Chapter 96 Chapter 31–Book 2

WARNING: Mature content and language.

Jack and Nova were enjoying their time alone together. Jack took Nova to the resort’s gift shop. She always wanted to have a souvenir when she was younger, one of the little mass-produced ones with the name of the place on them.

Jack bought her three: one to use, one to keep, and one just for the hell of it because it made him laugh. He also had to promise that if he traveled without her, he would bring her home something from that place.

He bought her a little pen to use, a snow globe of the resort in winter, and a figurine of two bears playing—something to remind them of their first time at the resort.

That afternoon, Nova asked the staff for the ingredients for the dinner she was going to make Jack and the dessert that would follow. She wanted to do something special for him.

He had taken her to the high-end shop that was in the resort, but she didn’t seem that interested. He wanted to get her jewelry, something that she could wear and remember their time there.

She simply showed him her ring finger and the ring. "You have given me the single most wonderful piece of jewelry to remember this time by. There isn’t anything in here that can compare." Still, when she went to use the restroom, he snuck back into the shop and bought her a matching pair of emerald earrings to go with the ring, along with an emerald pendant on a gold chain.

He was going to give them to her tonight. He had a feeling that the third stage was going to start, and he wanted the best for her. Only the best for her. Even if it is just a trinket from a place they visit, if that is what she treasures, then that is what it will be.

It was at this time that he caught a whiff of what she was making in the kitchen… Brutus also woke up and took notice. They stalked to the kitchen with glazed-over eyes.

STICKY ROLLS!!!

Sam was sitting on the porch talking to Agent David, soon to be just David. Sam was hoping, though, that he could talk David into becoming the next Sheriff. Sam also thought that it would be good to have two of the clan’s warriors deputized. That way, they could cover more ground; their county was pretty big and had a lot of forested lands. It had Humans, Bear shifters, and a few Werewolves as well.

They could also clean out some of the drug elements that were now lurking in the shadows thanks to Sheriff Avery.

Sam knew that David wasn’t too keen on taking the job after all his time in the FBI. With his experience, though, he could not only be a great Sheriff, but he could also teach the next generation how to do it, too.

They were going to expand the Cabin Motel and the little store into a bigger, updated motel with a separate, bigger general-type store, as well as a small gas station.

They also will build a small hospital medical facility as well, for all species. They already have a doctor and nurse (husband and wife) ready to take it over, as well as a law enforcement building for the Sheriff’s department, complete with six jail cells and all the modern tech.

When they were done, it might just turn into a little town. It will bring a few needed jobs in, and who knows, in time, many more—just so long as it doesn’t get too large. There was even talk amongst the elders to build a small school.

Who knows, eventually, they might have to add a few more deputies. It was a big idea that had the potential to become something even better than its start.

Now all Sam had to do was talk David into agreeing to it.

Archer still had not gone home. He was happy watching how this Clan was forming and getting bigger, as well as better. He wanted that for his community of Lions, but he just didn’t know if it would work.

Their community was mostly just that. The shifter part was just a big secret kept from the humans that lived among them. The shifters were all established families with old money. Most were too busy being snobs to want to do something like this clan had achieved.

He knew his family was unique amongst them. Yes, they were billionaires on their own, but for them, the family was first.

Traditions were kept, and they didn’t interact with all what his father called "snob parties and skanky conventions where the unmated females were paraded around like hookers on a Saturday night."

Many families wanted to be associated with his royal bloodline; they would try many things—every sneaky thing you could think of, including using their daughters to seduce them.

It made Archer sick. None of their families had enough morals and virtue to even become close to being noticed. It was all about money and power, and about everyone knowing that you had them.

It was his dream to create a place like this for his Pride. He didn’t know how yet, but he would make his dream a reality. It was time that the Lion shifters stopped hiding in the shadows of old money, pretending to be something they were never meant to be.

He wanted to find his true mate; he was lonely. He also watched his brother Ashton with his mate Marnie and found himself a little envious of them. Perhaps when he did go home, he would get his own place for a little while, away from all the snobbery of the community.

His father was still running most things, even though Archer was in charge, for the most part, he had the final say on everything. Still, he needed a break. He would get himself a little place outside of Flagstaff and see what happens.

August will probably want to stay with him, that would be alright. August was the comedian of the family, and he was getting tired of the constant rhetoric. Archer thought that Ashton having his mate might be the reason that August was wanting to go out on his own to find his mate.

That is what they were going to do. Ashton was visiting the pride right now with Marnie. He was going to try to talk Ashton into staying a little while with the family to help Dad run the community until he came back.

If Ashton was there with Dad, he would be able to focus on what he wanted and not worry as much about the pride.

Yes, that was his plan. He got on his phone and started making calls….

Maggi and David sat together after Sam had left. David didn’t give Sam an answer. He wanted to discuss it with Maggi first.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to be in law enforcement again, however, being the Sheriff here would be a lot different and a slower pace. He would also still have contacts that would be of help in the future.

He went back inside and called for Maggi; he would do it if she wanted to stay there. If not, he was going where she was going.

They were snuggled up on the couch together talking about the future.

“I know that wherever you go, David, I am going with you.”

“Well, I was about to say the same thing to you, my beautiful rose.”

“David, what do you want to do?”

“I wouldn’t mind being the Sheriff here; it won’t be the same as the bureaucracy of the FBI. I think I like Sam and Jack’s ideas for the future. I think I will take the job. I like the idea of living here with you and close to my daughter.”

“I want family and community. My Bear had already said we were staying the day we met you. So, it is a simple choice after all.”

She laughed at that. “It is a good thing that you were not the first bear I met; that bear got a snoot full of rock salt.”

With that, they both laughed, deciding on waiting to tell Jack and Sam in the morning.

Before dinner and sticky rolls, Jack decided that it was time to give her the jewelry.

She stared at them, and Jack started to think that maybe he made a mistake. She walked over to them and touched them gently.

“Jack? Are these real?”

“Yes, they are real, and they are yours if you want them.”

“Oh, Jack, they are lovely, I want them. I think these will become a family heirloom to pass on to our children.”

He helped her put them on as she went over to the mirror to take a look. They made her eyes sparkle.

Jack was over the moon with happiness and relief. Yes, they can become the family heirlooms, but first, he wanted to see them on her as she walked around naked.