Shadow Wolf (Wolf of My Heart Book 7)

by Linda Palmer

  Then she gently detached. "I can't do this."

  I couldn't either, but I had to know why. "Because I'm a wolf?"

  "No, because we're hurt, exhausted, and possibly in danger. Besides that, there's the Elise thing. She thinks I'm out here with an injured wolf. I don't know how she'd feel if she knew you were you." Lily glanced toward the stairs. "Was there a bedroom up there?"

  "Yep."

  "One bed?"

  "Two."

  She softly exhaled her relief.

  I tried to not let it bother me.

  "Then I think I'll turn in." She began putting everything unused back into the first aid kit.

  I caught her hand. "Wait. I want to know more about Jon Paxton."

  "You know everything I know."

  Truth or lie? My stomach grumbled, reminding me I hadn't eaten all day. "Do any of those bags of yours have food in them?"

  She snapped shut the lid of the first aid box. "Hungry?"

  "Always."

  "I have Christmas leftovers. Help yourself."

  Yes! I pulled the tote closer and began unloading it, peeking into every plastic container as I did.

  "There's a microwave." She pointed to it. "Shall I heat everything up?"

  "Only if you want to."

  She found silverware in a drawer and gave me a fork. I used one of the four plates in the cabinet, heaping it with dressing, sliced turkey, mac and cheese, and gelatinous giblet gravy. She popped it in the microwave. When it dinged, I dug in. She handed me a couple of rolls. I began wolfing down—words very apropos—the food.

  "You're not hungry?" I talked with my mouth full, but she understood me.

  "I might eat dessert."

  I grinned. "There's dessert?"

  "Pie, cake, fudge. Which do you want?"

  "Yes."

  She laughed at my answer, a sound that my ears loved.

  It felt good to be in synch again, even if it wasn't going to last.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Lily

  When I finally crawled into one of the twin beds upstairs, every muscle in my body ached. I listened to sleet pinging the roof until Cade got into his bed. That's when I began listening to him. The rustle of his sheets, the sound of his sigh, his even breaths once he fell asleep. Only then did I fully relax, closing my eyes and giving in to exhaustion.

  I woke some time later to a bedroom that wasn't as dark as it had been when I turned in. I glanced at my cell to check the time: seven a.m. on a Sunday. The sun was barely up. We just couldn't see it because of the storm front sweeping through the state.

  A glance to my left revealed that Cade lay on his side with his back to me. Closing my eyes, I imagined how it would feel to wake him with a kiss. I had no doubt where we'd wind up. Was I ready to go there? I marveled that we seemed to have skipped all the preliminary steps of any relationship—meeting, getting to know one another, the first awkward date. Although we were doing just fine without all that, I couldn't help but regret that I'd missed so much time with him.

  Cade turned then to face me. Our gazes met. He smiled as if he'd forgotten I'd be there. Unable to resist impulse, I slipped out of my bed and into his. "Hey."

  "Hey back." He tucked an arm under his head and kept his other one outside the covers. "How'd you sleep?"

  "Okay, I think."

  "May I kiss you good morning?"

  "I did just crawl into your bed, so yeah. Go for it."

  He did, and I kissed him right back. Oddly, I wasn't as self-conscious as I'd have expected. No worry about morning breath or my bed head. I noticed that he was careful that our lips were the only body parts that touched, though he did lace his fingers with mine.

  I kept my distance, too, somehow defying my urge to jump his bones. "Is this a birthmark?" I was examining the chocolate-drop mark on the back of his hand.

  "Yeah. Apparently inherited according to Mom."

  Interesting. "So…what's the plan, oh mighty Lobo?"

  "Don't have one. Are Neecy and Theo worrying about you?"

  "Not yet, but they will if they get home and I'm nowhere to be found."

  "Figured that." He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "I need to think."

  "About what?"

  "The pack."

  "So think."

  "Can't. You're too distracting."

  "Then I should leave you to it." I sat up and kicked off the covers. "What do I do about Miss Elise?"

  "No idea."

