“Your friends seem nice,” Daniel said after they sat down.
“They are. We grew up together. How about you, do you have close friends?”
Daniel shrugged. “Not really. We moved around so much, it made making friends hard. Although since I’ve arrived in Havenwood Falls, Mickey Ahusaka has taken me under his wing.”
“Mickey? He’s a good guy. He was in the market this past weekend. I hope his brother is feeling better.”
“What do you mean?”
Colleen filled Daniel in on Mickey’s visit to the market, but how she saw his brother at Movies in the Park, seemingly fine.
“I’m sure he’d say something if his brother was ill.” Daniel took a sip of his chocolate milkshake, and Colleen popped a French fry in her mouth. Just then “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On” by Jerry Lee Lewis started playing on the jukebox, and people began to move into the middle of the makeshift dance area. Daniel suddenly stood up and held his hand out toward her.
“Come on, let’s dance!”
“You dance?” she asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise, and placed her hand in his.
Daniel tugged gently on her arm, pulling her to her feet. They crossed the diner to the dance floor, and he surprised her when he spun around and effectively twirled her so they were in motion at the same time and perfectly in sync. He whirled her away from his body and then reeled her back in until they were face to face, their hands joined. They kicked their legs out and moved in unison, like they had rehearsed the dance for countless hours before. Daniel was graceful and moved so effortlessly that it took Colleen’s breath away. She was grinning from ear to ear when he shimmied his hips like Elvis. The crowd surrounding the dance floor roared with approval, and she was laughing with sheer joy when he reeled her in again, causing her to land against his muscular chest. He lifted her and swung so her legs went to one side of his body, and he repeated this on the other side before dipping her low—so low she thought her hair was going to brush against the floor. The song ended, and Daniel slowly brought her back up to standing. She was panting slightly and couldn’t take her eyes off of him.
The beginning notes of a ballad began to play, and they moved closer to each other. Daniel’s arm slipped around her waist, his hand on her lower back, dangerously near her backside. Colleen looped her arms around his neck, relishing the press of her breasts against his chest. Elvis Presley’s unmistakable croon filled the room. “I want you, I need you, I love you,” Daniel mouthed the words along with the song, looking deep into her eyes the entire time. Their blue reminded her of the sky right after a storm moved through. Together they swayed in place, Daniel’s hands burning through her clothes, setting her skin on fire. She imagined what it would feel like to be naked and flush against him. Her dreams involving Daniel had been vivid enough it wasn’t difficult to imagine, especially with him so close to her now. He smelled incredible, earthy and spicy, natural . . . and familiar. Colleen leaned in and rested her head against his chest, letting out a contented sigh. She wanted to stay like this forever.
“Come on, I want to show you something,” Daniel whispered in her ear. His lips brushed against the sensitive lobe, and she shivered in his arms.
“Is this where you turn from Mr. Wonderful to a cad?” she teased, winking at him, which caused him to throw his head back and laugh. It was a delightful, rich sound that sent vibrations through her body. She noticed the early traces of reddish brown stubble on the underside of his chin. Holding her hand, Daniel led her back to their table. She grabbed her purse, and he left more than enough money on the table to cover their bill. She waved goodbye to Sally and Peggy when they passed their table. Both girls were grinning like loons at her.
Once outside, Daniel led her in the opposite direction of his truck and around the back of the restaurant. Unlike the other night with Viktor, Colleen didn’t hesitate. Something about Daniel made her feel safe. Dirt scraped under her heels, and she stumbled slightly. Daniel steadied her and moved so his hand was on the small of her back. They only had the distant glow of the lights from Burger Bar and moonlight to guide them, but Daniel moved with confidence, as if the darkness didn’t exist.
They stopped in front of the door to the Airstream trailer, and Colleen briefly wondered if he was going to turn into a cad, recalling the sofa inside. She wasn’t that kind of girl, no matter how badly she desired him.
Suddenly, there was movement behind them, and Colleen spun around to peer into the dark. A scrape of a flint followed by a flare illuminated a face before the Zippo lighter snapped closed, extinguishing the flame. The smoldering red dot of a cigarette gave the man’s location away.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” A gravelly voice spoke, and a second man appeared, as if forming out of the shadows. Daniel moved in front of Colleen and stepped back, forcing her to be sandwiched between his body and the cool side of the trailer.
“Who are you?” Daniel asked, and she felt the tension coursing through him. He was practically vibrating with it.
