by D. K. Davis
“Hey, reach into my back pocket and grab that. It’s probably Oakly,” he whispered to me. He cuddled the bundle close to his chest.
I got his phone. A picture of Rowan and Oakly lit-up, and I tapped the screen to answer, “Hi, Oakly. It’s Morgan. Rowan’s got his hands full with two fawns. Can I give him a message?”
I followed Rowan and the others as they walked toward where we’d entered the forest.
“Give Rowan this message. Max can come a couple of hours earlier than his midnight shift, and I can come now. I’m supposed to be protecting you while Rowan’s on patrol.”
I didn’t like everyone thinking I needed protection. Why would I be a target anyway? Certainly not from yesterday. All those guys that might have witnessed my miracle blood trick were apprehended. “I don’t need that kind of protection. Everyone’s treating me like I’m some fragile big deal. No one even knows me but you guys, and the men that got caught. So, stop acting like I’m that important.” Guess I got kind of loud because everyone had stopped walking and stared at me.
The babies moved inside the blanket and Rowan adjusted his hold. “You are that important. We’ll talk about it later. I’m sure Dad will have a few points of why when he gets back.”
“Hel-l-l-o.” Oakly’s voice came through the cell phone that I held at my hip.
I stuck it back up to my ear. “Apologies. I’ll tell Rowan. Right now, headed to Uncle Charlie’s truck parked on the road. We’ll be taking the fawns back to my aunt.”
“Stay at your aunt’s until we get this figured out. Rowan or I will come and pick you up.” Oakly clicked off.
I passed the message on to Rowan, along with his phone.
“Yea, that’s a good idea. Stay at your aunt’s until we see what’s happening in the forest tonight. One of us will come and get you. I know Dad will be upset if you’re not at our house for the night.”
Uncle Charlie called my aunt and let her know we were bringing two fawns. After he ended the call, he said, “These babies will have extra privileges. They’re staying in our bedroom tonight. Your aunt will have it set up. They’ll need to eat as soon as we get there.”
Addison jumped onto the backseat of the truck and held her hands out. “I get the babies back here.”
Rowan lifted the blanket to her and helped Addison settle it on her lap. “Comfortable?”
“Yep.” Her smile stretched almost ear to ear.
Rowan pulled me away from the truck. “Listen, you have an ability that’s rare, something kept under wraps to all but a few trusted friends, guardians, and Pryde Overlords. If knowledge of it gets into the wrong hands…” He sighed. His eyes softened, instantly turning my insides to melted honey. “We need to protect you from those predators. The kind that would kill for your blood.”
He drew me into his arms and squeezed me into his chest.
My whole body relaxed against his, and my eyes closed as I listened to his steady heartbeat.
Uncle Charlie rolled the window down. “We need to go. These babes need sustenance.”
Rowan leaned down and kissed my forehead, and then whispered against my ear, “Trust me on this. Dad wants you protected. There’s a reason for it.”
Chapter Nineteen
Morgan
I opened the extended cap truck door, and Addison handed the precious cargo of fawns into my arms. She dropped her feet on the ground, and Uncle Charlie came around from the driver’s side. We walked into the house together. As soon as the entrance door closed behind us, my aunt rushed over, her face bright pink.
“Slow down, Becka. They’re healthy, hungry fawn, ready for you.” Uncle Charlie rubbed my aunt’s shoulder. She nodded.
She waved me into their bedroom and had a little box ready with blankets. “I’ll help you set them in there.” She held one side of the bundle, and I had the other. We placed the babes in the box. “Here.” She handed me a bottle of formula and kept one for herself. The two fawns sniffed, licked, and finally suckled.
Addison plopped on the bed and watched.
Charlie carried a couple of steamy cups of hot cocoa into the room and set them on the nightstand. The delicious chocolatey aroma wafted all around me. “Becka, would you like to join the girls and have hot chocolate?”
“No, thank you.” My aunt studied the fawn in her arms as a smile grew across her face. “Your momma is watching over you like an angel.”
