Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

T aking a shower and getting dressed seemed to restore some of her normal positive attitude. Once she was ready, she headed up to the restaurant, which was one of the city's most critically acclaimed venues. The food and service were both said to be exceptional.

Kat stood in the ornate elevator as it made its way up to the famed eatery, made slower by having to stop on other floors to pick up other guests. Looking down at the keycard in her hand, she smiled—even it seemed as though it had been designed to be not only functional but gorgeous. Instead of being just a plain white plastic, it was made of some kind of alloy that had been carved and painted. Kat didn't know if the difference made it work differently, but it did feel better in your hand and seemed in keeping with the hotel's sense of style and beauty. Arriving at the next to the top floor, Kat marveled at the revolving restaurant.

"Good morning, Ms. Marino. Chef Steele wanted to know if you would like to sit in the main room or come back to the kitchen," said the hostess as Kat walked up to the podium.

"I think I'd like to sit in the restaurant, if that's all right."

"Totally up to you. The kitchen is fun, but hectic at this time of the day. And the views you'll get from the restaurant are amazing. Do you want to sit right along the window or in one of the raised booths?"

Kat grinned. "Which do you prefer?"

"I like the booths. They are so comfortable, and you get the best views. Right this way."

The young, vibrant woman led her to a lovely booth that had a half-moon table, and the seats closely resembled the upper half of a clam shell. She had been right—the views were amazing.

"The best part is that the dining room makes a complete revolution every hour, so the view is always changing. You get to see the entire city."

"This place is an engineering masterpiece," said Kat.

"It is. Mr. Steele wanted to give the place a unique twist. Initially, the fact that the entire floor revolves was what drew everybody to give this place a try, even though San Francisco is over-saturated with restaurants. But it's the food that brings them back. Once word got out about the quality of the menu, it's been dinner by reservation only."

The hostess left and a server came by to introduce herself and ask Kat about her drink order.

"What would you suggest?" asked Kat.

"My favorite is a Lobo Bahía Sunrise, which is our riff on a Tequila Sunrise and comes in both regular and virgin versions."

"I'm Italian," laughed Kat. "You can't expect me to eat without booze of some kind. And what's good for breakfast?""

"One Lobo Bahía Sunrise coming up. As for food? Honestly, everything on the menu is outstanding. I've worked here for five years and have never heard a single complaint. Sweet or savory?"

"Savory."

"Then my two favorites are either Chef Steele's take on Joe's Special or Shakshuka."

"Surprise me."

"Will do. And I promise you won't be disappointed. Do you want me to choose your bread?"

"Yes, please."

Her drink was served and was heavenly. Instead of orange juice it had a blend of peach and mango juice with Grand Marnier and a splash of white wine. It was delicious. Her server had chosen what Kat assumed was the Joe's Special and had paired it with perfectly toasted sourdough bread and an espresso.

Grace was walking through the restaurant, talking to patrons and making even those who'd never been here before feel like they were longtime valued customers.

"I see Nikki has taken care of you. What do you think?" she asked Kat.

"Incredible. This drink is amazing, and the food is divine. Seriously, don't tell our chef at the villa or Chef Nichols, but this is the best meal I've ever had."

"Thank you. We try to give each guest a wonderful experience."

"You have a great attention to detail. It's all so perfect. My mother always says the key to a great guest experience is in the details."

Grace nodded. "I agree. I finally got your mother to part with her biscotti recipe. We're working on perfecting it for the restaurant. Not that the recipe itself isn't perfect, but we're having trouble getting it to come out right when made in large batches. We're hoping it'll make its debut in a couple of weeks. I may hit you up to be one of my tasters."

"Her orange and chocolate chip biscotti has always been my favorite."

"Mine too. I'm really looking forward to adding it to our menu. And anything we don't make in-house, we try to source locally. But almost everything is made right here. I think it makes a difference."

"Yes, and it shows."

"What's on your agenda for today?"

"As you can see, I'm being lazy about breakfast. I have that appointment at Cable Car Corsets this morning at 10:30, and then apparently a mani/pedi at noon."

Grace laughed. "You have an early appointment. Maggie can take something she has in stock and get it ready for you in time if you want to go to Torch Light tonight."

"Are you and Linc going tonight?"

