Goldie [Pyrate's Treasure 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Cooper McKenzie Page B

the next afternoon a half hour after the ferry left for the mainland.
    Looking at the desk in this corner, he saw a sticker on the side of the desk identifying it as belonging to the county sheriff’s department. So this corner would be his office for the summer. Sitting down in the comfortable executive chair, he methodically went through the drawers and organized them to his liking.
    There was a drawer containing all the reports a deputy might have to fill out. Another drawer held several boxes of black pens and a tall stack of small pads that would fit his investigator’s notebook. Paper clips, old rubber bands, and other supplies were in the center drawer along with a two-page typed phone list that seemed to be the island’s phonebook. He was studying the laminated map that was taped to the top of the desk and wondered what Goldie was up to at that moment.
    “Good morning, Deputy,” Edward said as he approached from the front door.
    Caleb looked up and tried not to look guilty as he met the old man’s sharp gaze. After all, he had had sex with the man’s granddaughter three times since arriving on this island. How was he supposed to face the man and not be embarrassed?
    “Good morning, Mayor Edward.” He dropped his gaze back to the desk.
    “Ah, no embarrassment. It is a joyous occasion when a shape-shifter finds her mate. Or are you not happy with my granddaughter?”
    “Goldie?” Caleb asked. “Who wouldn’t be happy with such a woman? I’m just having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that the woman I met yesterday afternoon is destined to be mine for the rest of my life. And then when she turned into a wolf this morning, well, let’s just say it blew my mind.”
    He watched as Edward lowered himself into the chair across the desk. The man looked old, tired.
    “Not only are you mated to a shape-shifter, but Goldie is the next Alpha of our pack. I’ve known since her birth that Goldie would be my successor as pack Alpha. Until recently I have not given much thought about turning things over to her, but now that she has found her mate…maybe it’s time.”
    “Pack Alpha? What does that mean?”
    “She didn’t tell you? No, of course she didn’t. She is trying not to cause you too much distress. She always was too good-hearted for her own good, always worrying about everyone else’s feelings before her own. As her mate, you will have to protect her from those who will try to use that innate compassion against her,” Edward said, looking deadly serious.
    “No, she didn’t, but you will, won’t you?” Caleb said, knowing he would not, could not, let the man leave the room until he was fully briefed on what the hell was going on.

Chapter 7
     
    “What the hell were you thinking?”
    Goldie slammed the door and took up her “don’t mess with me” stance. Feet planted apart, hands on hips, and what she knew was her fiercest look. She met and held each of the five pairs of eyes that had swung her way one after another until each looked away, deferring to her status as their Alpha.
    “About what?” Emerald finally asked when it seemed no one else would. She sounded innocent and confused by Goldie’s anger.
    “What the hell were you thinking running down the public beach last night? You know you have to stay on pack lands when there are guests on the island.” Goldie began to pace.
    She knew she was overreacting to their misadventure, but Caleb’s walking away after she’d told him of her shape-shifting abilities hurt. Her emotions were pinging all over the map, and she did not know how to deal.
    Would he deny their mating?
    Would he leave the next afternoon when the next ferry took the weekend guests back to the island?
    What would happen if he told anyone else?
    Within days, the island would be overrun with strangers wanting to hunt them thinking they were dangerous or trap them for scientific experiments. If he did tell anyone the Pyrate family’s most closely guarded