Uncle Charlie leaned down and peered at the tiny beast. “You’ll be the angel watching over this pair.”
“I’ll be up and down with these little guys all night, so I’ll be wanting your help, Mr. Angelman.” She grinned at him and then turned back to the baby deer. “They’re small, but everything appears developed all right.” My aunt hummed a lullaby and rocked her tiny fawn slow and steady from one side to the other, so I copied her moves.
We laid them back in the box next to each other, and my aunt and uncle stepped into the great room. Addison and I followed, carrying our hot chocolates.
“Morgan, I think you and Addison should stay here tonight,” Uncle Charlie stated as soon as we all sat down.
“It’s after midnight, and we don’t want either of you driving or running through the woods to get to Marcus’ house.” Aunt Becka moved to sit on the arm of the couch, next to me. “I need to stay here with the fawns, and I’d like both of you to help with the early feeding for the other fawns in the morning. Charlie’s going to be dead on his feet helping me with the feedings during the night.”
“I’ll let Mom know I’m staying the night here.” Addison glanced at me. “You okay with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Did you want to share my bed? It’s a good-sized bed.” I’d never spent the night with a friend nor did I ever stay at someone’s house other than at Aunt Becka’s or my Grandma Mary’s place. So, wasn’t sure of the protocol for overnight guests.
“You’re welcome to sleep on a couch, Addison,” my aunt offered.
“I’ll sleep down here, and I can make up my bed if you show me where the sheets, pillows, and blankets are.” Addison followed Aunt Becka to the room next to the backdoor. Besides the laundry and a half-bathroom, some closets lined a couple of walls for linens, coats, and more. I hadn’t looked through all of them yet.
“I’m whipped. Think it’s because I got no sleep last night.” I closed my eyes calculating how long I’d been awake and then popped my eyes wide open with the discovery. “Holy smokin’ oh-lee! I’ve been awake for thirty-six hours.”
“I understand a consistent flow of adrenaline kicks through a shifter’s system when their blood activates. It’s pure strength, agility, and ability,” Aunt Becka said as she came back into the room with the bedding. “You go on up to bed. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night everyone.”
Everyone replied at the same time, “Night.”
When my head hit the pillow, my lights went out.
* * *
I woke with a start, not sure if a sound or my internal clock brought me back to life. The outside backyard light streamed through the bedroom window. I got up and looked outside. My aunt or uncle probably went to the barn for the early morning fawns’ feeding.
Another night I hadn’t worn my pajamas. Wow. I changed, throwing the tattered T-shirt and bra into the wastebasket, and quickly brushed my teeth and hair. No lights in the great room as I came down the circular stairway.
Addison lay asleep on the couch. I crept toward the kitchen realizing another body wrapped in bedding slept on the other couch. I leaned closer, and a wild current swept throughout my blood stream like a windstorm. Rowan. Bedding spread across the floor indicated someone else had slept in the room, but no one was there now. I scented Oakly. He must have spent the night also.
The landscape scene clock on the wall read, five o’clock, so I headed out to the barn. Coyotes howled in the distance as I crossed the backyard, and an owl hooted from somewhere closer. No one was inside the fawns’ pen, but the animals had coll
ected close to the gate as if they knew someone would be there soon.
I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath of the chilled morning air, filling my lungs. I’m home. I live here. But something odd whirled in the air, alerting my senses to awaken. I opened my eyes and noticed a crack of light coming from the entrance barn door. No one ever left that open.
Izzy, one of the goats, stood right inside, sniffing the outside air. “What are you doing out of your stall?” I whispered and pushed her back so that I could enter, and then closed the door behind me. My skin prickled with hot coals. My senses retrieved an unidentified scent bombarding my system. Voices came from the other side of the closed sterilization room door. I recognized one of them. Anger swept through me like a speeding ball of fire as I slammed the door open.
Uncle Charlie stared at me wide-eyed. “Morgan. Why did you do that?”
Beads of sweat popped out across my forehead and my hands folded into fists on automatic-mode, my gaze never leaving the woman who stood next to my uncle.
