Cam's Promise Read online

  Cam’s Promise

  Book 2, Northern States Pack

  By Lee Oliver

  Copyright 2017 by Lisa Oliver

  All Rights Reserved

  Smashwords Edition

  Cam’s Promise (Northern States Pack #2)

  Copyright 2017 Lisa Oliver

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Cover Design by Lisa Oliver

  Cover Model –courtesy of Paul Henry Serres Photography. License SC_308

  Background image – Nixx Photography, Shutterstock.com

  First Edition August 2017

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, Lisa Oliver. [email protected]

  No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Lisa Oliver. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  Cam’s Promise is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  So many wonderful people help me get through my writing day. A huge shout out to Avril for her editing and promotional help, Phil for his humor, and Leah and Torhild for their help with my Facebook group. I couldn’t imagine what a mess my life would be in without you all.

  And a huge thank you to my readers. Your posts, comments, messages and emails make me smile and come up with even more story ideas. You all mean the world to me and I can never say that enough.

  Thank you.

  Table of Contents

  Author’s Note

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Other Books By Lisa Oliver

  About the Author

  Author’s Note

  So there is no confusion, yes a lot of you will know me as Lisa Oliver – author of the Cloverleah Pack, Alpha and Omega series, Arrowtown series, Bound and Bonded, Balance series and Stockton Wolves. The stories I write under Lee Oliver (a pen name stemming from childhood when I was known as Tea-Lee) are simply a way for me to write shorter length stories filled with ideas I enjoy.

  The premise for these books are still the same. They contain men loving men, or in my case, paranormals who find their mates. No matter what happens on these pages, my characters always get their HEA.

  I love writing, and even as I was writing this one, I was working on the next Cloverleah book, the next Balance book and I started a new story about dragons. My mind is filled with complex stories, scenes and my characters chatting loudly in my head. It can get quite overwhelming at times lol. The books under Lee Oliver are my opportunity to write simpler tales in a shorter format. That is the only difference.

  Thank you all for your continued support.

  Hug the one you love.

  Lisa/Lee.

  Prologue

  (Epilogue from Book 1 – Ranger’s End Game)

  “Here you go; something towards your study expenses.” Cam handed the young blond a hundred.

  “You don’t have to. It’s not as though we did anything, and I’m not a whore. All I did was sleep on your bed while you were on the couch,” the blond protested although Cam could see the need in his eyes.

  “I’m not suggesting you’re a whore,” Cam said quickly, giving the young man a hug. “It’s just, you told me about your studies and I know student life isn’t easy.”

  “You sure?” The blond asked, but he was already slipping the bill into his pocket.

  “Just remember our agreement,” Cam warned.

  “Never tell a living soul what went on tonight, unless someone gets pushy. Then tell them you’re the best fuck I’ve ever had.” The blond wore a cheeky grin. “I don’t mind finding out if that’s true, you know.”

  “It ain’t gonna happen, kid, now beat it. You have classes in a few hours. And yawn a couple of times for me.”

  The blond laughed and skipped out the door, full of the energy of youth after a good night’s sleep. Cam closed the door with a sigh. He went over to his dresser and pulled out the picture he’d hidden there before his “date.” It was a candid shot. Cam snapped it quickly during a job three years before and had kept it ever since.

  The man in the picture was proud, an arrogant look on his lean, handsome face. His long black hair was similar to Ranger’s, although there were no highlights or colorful streaks in it. His body was hidden under the long, leather trench coat the man was barely seen without, but Cam remembered every detail of their one night. The strength of the man’s hands, the power of his thrusts, and the unabashed pleasure that lined the man’s face as he climaxed with a roar and a bite.

  “Fucking bastard,” Cam said sadly, stroking the features of the man’s face in the picture. “Why couldn’t I be good enough for you to stay?” he stared at the picture until a beep from his watch reminded him he had things to do. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said, popping the picture back into its hiding place. Checking his game face in the mirror, Cam smoothed back his hair, straightened his back, plastered on a smile, and strode out of the room. With Ranger and Aiden on vacation, people were counting on him and he was proud of the fact he never let anyone down. Not even his mate.

  Chapter One

  Two weeks later

  Cam straightened at the knock on the door; his smile firmly in place as he called out “enter.” His smile widened as Ranger sauntered in, Aiden hot on his heels. “The happy honeymooners. How did your vacation go?”

  “It was fun,” Aiden said at the same time Ranger said, “tiring.” Aiden glared at his ex-assassin mate and returned Cam’s grin. “It was wonderful. We saw so many places. Ranger took me white water rafting and abseiling. It was brilliant fun.”

  “People, people, people. Everywhere we went there were people,” Ranger slumped into the nearest chair. “This one,” he waved a finger at his loving mate, “talks to everyone he sees. No one’s a stranger. They all loved him to pieces. It was hell.”

