The other wolf looked up briefly at Nina. “Welcome to Cascadia. My sincere condolences for your loss. Rey was always fun to play cards with. He watched my youngest last year for a few months on Thursday afternoons when the wife had to work swing shift and I couldn’t change my schedule. Taught her how to play backgammon.”
A sweet memory rushed through Nina then. Gabriel had loved backgammon. It was one of the games their father had played with them both and it had been a way for Nina and Gabriel to reconnect with him.
She put a hand up to her chest, pressing over her heart. Tears welled up. “Thank you. You don’t know what it means to me to hear you say that.”
“Ms. Reyes, your brother was a good person. Anyone who said differently didn’t know him very well. When I needed him, he always helped out. He may have made a big deal about it or talked a good game, but he refused to take money to watch Bea. Said she kept him young. He would always bring her stuff that he won at the fair or picked up here and there. He told me once that she reminded him of you. Looking at you now, I can see why.”
He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and showed a picture of a smiling little girl with deep brown eyes, wide and filled with a kind of openness that Nina simply couldn’t recall ever feeling until that moment. She did have that face for part of her life. For so long it had been too painful to remember and so she just pushed it so far back that she nearly forgot.
“Nina,” she whispered and cleared her throat. “Please, call me Nina.” She leaned over and hugged the man quickly. “Thank you.”
Blushing furiously, he inclined his head again, grinning. Lex rolled his eyes, but seeing Nina’s face was worth seeing her hug another man. Pausing mentally, Lex realized that he was one of those people who hadn’t known Rey very well. Gabriel Reyes had been a dipshit, but after hearing Nina talk about their past Lex understood Rey a lot better and was sorry he’d never really tried to get to know him.
“Dorian is out back. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Lex nodded at Grey. “Thanks.”
Lex guided Nina through several long hallways until they ended up at a set of large double doors. There was a large locker area to one side and a counter across from that with shelves and shelves of what appeared to be ammunition and firearms. Body armor hung on racks.
“This is the shooting range. There is also an archery range outside for crossbows, very enjoyable. Fencing and sword work is done in a room that we passed on our way in. Hand-to-hand combat work like judo and Krav Maga is done in the smaller practice floors upstairs.
“All of my guards are trained here by Dorian Metz. Dorian has been in charge of training for forty-five years. He’s the reason I went into the Army and got into the Rangers. I was hard as nails at nineteen because I’d trained with him my entire life.
“Were we allowed to compete, he is good enough to medal in shooting at the Olympics. He’s also a black belt in karate and is incredibly skilled with knives and Japanese long swords.
“I will oversee all your training. But he will help when needed.”
Nina wrinkled her nose as Lex began to look over the different handguns behind the counter. “Training?”
Lex chose one and unlocked the trigger lock. He turned and pulled open a drawer, popped out the clip and laid the gun, clip and a box of ammunition down. “You’re my mate, Nina. My place in this Pack as Enforcer is a dangerous one. As such, it’s dangerous for you too. That means you have to be trained to defend yourself and also to be on the offensive if necessary.”
“Okey-dokey. But I hope you know that I’m rebuilding my shop. Not that I don’t mind backing you up and kicking anyone’s ass who threatens you. But I’m a florist, Lex.”
He grinned and kissed her forehead. “I know. But you need to be trained. Everyone in the Pack receives some level of training and everyone ranked Ten and above receives a great deal more.”
He then watched her load the bullets into the clip and put the clip into the gun. He had her do it over once more and nodded. “Good.”
“Yeah. It’s not exactly rocket science.”
Just then a man walked through the double doors. “Alexander, my boy! You’ve brought your mate to me. Are you going to turn her over to my care?”
Nina raised a brow and Lex chuckled. “Dorian!” He hugged the man and turned to Nina. “Dorian Metz, this is Nina, my mate. And I’ll handle her training. Well, except for swords.”
The man was the smallest werewolf Nina had seen. Most of them were at least six feet tall and bulky in some way. Dorian Metz was about five seven. He was totally gray and had the most piercing light blue eyes. He studied her, taking her measure.
“You don’t trust me with your stunning little wolf, Alexander?”
Lex snorted. “No, Dorian. My stunning little wolf is tough. She can handle herself quite well. It’s you I’m protecting.”
Both men laughed and Nina looked at Megan and rolled her eyes.
“Okay, now can you two do the secret handshake already? Or is there spanking involved and some sort of secret ritual?”
Dorian got quiet for a moment and narrowed his eyes at Nina, who actually was beginning to regret her glib comment. Thank goodness his face broke with a huge smile and he pulled her into a hug.