“Depends. I could be your worst nightmare or your pal. It all hinges on information.” The man with the gravelly voice moved closer, enabling Colleen to see his face clearer. Half of it was melted, disfigured by a horrific burn. The scars disappeared below the collar of his shirt, which stretched across his chest. He was a large man, his shoulders broad and square like he was carved out of granite. The man behind him, smoking, was even bigger, and he made an effective barrier blocking anyone’s view of the trailer from Burger Bar.
“What kind of information?” Daniel asked, and Colleen noticed his hands had curled into fists. She sucked in a breath, bracing for a confrontation.
“I’m looking for Herschel.”
Daniel’s fists unfurled, and Colleen exhaled, slumping against the trailer, letting it support her weight, as her knees had turned to Jell-O.
“He’s in the wind. He sold me his business and skipped town. Claimed the devil was after him.”
Gravel man laughed, and it was a horrible sound, like boulders being ground against each other.
“That’s not the answer I’m looking for.” He moved closer. “What about you, sweetheart, do you know where Herschel is?”
The moment the man spoke to her, Daniel tensed up again. She placed a hand against his back, a silent plea for him to stay where he was. Menace choked the air, and Daniel was her shield. She didn’t like the way the man’s dark eyes glittered when they focused on her. He licked his lips and smiled, but only half of his mouth worked, the side that hadn’t melted like wax. The lopsided leer left her more unsettled. While Daniel was muscular and in shape, the two men were giants in comparison. She didn’t want to answer him, to open up a conversation, but she didn’t want to anger him by not responding either, so she shook her head.
“That’s a damn shame,” he said to Daniel. “You see, Herschel owes me money. A lot of money. He wagered his business in a poker game. I came to collect. Only now the business is yours.” He paused and ran a hand over his ruined face. “A pretty little morsel like your girl will be a decent consolation prize, though.”
Without warning, a giant fist was heading toward Daniel’s face. Colleen flinched, preparing for the impact, but before she could blink, Daniel had spun out of the way, moving Colleen with him and out of harm’s way. He roared, an animalistic sound that reverberated down her spine, and then he was leaping through the air. Convinced it was a trick of the poor lighting, Colleen dismissed what she thought she saw because it looked like Daniel’s hands had turned into paws tipped with sharp, pointy claws. The man cried out and toppled backward underneath Daniel’s weight. Daniel raised his head and hissed, actually hissed at the smoking man, who tossed his cigarette to the side and began to advance. Another animalistic growl came from behind the smoking man, causing him to turn around and look.
Colleen recognized DJ Brewster standing at the edge of Burger Bar’s parking lot. She hadn’t seen much of him since they graduated high school. He stood i
n a fighter’s pose, but his eyes captured her attention. They seemed to glow.
A piercing cry joined the other sounds around her, and she looked up to see a hawk circling overhead before it flew off with an incredible burst of speed. Soon Daniel and DJ were engaged in an all-out rumble with the two strangers. Every time a fist landed on Daniel’s body, she flinched. He took a particularly hard hit and went down. He wasn’t moving, and Colleen ran forward, not caring about the fight going on around her. Before she could reach Daniel, the man with the melted face had her upper arm in a vise-like grip. She struggled to free herself, but it only made him laugh.
“Feisty little bird, aren’t you?” He started dragging her away from Daniel. One of her shoes slipped off, and the gravel tore at the skin on her foot.
“Stop! You’re hurting me!” she cried out.
Something flashed in her peripheral vision, and she turned to see Daniel getting up into a crouch. Then, before her eyes, he transformed. His body bent and folded in the most unnatural manner, accompanied by loud cracking and popping sounds. With a triumphant howl, a mountain lion stood among bits of shredded clothing, in Daniel’s place. She was vaguely aware of her arm being released, and she heard the man back away, but her eyes were fixated on the familiar, magnificent cat before her. She recognized him. This was the mountain lion she had seen in her backyard.
He was a blur of golden fur as he ran past and gave chase, pursuing the man who had threatened her. Within seconds, the man was down on the ground, pinned with a mouthful of fangs attached to his throat. DJ had taken control of the other man and had him pressed face-first into the dirt. This was how Sheriff Kasun found them when he arrived a few minutes later. His truck came to a stop, and he leapt out. Colleen was surprised to see Mickey get out from the passenger side. He was wearing jeans that were a little too big on him, and that was it—no shoes or shirt. Mickey’s muscles rippled with movement, and he caught her looking. Embarrassed, she turned away just in time to watch Daniel transform back into his human form.
