Not that he didn’t love his family, but today had been a particularly long day, one that had him spending too much time behind four walls and doing things he wished he’d just done at home. Shopping for furniture wasn’t exactly how he wanted to spend a lovely June day.
The worst part about the day from hell, he’d dubbed it, was that he’d not found a single stick of furniture to go in his home. Nothing suited him—it was all chrome and glass, nothing wooden or smooth. That was another thing he couldn’t understand. Why did everything have to have texture to it? Why not just leave wood alone?
Of course, he’d not put that question to anyone. He didn’t want to seem stupid, and he thought if word got around of his query and his mother and grandma found out, they would murder him. Smiling to himself, Don lifted his overly sensitive nose to the air and inhaled deeply.
Someone was close. Not only that, but he could smell blood. Lying down in the soft grass with his head only inches above the highest reeds, he looked around for the source of the scent. It wasn’t until he saw her, the woman standing in the moonlight, that he realized someone besides his family had access to the wooded area behind their homes.
Don didn’t want anyone around that he didn’t know. Nor did he want someone around that would harm one of the kids that might be hanging around. His plan, if he really wanted to call it that, was to sneak up to her and scare her—just a little. But almost as soon as he moved again, she turned around and looked directly at him.
Don’t move.
He didn’t. Don’s paw was up, his tail curled next to his body. It took him a full minute to realize she’d just told him not to move. Him? A lion? Wasn’t she scared of him? Or at least impressed or something?
When she put her finger to her lips then pointed, he looked in that direction. There are two men beyond here that have no right to be on the land back here. I can smell the fresh blood. I’m assuming that’s what brought you to me. Don kept an eye on the men he could see now and spoke to the woman in the same way she’d done for him.
Is it a human that is bleeding? She told him it was a deer. They had been night hunting with goggles on. This is private land. Did you know that when you came out here?
Yes. Nothing more. Nothing to say she was sorry, nor did she make excuses for why she was out here too. I’m going to give them a scare. You could, I suppose, but if you show yourself, everyone in the territory will be out looking for a large cat. It won’t even matter to them if they happen to kill a house cat.
Don watched her move. She wasn’t touching the earth. Not a single blade of grass bent under her feet. The branches surrounding her didn’t snap or make a sound when she moved over them. So caught up on watching her, he nearly leapt up to take the men down when they began to scream bloody murder about something hurting them.
The two men nearly ran over him in their haste to get away. Moving quickly, Don barely managed to get out of the way of their feet when they kept knocking each other over. Every time one of them would fall, they’d scream about something grabbing their legs. Don didn’t see anything that looked as if it was touching them. However, they were running through the brambles.
After they were out of sight, Don looked for the woman again. She was far enough away from him now that he knew he’d have to run to catch up to her. Not knowing a thing about her, not her name or even her scent, he only just realized he was going to be at a loss to ask her what she’d done to the men. As he hunted for her scent in the area where he’d seen her, he noted to himself that there was nothing of her anywhere. Looking for her again, he noticed that she’d disappeared as if she’d never been with him at all.
Perplexed, he made his way back to his home. The waterway that ran directly behind his home was the first place he stopped by as he walked. The night moon was bright with light, but he couldn’t see where the woman had gone. Moving his now exhausted body up onto his deck, Don reached out for her. She’d spoken to him, so he thought he should be able to speak to her too.
I’m not much of a people person. He thought that was an odd way of answering his call. I’m also not human.
Neither am I, as you well know. Where do you live? After asking, he knew it was a long shot if she told him that kind of personal information. I live in this cul-de-sac with the rest of my family. Why are you roaming around here in the middle of the night? Another dumb question, but he was glad he asked when she laughed.
I was having trouble sleeping. The same as you. Why do any of these things you’re asking me matter to you? I’ve not intruded on your personal life. How about you do the same for me? He didn’t have an answer to that. Don thought that telling her he wanted to meet her face to face would get him killed. I don’t murder people for being curious, Mr. Foster. I’m a better person than that.
He’d hurt her. Don wasn’t sure how he’d done it, but he knew he had. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come across— You know my name. Her laughter again. You have a lovely laugh. It reminds me of summer. How that connection was made, I haven’t any idea. But that’s what I feel when you do it. Also, I have no idea why, but I don’t think you’ve had much of an occasion to laugh as late.
That is about as close to the truth as you could ever be. However, you’re inevitably going to hear about me, so believe what you wish of whatever you hear. I was only just released from prison today. My name is Parker Carter. I was wrongly accused of killing my father. I live on the next street over from where you are now. He wondered why she’d been in prison and for how long. If you have questions, Mr. Foster, ask them. I’m not in the mood to sugarcoat the answers. Actually, I’m rarely in the mood to do that. I know your mother. She saved me a few times when my father was out looking for me.
I’d rather hear information from you if you don’t mind. I don’t know why, but it seems important to me that I hear the truth, and not someone else’s version of what they think has happened. She thanked him. For whatever reason, Don thought she didn’t quite believe him. Why do I have the feeling that the two of us are going to be good friends, Parker?