“Oh! I do like this one, Alexander. You need some humor in your life. You’ve always been too serious. She’ll keep you in line, I think.”
A sweet memory rushed through Nina then. Gabriel had loved backgammon. It was one of the games their father had played with them both and it had been a way for Nina and Gabriel to reconnect with him.
She put a hand up to her chest, pressing over her heart. Tears welled up. “Thank you. You don’t know what it means to me to hear you say that.”
“Ms. Reyes, your brother was a good person. Anyone who said differently didn’t know him very well. When I needed him, he always helped out. He may have made a big deal about it or talked a good game, but he refused to take money to watch Bea. Said she kept him young. He would always bring her stuff that he won at the fair or picked up here and there. He told me once that she reminded him of you. Looking at you now, I can see why.”
He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and showed a picture of a smiling little girl with deep brown eyes, wide and filled with a kind of openness that Nina simply couldn’t recall ever feeling until that moment. She did have that face for part of her life. For so long it had been too painful to remember and so she just pushed it so far back that she nearly forgot.
“Nina,” she whispered and cleared her throat. “Please, call me Nina.” She leaned over and hugged the man quickly. “Thank you.”
Blushing furiously, he inclined his head again, grinning. Lex rolled his eyes, but seeing Nina’s face was worth seeing her hug another man. Pausing mentally, Lex realized that he was one of those people who hadn’t known Rey very well. Gabriel Reyes had been a dipshit, but after hearing Nina talk about their past Lex understood Rey a lot better and was sorry he’d never really tried to get to know him.
“Dorian is out back. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Lex nodded at Grey. “Thanks.”
Lex guided Nina through several long hallways until they ended up at a set of large double doors. There was a large locker area to one side and a counter across from that with shelves and shelves of what appeared to be ammunition and firearms. Body armor hung on racks.
“This is the shooting range. There is also an archery range outside for crossbows, very enjoyable. Fencing and sword work is done in a room that we passed on our way in. Hand-to-hand combat work like judo and Krav Maga is done in the smaller practice floors upstairs.
“All of my guards are trained here by Dorian Metz. Dorian has been in charge of training for forty-five years. He’s the reason I went into the Army and got into the Rangers. I was hard as nails at nineteen because I’d trained with him my entire life.
“Were we allowed to compete, he is good enough to medal in shooting at the Olympics. He’s also a black belt in karate and is incredibly skilled with knives and Japanese long swords.
“I will oversee all your training. But he will help when needed.”
Nina wrinkled her nose as Lex began to look over the different handguns behind the counter. “Training?”
Lex chose one and unlocked the trigger lock. He turned and pulled open a drawer, popped out the clip and laid the gun, clip and a box of ammunition down. “You’re my mate, Nina. My place in this Pack as Enforcer is a dangerous one. As such, it’s dangerous for you too. That means you have to be trained to defend yourself and also to be on the offensive if necessary.”
“Okey-dokey. But I hope you know that I’m rebuilding my shop. Not that I don’t mind backing you up and kicking anyone’s ass who threatens you. But I’m a florist, Lex.”
He grinned and kissed her forehead. “I know. But you need to be trained. Everyone in the Pack receives some level of training and everyone ranked Ten and above receives a great deal more.”
He then watched her load the bullets into the clip and put the clip into the gun. He had her do it over once more and nodded. “Good.”
“Yeah. It’s not exactly rocket science.”
Just then a man walked through the double doors. “Alexander, my boy! You’ve brought your mate to me. Are you going to turn her over to my care?”
Nina raised a brow and Lex chuckled. “Dorian!” He hugged the man and turned to Nina. “Dorian Metz, this is Nina, my mate. And I’ll handle her training. Well, except for swords.”
The man was the smallest werewolf Nina had seen. Most of them were at least six feet tall and bulky in some way. Dorian Metz was about five seven. He was totally gray and had the most piercing light blue eyes. He studied her, taking her measure.
“You don’t trust me with your stunning little wolf, Alexander?”
Lex snorted. “No, Dorian. My stunning little wolf is tough. She can handle herself quite well. It’s you I’m protecting.”
Both men laughed and Nina looked at Megan and rolled her eyes.
“Okay, now can you two do the secret handshake already? Or is there spanking involved and some sort of secret ritual?”
Dorian got quiet for a moment and narrowed his eyes at Nina, who actually was beginning to regret her glib comment. Thank goodness his face broke with a huge smile and he pulled her into a hug.
“Oh! I do like this one, Alexander. You need some humor in your life. You’ve always been too serious. She’ll keep you in line, I think.”