  "Can you shift whenever you want? Or do you need a full moon?" For all I knew, we might've had one hiding behind the clouds last night.

  "I can shift at will. It's just easier under a full moon because I can shift back into a guy at will, too. NFM nights are a little trickier because I can't."

  "Neffum?" I pronounced it the way he had.

  "N-F-M. Non-full moon."

  "I'd really like to hear all about the supernatural."

  "It's knowledge that could be dangerous. But I'll tell you what I can when I see you tonight."

  I liked the sound of that. "What about Theo?"

  "I think we have a truce."

  "And I think you're both keeping secrets." I caught my breath. "Oh God. Is Theo a wolf, too?"

  "N-no."

  "You hesitated!"

  "Then let me make this clear: your cousin-in-law is not a wolf."

  Hm. I got up and stretched, highly aware that he was watching my every move. The room felt charged, sort of like a static current had run amuck. Our incredible chemistry? Or his duality? "I'm going to see Miss Elise. I'll tell her I freed you this morning. You should probably make sure she sees you sometime today." My mind was still racing, fueled by what I didn't know about the supernatural. "If you shift, you'll lose all your bandages."

  "Won't matter. I really am okay, just a little sore." He was standing now, testing his muscles and checking out his injuries.

  "Do you think the pack will bother me again?"

  "They damn well better not."

  "Give me your cell number."

  He did. I put it in my phone and told him mine. He repeated it several times, clearly putting it to memory since he didn't have his cell or anything else with him. "Text me when you get home so I'll know you didn't hit a patch of ice and flip your car."

  "Thank you so much for that graphic." I rolled my eyes. "Where do you live?"

  "I rent a room by the week. An old house on Pine Street."

  "Tell me about your day job."

  "I'm a computer geek that gets paid for doing something he likes to do."

  "Do the other wolves work?"

  "Sure. You've got the wrong idea about us. We all live pretty normal lives. Barnett sings and plays guitar in a Branson show. Choco's a trainer at a gym. Rocky does electrical work. Hunter's working at the lumber yard. Mike, who's married, does road work for the state. The wolf thing is as natural to us as breathing, but supernatural to everyone else. That's the lure of the pack. We respect each other's secrets as a brotherhood, we bum around together, we stick up for one another. Where packs run into trouble is when their alpha is a crook or answers to someone else who is. That's where Ben and his guys come in."

  "So your plan is to stick around a little longer?"

  "Yes."

  Pleased by his answer, I began pulling the sheets off my bed. Cade did the same. When the room was as tidy as we'd found it, I led the way downstairs. I sent him to my SUV with the dirty linens, towels, and the bloody blanket. While he did that, I cleaned the kitchen area, which meant stashing my damp clothes in the tote with the empty food containers. He was standing by the door as I gave the place one last look. With my bags in hand, I kissed his cheek—all I'd let myself do—before exiting the apartment. Cade stayed out of sight while I backed the SUV and drove right to Elise's door.

  She was watching me from her porch by the time I got to it. "How is he this morning?"

  "Shockingly fine." I got out of the SUV and walked over to her. "He left before dawn."

/>   "And what about you?" Elise touched one of the scrapes on my face.

  "I'm better, too. Thanks for letting us crash here last night. I'm taking the linens home with me so I can wash them."

  "Don't be silly. I can do that."

  "No. It's the least I can do."

  "Will it upset you to tell me what happened?"

  "Not at all." I gave her the short version. And the odd thing? She didn't seem a bit shocked or even surprised. "I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't let us stay."

  "Wolves are very wily. Yours would've thought of something."

  My startled gaze met hers. How much did she know? And how could she possibly know anything?

  Elise smiled. "Has my niece talked about me?"

  "Only a little."

  "Ah. I have blueberry muffins and a fresh pot of coffee. If you're not in a hurry, why don't you come inside so we can talk?"

  Elise's dining nook had known a feminine touch—lacy curtains, dainty wallpaper, soft colors and a china hutch filled with memories. I felt very comfortable as I sat at her table for two. She set out muffins in a basket, butter, jam, plates and silverware plus two cups of coffee before joining me.