"No. We usually only play one night a week at the club. I'm afraid my mate has spoiled me. Having our own playroom means we can just stay home without being bothered to go somewhere else."

Kat found herself staring at the place on Grace's neck where her pulse could be seen. She could also see Linc's alpha mark on her throat and remembered that Grace had once been human, as had Damian Steele's mate and her own mother.

"Did it hurt a lot?" she asked before she realized it. "I'm sorry. That was rude."

"No, it wasn't. Kat, I know you've travelled extensively, but moving to a whole new country is something altogether different. I want you to think of Linc and I as family. I know you will be pack at Luna de Lobo, but I also know that sometimes it's nice to have someone to talk to who you don't see every day."

She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you, Grace. That means a great deal to me."

"I'm sure Damian will tell you that it's because I'm hoping I can steal you away as my sommelier, which by the way is totally true."

Kat laughed. "I've never even thought about something like that."

"I have," Grace teased, her eyes dancing. "If you have any interest, we can talk about it before you head out to the vineyard and then you can compare what Damian has to offer."

Lincoln Steele strolled up, pulling his wife close and nuzzling her neck. "If you steal her away, Damian is going to be pissed."

"I gave up being concerned about pissing off your brother a long time ago. We'll talk, Kat. It's always good to have options."

Kat grinned and felt the last vestiges of the mild malaise she'd been feeling evaporate like the famed fog of San Francisco. She finished up her breakfast and Linc arranged for one of the hotels' two vintage Rolls Royces to take her to Cable Car Corsets.

The storefront was beautiful. Surrounded by high-end fashion stores, several belonging to designers she knew, it fit right in. Upon entering she was greeted by the woman she assumed was the owner. She had to be in her late seventies, but she was still vibrant and chic.

"You must be Kat," the woman said. "I'm Maggie. Grace tells me I'm to take extra special care of you as she's trying to lure you away from Italy and from the vineyard."

Kat grinned. Maggie's warmth and charm were infectious. "So she told me this morning at breakfast. I have to say it's tempting, and nothing I'd ever considered before now. I was born and raised at a winery; living and working in the city would be a different experience for me."

"Well, I am sure you'll find the right place to be. But now, down to the business at hand. Grace told me you were gorgeous with a classic Italian beauty, and she wasn't kidding. I have several things that would work for you with just a little tailoring. I also have a beautiful vintage brooch that would work with your hair."

Kat thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent with Maggie and just barely made it to her mani/pedi appointment on time. She'd selected the corset and matching boy shorts for her debut at Torch Light, and had brought a piece of the material with her to reference when choosing a color for her nails. Once she was finished, Kat did some shopping to supplement the clothes she had with her. The idea of taking a bit more time in San Francisco was beginning to appeal to her.

She called Stephanie to update her. The vintner at Luna de Lobo laughed. "Damn that Grace Steele. Don't you dare say yes to her until I get to show you all I have to offer."

Kat joined in Stephanie's merriment. "I think I'm going to enjoy being fought over."

"Well if it's going to be like that, just remember Grace can't touch the male wolf population we have out here. I've already had numerous inquiries from some of our young wolves wondering when you would be joining us."

"That's not as much of an enticement as I might like it to be. Perhaps I should bring a whip and chair with me when I come to the vineyard."

"Not as bad an idea as you might think."

"Stephanie, how does it work here? I mean, Linc is an alpha wolf in Damian's territory."

"We're a little less rigid out here on the left coast. Linc and Grace are part of Damian's pack, but the city by itself needs looking after. There is a large population both of humans and shifters—wolf and otherwise—so it can be pretty intense. The Steele brothers' business interests are varied and extensive, so Linc acts as a kind of secondary alpha and holds down the fort there, so to speak. It's nice because it allows our pack to have two home bases. A great many of the wolves who work in the city work for the Steeles in one capacity or another."

"This is really none of my business, but they never had any offspring? Linc and Grace I mean."

"Anything you want to ask, you should ask. You're thinking of uprooting your entire life to move to the States and take on a new pack, and ours is a little different from most. If you're going to join us, we want you to be happy here, but if you aren't, there are other wineries that would love to have you, with all your expertise. Wine practically flows through your veins."

Kat was silent as she thought about this. "As for Linc and Grace," Stephanie continued, "she tried to get pregnant a couple of times and suffered miscarriages each time. The last one almost killed her and Linc wasn't willing to risk her for the sake of offspring—not when Damian and Kinzie already had a bunch." She laughed. "The nice thing is, they have two alpha sons so I think one will end up here and one in the city."