Because, Lionheart, I’m your mate.
When the connection between them closed, he didn’t move off the deck until the sun was coming up over the forest of trees behind his home. If asked, Don wasn’t sure he could have put his finger on a single thought that had been roaming around in his head.
Parker was his mate? She knew his mother. Don shifted back to his other side and went into the house. It was time, he thought, for him to speak to his mom. Other than Parker, he knew she might be the only one that would make sure he had the truth as much as Parker would have told him. She was his mate?
Chapter 2
Don was waiting on the back deck when he heard his mom and grandma in the kitchen. Knocking once on the door, he left himself in. It had always been wonderful to know he could count on his mom having her doors unlocked. Now that Rollin, his father, was history, she seemed to be a great deal more relaxed too.
“Hello, son. My, you’re up early. I don’t even have water on for the tea yet.” He told her he could eat if she was going to be cooking. “Of course. I was going to make pancakes, but Jane is insisting on waffles with cinnamon bits in them.”
“I can eat either of those. Or both if you’re going to end up doing that.” She glared at him a little, and Don winked at his grandma. “You know you don’t mind having your son around to cook for. I’ll even tell you what I figured out last night. Well, I didn’t actually do the figuring. But I have some news. Do you know Parker Carter?”
The bowl in his mom’s hands shattered on the floor when she dropped it. Thinking to tease her, he didn’t when he had a look at her face. Guiding her to the chair, he sat her down and got her a glass of water. Whatever had happened between her and Parker really shook her up.
“Where is she?” Don told his mom what he knew, which really wasn’t all that much. He didn’t, however, tell her she
was his mate. Mom was just too shaken right now. “That poor child. I used to hide her away when she was younger. Her parents would be looking for her all over town, and I flat out lied to them every time they checked to see if she was here with me.”
“She told me she’s only just been released from prison. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. Something about the death of her father.” Mom got up and moved to the cabinets as he cleaned up the broken glass. “There were a couple of hunters on our land last night while I was out as my cat. I think she might have saved me from getting shot by running them off. Did you know she was a witch?”
“I did.” She handed him a large poster book, the kind that used to be kept around for newspaper articles and such. This one was filled with articles, all right. It seemed they were all about Parker. “The first time I saw her, she was a dirty little thing. Told me that her mom was mad at her for casting in the house. I didn’t understand that until later. But once I got her cleaned up a little and had her put on one of you boys’ old shirts, she told me a great deal. I never believed she killed her father. Even though he should have been put down a long time ago if you ask me.”
“I’ve not seen her as yet. Nor gotten close enough to her to figure out if what she told me last night was true. Parker said I was her mate.” Mom sat back down again, and Grandma yelled at her for being a jack in the box. “She lives in one of the houses behind mine, she said. Parker also told me I shouldn’t believe everything I’ve heard about her. But she did know you, and I thought you’d help me out. Is she something I’m going to regret being mated to, Mom?”
“I wouldn’t think so. She’s beautiful. Tall, I remember thinking when she was a child. How did you not get close enough to her to catch her scent when she knew?” Don told his mom he didn’t know. “I’d believe her, Don. But I do want to let you know, Parker is a little bit on the rough side. If you think Brook had a hard life, wait until you hear about Parker’s. That poor child. She has some relatives around too. Uncle and an aunt if I remember correctly.”
“She didn’t mention them.” Mom got up to begin making breakfast. “I was going to go and see her today. I’m not sure if I want to or not, but I think I should.”
“You should. Better yet, you should just go there now and have her come here for something to eat with us. I’d love to see and talk to her again.” He said he didn’t know where she lived. He also told her they had a connection. “I would imagine we all have one with her. She was working hard at being a strong witch even when she was just a teenager. I wonder how that went over in prison for her.”
After telling his mom he didn’t know, he went to the living room to contact Parker. That way, if she yelled at him or even turned him into something, he’d be able to beg her to not hurt him without his mom and grandma around.
You do have some strange thoughts, don’t you? Don grinned and told her she was just the person he wanted to speak to. So I felt. I have no desire at all to turn anyone into anything today. I’ve just been notified that along with my early release because someone finally got their head out of their asses, I’ve also been given a check for my time served. What the hell am I supposed to do with this?
Cashing it comes to mind. She told him she didn’t have any accounts. I do. My mom wants to see you, anyway. If you let me pick you up and take you to the bank, then here, I’ll help you set it up. Mom did remember you, all right. Also, she wants to make you breakfast. I want to come and get you to bring you here.
I don’t do people well, Don. He said they’d not crowd her. What I mean is, I’m not in the mood to be looked at like a bug under a microscope. Please tell your mom that—
She’s not going to be happy. I’m actually wondering why she’s not just gone to each of the houses where you told me you lived and started knocking on doors. You’d save your neighbors a great deal of embarrassment if you just let me get you and bring you here. She didn’t say anything, and he was worried she really didn’t want to come over. Please?