  The first bite of warm muffin was divine and oddly calming—or maybe it was Elise who'd shifted the mood. Whatever the reason, I began to feel a little better.

  She clearly sensed it. "There's nothing to worry about. He's one of the good guys."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Cade Messig."

  I choked and coughed up a lung before I finally caught my breath. "You know?"

  "Yes. His wolf and I are great friends, as I've already said." She reached across the table and patted my hand. "This isn't as crazy as it sounds. I'm a psychic. Used to do readings for a living."

  "No way!"

  "Oh yes. I'm not surprised no one has told you. I was the black sheep of the family and pretty notorious around here for a lot of years. One of the churches even banned me after they found out the pastor's wife had asked for advice on her love life. What a scandal that was!"

  I was too shocked to laugh. "Does Cade know you know?"

  "Yes, but we never talk about it."

  Maybe they didn't need to. "Do you read minds?"

  She smiled. "What I get are feelings, along with random flashes of insight and occasional word bursts. At least, I used to. They're not as frequent as they used to be." Her smile faded, and for a moment she sat there without speaking, clearly lost in regrets. "Practice makes perfect, you know, and I seldom read anyone these days."

  I squeezed her hand in sympathy.

  That brought her back to the here and now. "The old mind may be going, but whenever you knock on my door, I know it's you because I feel your warmth. You're a sunbeam."

  Her compliment touched me. "Thank you for saying that."

  "It's the truth. Now what's the plan?"

  "I have to go to Neecy's. They'll worry if I don't. Cade will leave soon, if he hasn't already. Sorry I lied about that, by the way."

  "No worries. You were just trying to protect your man."

  That made me laugh and lightened the mood. "'My man' really isn't, at least not yet. And he can take care of himself. It was my reputation I was worried about. I don't know what your mind is telling you, but we definitely slept in separate beds last night."

  Elise laughed heartily. "I may be a dowdy old spinster, but I've had my share of fun. If my kin only knew..."

  Loving that she had confided in me, I went a little further. "I guess you'd be considered part of Cade's supernatural world."

  "Technically speaking though, my gift is nothing compared to his, especially now that I'm getting old."

  "What can you tell me?"

  "Not as much as you want to hear. I didn't even know there was a supernatural world until I was thirty-five. A group of men contacted me to ask if I'd help locate Weres. And even though I agreed, it took me years to find my place in the order of things. I have questions to this day that will never be answered. I will say I find the whole idea of a secret world very comforting."

  "Yes…if it's all fairy godmothers, pixies, and the good witch Glinda."

  "I was actually referring to the spirit world when I said it was comforting. Beyond the wolves, I know little of what's out there. Now why don't you check to see if Cade is still around. I'll cook up something special for him."

  "What's wrong with your muffins? They're delicious."

  "Weres tend to be carnivorous."

  With a sigh, I left the house and crunched across the icy yard to the garage, where I entered the apartment.

  "Cade?"

  No answer.

  "Cade!" I checked around for him before going outside to look for paw prints. But the hard ice hid any evidence. Disappointment settled on me, heavy as one of those musty old moving quilts we'd used the night before. For at least a minute, I stood inside the garage trying to get hold of my unexpected emotion. When I could smile again, I went back to Elise and told her he was gone.

  I left soon after and wasted no time heading to Neecy's. As requested, I texted Cade the moment I arrived there. He did not answer right away. At home, I deliberately kept myself busy. I caught up on the laundry, including Elise's bed linens from last night. Some minor de-cluttering helped the appearance of the house. I turned on the tree lights, but didn't peek at the presents still tucked under it—mine to Theo and Neecy, and theirs to me and each other.

  Around two, I heard my cousin's car pull into the drive and ran out to help unload, easily a three-person job. The de-cluttered house immediately got that lived-in look and ambiance. I was that glad Neecy and Theo were home. Now I'd have someone to talk to, which would keep me from brooding.