  “I can imagine you found that impossible to deal with, what with your assassin training suggesting there were rogues behind every door, and the fact your mate is so damn cute.”

  “I’m not cute,” Aiden blushed. “I just don’t see the need to glower at everyone that comes along. Besides,” he draped himself over Ranger’s shoulder. “My smile hides the fact that what I really wanted to do was to rip their throats out for thinking they have a chance with my mate. All sighs, winks, twirling hair and bosoms being pushed in his face when I’m trying to eat. Ranger’s lucky I opted for friendly.”

  “So, it’s good to be home, then.” Cam grinned, leaning his elbows on the desk. “Are you ready to take up the ma
ntle of alpha and alpha mate? Can I get some time off at last?”

  “Tomorrow,” Ranger groaned. “Honestly, I know you’ve been doing an excellent job running things in the pack while we’ve been gone, but gods, if I have to smile at one more person….”

  “Was there anything that needed attention right away?” Aiden asked. He was the most unlikely looking alpha in existence, but mating Ranger increased his confidence level tenfold. His blond curly hair shone under the lights; his shirt was tighter than it’d been when he left, indicating he had some solid meals under his belt, but it was the smile Cam noticed most of all. Aiden was happy, and underneath the manufactured grumpiness, it seemed Ranger was, too. A shaft of pain ran through Cam’s heart and his grin widened – an automatic reflex.

  “Let’s see,” he said shuffling his papers. “Most things have settled down now everyone knows you two are in charge. Newton’s been keeping his eye on the bank. There doesn’t seem to have been any upsets there now that dickhead Jenkins has left town. He’s totally overhauled the loan system, as you asked, and a lot of people and businesses are taking advantage.”

  “That’s good.” Aiden beamed. “Business growth and people doing home improvements will mean a lot to this town. What happened with the brothel and soup kitchen?”

  “The brothel has been relocated,” Cam shook his head at the memory. “As requested, it’s now on the outskirts of town and Mary, one of the local girls, is now running it. I’ve explained they’ll get no more funding from us, but if she has any problems, to give us a call. Once she realized she could run the place as a business and customers were expected to pay rather than be subsidized by your father, she seemed a lot happier. From what I gather, the girls were barely making a living before.”

  “With the crap those girls put up with they need more than minimum wage,” Aiden agreed. “What about the soup kitchen?”

  “You will love this,” Cam found the papers he was looking for. “After chatting with Newton, the bank bought one of Jenkin’s old houses in your name and it’s now a local homeless shelter. The place will provide meals three times a day for anyone who needs it. Newton’s bringing in therapists, doctors, and you now employ three chefs whose sole job is to make sure no one in the Northern State goes hungry. Plus, there’s a local job board and anyone who wants help with housing or work opportunities will find it there.”

  “Oh wow, isn’t that great, Ranger?” Aiden clapped his hands. Cam had never seen anyone so happy about giving money away before, but then Aiden was one special alpha. “Finally, somewhere for homeless shifters to go. Thank you so much, Cam. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  Ranger gave him the thumbs up and Cam could feel his cheeks heating. “On the local front, Mrs. Allen was upset because she claims the Gregor boys frightened her chickens and stopped them from laying. But as the boys were also seen harassing Jonesy down at the liquor mart at the same time, I guessed it had more to do with the fireworks her old man set off the night before.”

  “I swear Old Man Allen will blow himself up one day.” Aiden shook his head.

  “He probably will,” Cam agreed, “but I’ve warned him about setting them off too close to livestock and other people. I also spoke to Jonesy. He clipped both boys around the ear and threatened to cut off their father from the store, so they are not likely to bother him again. From a pack perspective, I’ve arranged for enforcer challenges to start in three days, Friday, so you have plenty of time to recover before then. There are notices all over town and the Alphas of the other States have been advised, in case any of their members are interested in a transfer. I wasn’t sure how many you were going to hire, given that Marcus and Shadow are here. Do you know how long they’re staying or are they going to be sent away…?” Cam trailed off, looking at Ranger.

  “I told the council, after that mess with Dominic, they need to completely overhaul their so-called Assassin policy before they ever think of starting it up again.” Ranger touched the star tattoo on his face, probably unaware he’d done it. The tattoo was just one reason the council only had four assassins on their books. “Marcus already said he wasn’t taking any more jobs. He and Shadow like it here. I won’t be going anywhere. Being alpha mate is more than enough for me. I’ve sent invitations to Sean and Levi to join us; explaining what happened. I’m expecting them both within the week. The council will have to train a whole new set of assassins if they want any jobs done. None of us will be working for them anymore.”

  “They’re definitely coming? Sean and Levi, I mean, not the council. We don’t need the council sticking their noses in around here.” Cam looked down at the desk, shuffling a few papers.