This is a really bad idea. I heard you were a teacher, Don. What do you think the board is going to say when they figure out you’re mated to an ex-con? He told her he didn’t care and pointed out she wasn’t an ex anything. People only hear and see what they want. In this case, they’re going to hear I was in prison and nothing more.
That much he knew to be true. People did have a tendency to only hear or see what they wanted. Even as a teacher, he could see that in the kids’ parents when they came in for teacher conferences.
Parker, I’m going to get into my car now and drive up and down your street until you come out and get into my car. He told her what it looked like. You know my name. While I know nothing about you other than your name, I’m going to be yelling it out my window the entire time I’m waiting on you to come out and get into my car.
Parker told him she’d be out front, but not to expect much. He hadn’t any idea what she might have meant by that, so he ignored it—for now, at least. Telling his mom and Grandma he was going to get Parker, he kissed both of them on the cheeks and left. Don was really happy he’d not had to yell for her. He wasn’t sure how he’d ever live that down once his brothers heard about it.
Just as she said she’d be, Parker was sitting on the front porch of her home. He didn’t get a good look at her last night, so was surprised by her beauty. As she made her way down the short walk to his car, Don realized his mother had been wrong about Parker. She wasn’t beautiful but gorgeous—and tall. He’d bet if they stood toe to toe, she’d only be a few inches shorter than he was. Once she was in the car and buckled, all Don wanted to do was look at her. Christ, he belonged to a beauty queen.
“Just drive, moron.” He laughed as he pulled into her drive to turn around. “I’ve been thinking about a few things you should know. I mean, if this goes anywhere, you’re going to have to be prepared for whatever shit hits the fan. My mom, she’s still alive. I haven’t spoken to her in years. For some reason, she’d send me things while I was in prison, but she rarely came to see me. I was told she wasn’t doing it to hurt me. I’m not sure what to think about it, however. We were always very close, the two of us.”
“I’m close to my mom. All of us are. There are six of us, by the way. My dad, I don’t know if you remember him or not, but he was a real shit.” Parker told him she didn’t remember him all that much. “Lucky you. My grandma is living with my mom. Or the other way around. I’m not sure who is living with whom. But they’re incredibly happy, the two of them. I came by to see my mom this morning to tell her you were around.”
“She told you to leave me where I was, didn’t she?” Don told her what his mom had said about her coming to breakfast. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m not good around people, Don. Crowds of them, even if there are only three or four, make me want to curl into a ball and shut them all out. I’ve been alone most of my adult life.”
“I didn’t invite my brothers over to meet you just yet. I promise to let them know not to crowd you. We’ll get through this.” She didn’t say anything as he pulled into his mom’s drive. Sitting in the car with Parker, he wasn’t sure what to do when he saw that two of his brothers were there already. “I’m going to take you back home. My brothers are already here. If I know them, they already know that I belong to you. That will make them stick around just so they can meet you. I’m sorry.”
She didn’t say anything when she opened the car door and got out. Joining her on the front lawn, he told her that at any time they could leave the house. She only had to say the word. Instead of going inside, she turned and looked at him.
“This will be hard on me; I’m not going to lie to you. But I’m going to have to get used to them at some point. If they get out of hand or piss me off in some way, I can just make them quiet.” He wasn’t sure that was going to go over well either or said that to her. “Then we’d better hope for the best, right?”
She was in the house when he
realized she’d left him out there, more than likely with his mouth hanging open. As soon as he entered the house, he knew this wasn’t going to end well for any of the rest of his family. Brook was already yelling about something, and he heard one of the babies crying. That meant Bethy was there as well. This wasn’t going to be good. Not one bit, Don thought.
As he entered the kitchen where they all seemed to be congregated, he found Jasper feeding one of the boys a bottle. Asking where everyone was, he pointed to the dining room and said they were having some cereal for their first meal of the day. Jasper laughed when he asked where his mate was.
“I didn’t know you had one. When did this—?”
The way Jasper stood up, bottle and baby forgotten in his hands, Don felt his cat run over his skin. The need to shift was great. Looking behind him to see what had Jasper so upset, he saw that Parker was looking at Jasper in much the same way as if being in the same room together was going to cause some sort of interstellar explosion at any second.
“Parker.”
Don moved out of the way when Parker came more into the room with them. Parker took the baby from Jasper and handed it off to him. Don didn’t dare take his eyes off the two people in front of him, but he did worry for the baby’s safety. As soon as his mom came in, Don handed Joey, he thought he had, to her. Whatever happened next, he wanted to have both his hands free to help with it.
The slap to Jasper’s face brought his cat to the front of him. A second slap had his lion curling back away from what his mate was doing to the incredibly old fae. When she drew back to no doubt hit him again, Jasper grabbed her hand.
“You’ve made your point, my lady.” Parker was freed from his hand, but neither of them looked at all happy with each other. Then Jasper, still staring at Parker, started speaking. “I had no idea until you were being released that you had been arrested. If you remember, your father did a great deal of damage to me that day.”
Donahue: Foster’s Pride – Lion Shapeshifter Romance (Foster's Pride Book 2) Page 2