Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,33
one of the chairs, buckling her seatbelt, as he’d suggested. She reclined the seat as far as it would go and let herself lean back into the cushiony softness of the chair.
The next thing she knew, the plane was on the ground, and Jim was touching her shoulder, shaking gently. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” he said softly.
Shocked she’d slept through landing, Helen rubbed her eyes as she woke. “We’re in Texas already?”
“We are,” Jim confirmed. “We’re at the hangar, and the plane is already parked. All we have to do is go outside and meet the locals.”
“Wow.” She found the control to raise her chair and did so. “I can’t believe I slept that long. It was a couple of hours, right?”
“About two and a half hours,” Jim confirmed. “I’m glad. You expended a lot of energy on my behalf last night. I’m happy you had a chance to rest at least a little.”
“Well, I don’t want to be rude and keep them waiting,” she said, getting to her feet. Her bag was stowed nearby, and she went to retrieve it. “There’s a bunch of stuff in the cargo compartment for the folks here,” she reminded him.
“I’m on it,” he assured her, “but first, let’s get you outside and introduced. The Alpha himself came to meet us.”
Helen’s eyes widened. “Wow,” she replied, still trying to wake up fully.
Chapter Eight
Jim got Helen outside and onto the tarmac. She was adorably fuzzy from sleep, but he knew she would make a good impression, no matter what. Her inner goodness shone all about her, easy to see for anyone who looked close enough.
Joe Villalobos was an Alpha used to looking closely at everything that entered his domain. He and Jim had met before, many times. Jim liked to think they’d built up a certain amount of trust and respect between them, which was why Joe hadn’t asked too many questions about the magical guest Jim was bringing to Joe’s town. Jim was glad of that trust and would not abuse it.
“Alpha, this is Helen Richards,” he introduced them formally. “Her sister, Kiki, just mated Jack Bishop, and one of her distant cousins mated one of the wolves from that Canadian wolf Pack that had the troubles a few years back. There’s fey in her family, and her mother is a Llewelyn.”
Might as well get it all out there in the open, Jim thought. He heard Helen gasp a bit as he revealed so much about her pedigree to a complete stranger, but she didn’t stop him or make any outward objections. She trusted him. He was still a bit floored by that admission she’d made to him before leaving the cockpit. Having her trust meant…well…probably more than it should.
“Helen,” Jim continued with the introduction, “this is Joe Villalobos, mayor of the town and Alpha of the Pack.”
Helen offered her hand to the older man. “Pleased to meet you, Alpha.”
“The pleasure is mine, Miss Richards. Jim told me you were a healer,” Joe said, his tone inviting.
Helen nodded. “I am, and please, call me Helen.” Her smile was sunshine on a cloudy day. “If anyone in town needs healing while I’m here, my gift is freely given,” she told him. “I’m happy to help, if I can. Though, from what I’ve learned from the shifters I’ve met so far, you all are ridiculously healthy.”
Joe chuckled at that and began walking. Helen fell into step beside him, and Jim brought up the rear.
“It’s very kind of you to offer, but you’re right. Most of us are in good shape. I wonder, though…” Joe trailed off as if in thought before continuing. “Can you do anything to ease arthritis pain? There’s an elder in the Pack who has quite a bit of trouble when it rains.”
“I’d be happy to take a look,” Helen said brightly. “If it’s something I can fix, I’d be happy to do so.”
“That’s great,” Joe replied enthusiastically, then glanced back at Jim. “There’s a spot on the edge of town that I think you should scout out, Jim. I’ve got the details back in my office, so we’ll go there, and I can brief you.”
“I’m much obliged, Alpha,” Jim answered promptly. He would have suggested delivering Helen to someplace she could rest first, but this was a wolf town, and she was a lamb. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight until he was certain the rest of the Pack knew she wasn’t prey, and she definitely wasn’t an enemy.
Joe drove them