Uncle Charlie cleared his throat and strode across the room. “Are you all right? Your eyes are glowing.”
Then it struck me like a bolt of lightning. She’s a shifter.
My uncle stood in front of me, glaring at me with meaning. “This is Lara, one of the Grand Rapids students, here to help for college credits.” Uncle Charlie shook my shoulder. “Morgan, snap out of it,” he whispered, and then he stepped to the side.
Kara, not Lara, strode toward me, reaching a hand out and then dropping it to her side when I refused to reciprocate. “Nice to meet you,” she said and smiled that radiant, devious way that always drew me into her web. She sounded and acted nothing like the woman I knew in Grand Rapids. Nor did she look the same, wearing running pants and a loose sweatshirt that couldn’t hide her voluptuous assets. “Your uncle has told me so much about you. I feel like I already know you.” She intentionally moved her body to reveal a small gun tucked in her waistband.
Now I understood why the loose sweatshirt.
My uncle remained none the wiser.
* * *
Rowan
Urgency ripped through my brain, and blazing needle pricks struck a trail across my skin. I sucked in a breath and sat up. Morgan. I shook my head to retrieve more, but nothing came. I rushed up the stairway and discovered her gone.
The backyard light beamed across the dewy grass, but not inside the fawns’ pen. Odd. When I rushed back down the stairway, Addison sat up.
“What’s going on? It’s too quiet in here.” She stretched and got to her feet. “You look like you’re on high alert.” Then her body went rigid, and her eyes glowed, narrowing. “Did you just come down from Morgan’s room?” She rushed around the couch toward me.
I held my palms up to stop her. “I went to find her. She’s not there, and something’s ringing my alert bells. I’m headed out to the barn to see if she’s there.” I took off, running. Addison tailed me. When we entered the barn, voices came from the sterilization room. I sensed Morgan there, but instead of relaxing, my muscles tensed. Another shifter.
Addison got to the open door first. “What’s up?”
I followed her into the room.
Morgan’s gaze met mine, and her mind-communication shot into my head, “This woman’s an imposter, but play along. Talk about it later.”
I took that as a cue, so played my part of ignorance. “Hey. I’m Rowan, and this is Addison.” My cousin elbowed me.
“I can introduce myself.” Addison stepped farther into the room.
“I’m Lara. One of the Grand Rapids students here to help and earn some credits.” Her alluring smile gave nothing about her away.
“You’re here early.” Addison had a way of digging deeper. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“Took my early morning run and came across the Connor’s Wildlife Refuge sign, so I decided to take a peek. Saw Charlie entering the barn and followed.” She scanned the room as if interested. “So, what’s next?”
Morgan’s jaw tensed, her hands fisting then un-fisting, over and over.
Addison stepped up to the plate, and said, “We feed the fawns. I’m sure they are starving by now.”
Charlie handed the crate full of prepared formula bottles to Morgan. “Why don’t you and Rowan show Lara how to feed the fawn. “I’ve got a couple to feed inside so that Becka can sleep a bit longer.” He glanced at Addison. “How about you come with me to get those bear claw pastries warming for breakfast?”
A worried expression passed over Addison so fast I was sure no one else had noticed. “Okay, sure.” She glanced my way with a raised brow. “Come to the house when you’ve finished. I’ll have everything ready.”
“Oh, just so you know, no one else came with me. It’s just me today.” Another sweet-as-candy smile from Lara made me question everything about her, especially since Morgan knew Lara as an imposter.
* * *
Morgan
My uncle and Addison left, relieving a desperate feeling of fear for my uncle’s safety. Rowan grabbed the crate of bottles out of my hand and headed toward the fawn pen.
I stayed back with Kara or Lara, whoever she was, and hollered to Rowan, “We’ll be right out, I’m going to give Lara a quick lesson on mixing the formula.”
“Oh, your uncle showed me how to do that. Let’s go.” She shoved me to move.
