Page 4 of Mated By Moonlight

"Wolves don't have big noses, Maizey."

"Rob had a big nose."

"Yeah, he did." Liza giggled, then chuckled. Then snorted.

It was so good to hear the happy sound from her. But it was all too short-lived.

"Sometimes… I still think it might be true. What if I really am his fated mate?”

Maize’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles white. “He’s a liar, Liza. A manipulative bastard who used thoselies to control you. We came here to get away from him, and he won’t dare come onto another pack’s territory.”

She glanced at her sister, seeing the fear etched into her features, and felt a surge of anger. Not at Liza, but at the situation that had brought them to this point. Maize despised wolves and their possessive natures. Wolves were all the same. And she couldn’t afford to let her guard down, not even for a moment.

3

Gideon pulledout his phone and dialed. Luckily, the number was already programmed into his phone in the second favorites spot. His brain was too full of holding on to every second of his time with Maize to grasp at any memories as complicated as a ten-digit phone number. Not when he'd watched the way Maize had cautiously approached her car. Nor the way the occupant inside had jumped at her approach. His instincts had been right; someone had hurt one or both of the Mercer sisters.

“Hey, big bro! What’s up?”

Gideon frowned at the phone's face. "Caleb?"

"No." There was an annoyed clucking sound, the sound made at the back of the throat when his baby brother got annoyed. "I reprogrammed myself into the number two spot on your phone. Caleb's down at number ten where he belongs."

Gideon sighed and pinched the bridge between his nose. "Fine. Elijah, I need a favor."

“What, did you finally find your fated mate and need me to plan the wedding?”

This was why Gideon had meant to call his youngest brother, and not the middle one, who took everything as a joke. Still, Elijah did have a useful set of skills he could use.

“Just shut up and listen. I need you to find out everything you can on a Maize Mercer. And do it fast.”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Elijah spoke again, his tone laced with curiosity. “Maize Mercer, huh? Why does that name sound familiar? It's not Rylan's arranged mate, is it?”

“No,” Gideon snapped, impatience creeping into his voice. “She’s the architect. The one Rylan hired for the new homes.”

“I thought the architect was a human man?”

Gideon growled, his frustration bubbling over. “Just do it, Elijah. I’m almost at my cabin, and I’ve convinced her and her sister to stay there. I need to make sure they're safe.”

“All right, all right. I’m on it.” The sound of keys clicking in the background indicated that Elijah was already at his computer. “Let’s see… Margaret Mercer. Went to school at MIT, top of her class. Impressive. She worked at a design firm for years but never advanced. Seems a lot of younger, less experienced men got promoted over her. Started her own firm with her sister two years ago, and it’s been pretty successful.”

Clearly Maize had been overlooked by the higher-ups. Their loss. Gideon wouldn't make their same mistake.

He wasn't blowing smoke up her skirt when he'd complimented her on her blueprints. As a contractor, Gideon knew quality work when he saw it. Maize's work was brilliant. She had indeed taken into account the natural surroundings and shifter sensibilities when she'd designed the new development. It was even more than they had hoped for.

More typing, then Elijah’s voice turned serious. “There’s a police report filed by Elizabeth Mercer against a wolf named RobSanders. Looks like a protective order. He’s supposed to stay away from both sisters.”

A low growl rumbled in Gideon’s chest. That explained Maize's hesitancy with wolves. But why did she take a job in pack territory?

“You planning on doing something about that?”

“For now, I’ve convinced them to stay at my place."

"Sounds like you're sticking your neck out there for a new hire."

Gideon said nothing.

"That's all this is, eh, big bro?"

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