  Did I text Cade again? Of course, but he never answered. Uncertain about his situation or feelings, I didn't text again. Away from me, he could've gained a new perspective on our relationship. Maybe he now regretted sharing the wolf thing. Maybe he didn't like my family. Maybe he didn't like me.

  But I knew he did.

  So where in the heck was he? And why no text?

  Mid-afternoon, we dined on the leftovers they'd brought home and then sat around the tree to open presents. Neecy loved her new crock pot and personalized Ah Spa hoodie; Theo loved his coffee table book about world architecture. As for me, I got a hand-carved wall piece, perfectly sized for my area at the spa. A wreath of lilies entwined the old English letters that spelled out my name. I'd never received a present as gorgeous—not counting the table fountain, of course—so I actually perked up a little.

  The best part of our delayed Christmas was when they opened their presents to each other. Witness to their laughter and love, I felt like a third wheel and slipped into the kitchen to get a cold drink. Since I was starting to wonder about Cade, I gave in and texted one last time. Still no answer, but knowing he'd promised to drop by the house if he could, I didn't lose faith.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Cade

  Although I knew Lily would be pissed, I'd taken the wuss's way out Sunday morning and left the moment she went indoors with Elise. I had so much to do, starting with finding out more about Mike's meeting. If his answers were promising, I planned to talk him into taking me with him. By now he probably knew I hadn't gone home as planned. He'd be wondering why. I was wondering, too—about the date, time, and location of the "summit" that might change my life.

  As my wolf, I loped through the woods and on back roads toward the shift house that local Weres had apparently used for years as a changeover room. Half buried in a rock bank and impossible to find the first time without a pack member's help, it wasn't far out of town and served no other purpose as far as I knew. There were individual lockers. We kept our clothes and personal stuff in them while in wolf form. Thanks to a keyed lock on the outside door, no one ever bothered the room or our vehicles, parked under evergreens nearby.

  It was about noon when I arrived. Mike's truck was there, though I didn't see him. I shifted and dressed as u
sual, paying very little attention to my surroundings…until I realized Mike's locker wasn't closed, thanks to some clothing sticking out of it. Clearly he was on a Sunday run. I battled my conscience for maybe two seconds before I went through his pockets. I found his cell phone, wallet, and keys. Snatching up the phone, I shamelessly checked out his calendar. I saw that several dates were highlighted. A closer look gave me exactly what I needed. The summit was taking place Wednesday. That meant I had less than a day to wheedle Mike for an invite, and if he didn't come through, I'd have to crash the party.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Lily

  Thank goodness Cade and Theo had called a truce. Exactly how and why, I couldn't imagine unless Theo now or already knew as much or more than I. I supposed that Cade could've made peace another way. I knew for sure that faint-hearted Neecy did not need to be part of this particular information loop. I did tell them that Cade would be dropping by later. Neither seemed to have a problem with that.

  I'll admit I looked up expectantly every time a car drove past. By eight, I was pacing; at eight-thirty, I called Cade. No answer. Nine found me sitting on the shadowy front porch, wrapped in a blanket and desperately wishing he'd hurry and get there. But ten and then eleven rolled around without his arrival. I joked with Theo and Neecy about his no-show status. I even laughed when Theo offered up some ridiculous scenarios that might've delayed him. Inside, I was a bundle of anxiety, which is why I finally retreated to my bedroom.

  In my bed in the dark, scenario after scenario played in my head. Had the pack leader figured out Cade was undercover? Had the attack on him been more than testosterone-fueled bullying? Was he now a hostage, or worse, dead?

  But no. I wouldn't go there, even to worry.

  I thought some more. If it was me they were after, they'd had plenty of chances. It wasn't like I was never alone, though under Theo's watchful eye, I hadn't been on the go as much as I liked. Still, I had been to Elise's twice, a twenty-minute drive on some lonely roads. I suddenly thought of Cade-wolf, loping through her woods as I bumped and jolted my way to the house and watching me fill up her bird feeders. So I hadn't been as alone as I thought. So what? The pack coming after me made no sense, unless…