I pushed her right back. “Don’t touch me. You snake in the grass. What the hell are you doing here, packing a gun?” I hissed.
“Don’t you dare talk to me that way, sugar. Just because you came into your right-self, doesn’t mean you have any more power over me than you had before, little titmouse.” She stared at me with those hazelnut half-lidded eyes, smiling that ridiculous, creepy smile of hers. “I’m here to rescue you.”
“Right, a rescue.” I socked her in the eye. Not sure what came over me, other than hearing one too many lies from her. She dropped on the ground like a sack of manure.
Rowan stood at the doorway. “What’d you do that for?”
“She asked for it.” I grabbed the gun from her waistband as she attempted to sit up.
Rowan’s mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t you tell me she was packing?” He set the crate of bottles on the floor and yanked Lara up, wrestling her arms behind her back. “Shall I tie her hands?”
“That’s not necessary,” she said, and jerked to get out of Rowan’s grip but failed. “Listen, he-man, let me go.”
“Hey.” Oakly walked through the door. He stopped as if he ran into an invisible wall, and then tilted his chin upward and sniffed the air. His gaze fell on Lara, and hers connected to him.
An unrestrained current snapped through the air between them like static electricity, startling me and making Rowan jump too. He let go of Lara’s arms, and she weaved as if her knees buckled.
Through our mind-communication, Rowan and I experienced Oakly and Lara’s aftermath blast of fireworks. Rowan glanced at me, wide-eyed.
Holy smokin’ olee.
Chapter Twenty
Rowan
“What just happened?” Oakly strode to Lara, standing toe-to-toe in front of her. “What’d you do to me?”
Her face paled, head shaking in answer, but her eyes never left Oakly’s. Her hand lifted to his face, and she grazed her fingernails along his jawline.
Oakly grabbed her hand from his face.
I thought my brother would shove it back at her.
Instead, he held it between his palms like something cherished, and Lara didn’t move away. “I followed your scent through the forest, drawn like a moth to fire. I sensed danger. Are you here to hurt someone?” He closed his eyes and breathed in, leaning toward her face and nearly touching her skin. His eyes opened. “I no longer sense danger, but there is something else. What sort of web have I stepped into?”
“Oakly, she is dangerous, and you have stepped into her sticky web. She’ll use and abuse you, never have your back, and then run away.” Morgan shoved her arms betwe
en their bodies, pushing them away from each other.
Lara’s swollen eye had already healed, and I wondered if Oakly’s connection to her helped that happen so fast.
“Don’t even think about wheedling anyone here to do Jack’s bidding.” Morgan narrowed her eyes at Lara.
Lara’s mouth dropped open, and her brows raised toward mid-forehead. “How do you know about Jack and me?”
“So, who is Jack to you?” Morgan pushed Lara farther away from Oakly, who still appeared enamored by her. So much so, Oakly tilted his head to look over Morgan’s shoulder at Lara.
I moved closer to Morgan.
“You guys go feed the fawn and let me know when you finish.” She grabbed Lara by the upper arm and led her to a chair on the opposite side of the room. “She owes me some answers, and I intend to get them.”
“I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone with her.” I wasn’t sure why Lara had carried a gun if not to hurt someone. I strode to Morgan and held out my hand. “I’ll take the gun with me, and maybe you should see if there’s any other weapon she’s carrying.”
Morgan pulled the gun from the back of her jeans and handed it to me.
Oakly walked over and drew Lara from the chair. They had another eye-to-eye moment and appeared paralyzed.
I cleared my throat. “Come on, Oakly.”
He became animated, patting down her frontside and then her backside. He looked like he enjoyed it way too much.
Lara acted the same way.
“She’s clean.” Oakly smirked. He stood way too close to her for my comfort.
“Come on. Let’s get the fawn fed. They’re bleating.” I walked back to the door, picked up the crate of bottles, and then headed out to the pen. Oakly dragged behind. I half expected him to whine about leaving Lara.
I had to wonder if Oakly’s idiot actions toward Lara resembled any of mine toward Morgan.