  “Sean texted and confirmed. He should be here tomorrow or the next day. And you know Levi; he’ll just turn up when he’s ready.” Ranger stood and stretched. “They both know this is important to me. I’ve told them the enforcer positions are there for the taking. I only want the best protecting my mate.” His arm went around Aiden’s shoulders and Aiden looked at him as though he’d hung the moon. “So, they will be here. They’ve never let me down before.”

  That’s what I’m afraid of. Cam nodded, but fortunately, Aiden and Ranger were already focused on each other and nothing else. It was a wonder they made it out of the door. He looked at the papers in his hand and then laid them to one side. I made a promise, but so did you, he thought, rubbing over his aching chest. How the hell do you expect me to keep mine if you don’t keep yours? Surely you can’t expect me to see you and still maintain this fiction between us.

  Unfortunately, knowing his mate as he did, Cam thought he would expect that and more. Strength was his mate’s middle name. Closing his eyes, Cam ignored the solitary tear rolling down his cheek. He would never abandon Ranger, not now he had a mate to protect, but…Gods, why does life have to be so hard?

  /~/~/~/~/

  High on a hill, on the outskirts of the Northern States pack territory, a solitary figure sat staring into the fire. Flames highlighted harsh features. Long black hair, a squared chin, and eyes as black as night. A hard man. The type anyone would back away from even without the star tattoo on his face. The man had no illusions about how he looked. He didn’t care. In his mind’s eye, all he could see was his mate’s handsome face; endlessly reliving the way the joy slipped from his features as he’d made his ruthless demands on that fateful night. No contact. Tell no one. Promise me.

  And Cam kept that promise. The man closed his eyes but even then, all he could see was the man he’d only held once. One night. One night when the tension became unbearable and he succumbed to a moment of weakness. One bite, taken in the heat of passion – something he’d wanted to do from the moment he’d first scented Cam and now….

  “Gods, I’m a five-star bastard.” The man kicked a log of wood towards the fire. He’d been so arrogant back then; so certain that all he had to do was walk away and Cam would be forgotten like the countless others that had sat on his dick before. The joke was on him. He hadn’t forgotten; he couldn’t forget and the pull to return, to see his mate again, was bad enough at the best of times. Now, this close to where he knew Cam was living, it was nigh impossible to ignore.

  “Ranger, you canny sod. I wonder if you know, but no, I’m sure you don’t. Cam kept his promise or you’d be on my ass trying to kill me.” The man pulled out his phone, scrolling to the last message he’d received from one of his oldest friends.

  Dominic’s in jail. Huge council shake-up. Found my mate and our new home. Enforcer job waiting for you, no questions asked. It’s time for you to join us. I need you, my friend.

  “Fuck.” The man sighed, running his hand over his face. He and Ranger, they’d trained together, trusted each other like brothers. They even worked together on occasion and it was on one of those occasions he’d met Cam, Ranger’s faithful spotter. Oh, nothing happened that night, or the next dozen times the men met up on various jobs over the years. But he knew and Cam knew and one night…. “I should never h
ave walked away.”

  Leaning back on the damp grass, he stared up at the stars thinking about how useless hindsight could be. Not a day went past that he hadn’t thought of his mate. Hadn’t wished he could turn back time; gone back to the best night of his life and treated his mate with the respect and caring he deserved.

  His wolf bristled inside, tired of the restraints put on him. He knew what he wanted and the man hadn’t shifted in ages because his animal was angry enough to track down and take what he wanted. “What I want too,” the man said out loud, acknowledging his animal spirit for the first time since that night. “We’re mates and my mate kept his promise. He can be trusted with my other secret, too. I have to believe that. I’ve got to believe that….” Because the alternative?

  The man refused to think like that. Not when he was so close; not when he knew that one of the rooms in the mansion he was watching held the sleeping form of his mate. Dawn was approaching and the man needed to sleep. Tomorrow, he’d freshen up, pack his things and head down to the alpha house to answer Ranger’s summons. What happened after that was entirely in the hands of his beloved mate, Cam. The man’s name stayed on his lips as he fell into sleep.

  Chapter Two

  “So, I was thinking about going on holiday,” Cam said, trying to keep his voice casual. Ranger and Aiden were enjoying a late breakfast and while he didn’t think he could keep anything in his stomach, he joined them when asked, sipping on his sixth cup of coffee for the day.

  “You had one not that long ago, right?” Ranger raised an eyebrow. “Something hot and sexy waiting for you in the Western States?”

  “No.” Lying between shifters just wasn’t possible. Which made Cam’s job all the more difficult. “It’s just, you two have come home; you have Sean and Levi joining you in the next couple of days. I thought it might be time for me to have a wee break of my own. Aiden was so enthusiastic about white water rafting, I thought I’d give it a go. You did say the people are friendly.” He winked at Aiden making Ranger growl.