"It all sounds very civilized."

"Oh, but you haven't been here for one of Linc and Damian's arguments or one of our bonfire runs! They can get pretty rowdy and us old folks tend to retire fairly early, but I've heard some ripe tales."

"You aren't old. You're like my mother and the Madonna, you're timeless."

"You've been talking to Xander. I got in so much trouble with him the other night when I said some less-than-kind things about my own appearance. And as Kinzie reminded me—as long as he thinks I'm beautiful, that's all that matters. In any event, stay in the city as long as you like. Xander and I are coming to the club this weekend, so I'll try and entice you away then."

"I'll look forward to it."

Kat took the cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf and wandered around, having lunch at the Pier Market Seafood Stand. The day was crisp and clear, and she began to think the unsettling dreams she'd been having were the product of jet lag and anxiety about upending her life to come to California.

Maggie had arranged for her new fet wear to be delivered to Torch Light, so after eating lunch and wandering around the wharf, she headed back for Lobo Bahía, where she arranged for a relaxing hot stone massage. By the time the masseuse left, Kat finally felt as though she was back to herself.

She grabbed a mid-calf black slip dress she'd purchased earlier in the day and paired it with her favorite blingy, strappy sandals and a hand-made lace shawl. After checking her hair one last time she headed out for Torch Light.

"Ms. Marino?" the front desk clerk called after her as she walked across the lobby.

" Si ? I'm sorry, yes?"

"Mr. Steele arranged for one of the cars to take you and pick you up this evening. It's out front now. When you're ready to return just call the hotel and we'll send it back for you."

"He does know I am quite capable of calling a cab or an Uber, right?"

"Yes, but he also knows his wife wants to hire you. One of the first things you learn when you come to work at Lobo Bahía is that Mr. Steele will do anything to make Chef Steele happy. The man dotes on her."

S o she was going to remain in the city for a few days. And she wanted to play at Torch Light. Well, there were advantages to being the son of the owner. As neither his sire nor his uncle would be there to show her around, Jed decided to appoint himself as her personal guide to the club. This gave him the advantage of spending time with her, finding out what she liked, as well as discovering how much experience she had and what intrigued her. He could also make it clear to her that the new, beautiful Italian sub had no need of a Dom. She already had one—she just didn't know it yet.

"Jed, Dad says you're taking the chopper into the city," said Evan, his youngest brother. Evan was no alpha, but he was the odds-on favorite for being the next omega to the pack—just like his namesake, the mate to their mother's sister, had been.

"I am. Why, are you looking to catch a ride? I don't know when I'll be back," said Jed as he rolled up the sleeves of his chambray shirt.

Since he was one of the legacy members of the club, he had a permanent locker where he kept his kit and leathers. And when he took Kat to mate, he would start keeping his kit with him. For a wolf of his age, he had a fairly extensive kit, but he'd been playing at Torch Light since before he could legally drink. He smiled at that thought. The drinking age in California might be twenty-one, but at Torch Light, you had to be twenty-five before you could drink and play.

"Hmm. Intriguing. It wouldn't be a certain Italian she-wolf that has you headed into the city, would it?" asked Evan with a crooked smile.

"It would. And your point?"

"She really has no idea, does she? Considering mom and dad finally got together at La Fortezza, you'd think she'd be familiar with their cautionary tale for why a she-wolf shouldn't try and flout tradition and destiny. Especially if the wolf involved is a Steele."

Jed grinned. "You would think. But strong-willed, fractious she-wolves are known for their legendary courage and willingness to test the resolve of their fated mates."

"Anyhow, I just need a ride into the city. I'm headed down to Broken Vines tomorrow. Hudson and Shasta are playing tonight and asked if I could drive their car home. They wanted to ride their motorcycle home. They had to have it serviced and Hudson only trusts one guy in the city to work on it. I offered to ride the motorcycle instead—I thought Hudson was going to take my head off."

Jed shook his head. His baby brother didn't get it. That motorcycle was worth a fortune and next to his mate Shasta and his pack, it was the thing Hudson Rhodes most prized.

"You're welcome to come in with me, but I'm leaving in ten minutes—with or without you."