She had never seen a man completely naked before, and her pulse accelerated, her mouth went dry, and her lower extremities began to tingle when she took in Daniel’s body. She was frozen in place and couldn’t stop staring.
Sheriff Kasun snapped handcuffs on the melted-faced man and hauled him to his feet. The sheriff manhandled him like the man weighed less than one hundred pounds. Mickey joined Daniel and handed him an Army green blanket, which he wrapped around his waist. Their eyes locked, and in an instant, Daniel was there. He cupped her face, his hands warm against her cheeks, and he drew her in, crushing his lips against hers. With a moan, she reciprocated, feeding off of his urgency.
When they separated, there was still a wildness about him. His nostrils flared slightly, and his thick hair, usually smoothed back, stuck up in all directions.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his hands exploring her arm that the man had gripped. His nostrils flared again as his eyes zeroed in on her bleeding foot. The scrapes were minor, but not to Daniel. Heedless of the blanket loosely knotted around his waist, he scooped her up in his arms.
“Daniel, put me down!” she protested.
“No. You’re hurt. Let me take care of you.” His voice was rough. “I’ll always take care of you.”
He carried her over to the sheriff’s truck and set her down on the hood. After examining her foot, he gently brushed the dirt off. He wedged himself between her legs, facing her, eyeing her.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re not in hysterics or running away screaming. Aren’t you afraid of me? You shouldn’t have seen that.”
Colleen took a few minutes to assess and gather her thoughts, since the shock was beginning to wear off. Was she surprised? Yes, but not scared. Daniel protected her. With him, she was safe.
“Would you have ever told me what you are?”
“Eventually. My kind haven’t had it easy. It would have been difficult for me to disclose, but if we got serious, I wouldn’t keep it from you.”
“Your kind. So, there are more of you?” He nodded. “That’s an awful lot of woulds and ifs,” she said, tracing a finger along his chest, enjoying the silky feel of his skin and the way his muscles jumped under her touch.
“Do you want for there to be an us?” Daniel asked, cocking an eyebrow. He moved in closer, his hands resting on top of her thighs.
“Will you tell me everything?”
“Yes. Whatever you want. I am yours.”
They followed Sheriff Kasun back to the station. Both men were handcuffed and secure in the back of his truck. Mickey and DJ followed behind in DJ’s car. All of them were required to give their statements. Miraculously, for being so close to Burger Bar, a crowd hadn’t gathered, and there weren’t other witnesses to the fight. Colleen thought for sure her cries had been heard.
It didn’t take long for her father to rush into the station. He wore a pajama top and a wrinkled pair of khaki pants. He had the bleary eyes of someone who had been rudely woken from a deep sleep.
“Pumpkin! Are you okay? Sheriff Kasun said you were involved in an altercation.”
“I’m fine, Daddy. Daniel protected me.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” He sunk down in the chair next to her. “Where is Daniel?”
“Giving his statement. Apparently, those are the same men who beat up Mr. Ross.”
“Anyone we know?”
Colleen shook her head. “Never saw them before, and their faces aren’t ones I’d forget.” She shuddered, remembering the lopsided leer.
The front door to the station opened again, and they both looked to see who had come in.
“I wonder what Elsmed Fairchild is doing here this late at night?” Callum asked.
“Daniel called him. He told me that Mr. Fairchild is his silent partner. Daniel bought Ross Builders.”
“Well, I’ll be. Guess he’s going to be sticking around then, huh?” He gave her a knowing look. She just blushed and grinned in response.
Chapter 15
Elsmed entered the small room where Daniel sat across from Sheriff Kasun. Now that the two gangsters who had followed Herschel back from Grand Junction were locked up in the holding cell, Daniel had to face the consequences of his actions. He had shifted in front of a human.
“Colleen is my mate. When she was threatened, I lost control.”
“You’re lucky Mickey found me just in time. Had we arrived ten seconds later, you would be facing a murder charge. I know how close you were to ripping that man’s throat out.”
Daniel hung his head, acknowledging it was true. His fangs had punctured skin, and when the blood welled against his tongue, the killing instinct kicked in. How easy and satisfying it would have been to rip that man’s throat out. To punish him for hurting his mate. His mate. “What’s going to happen to Colleen, now that she knows?”
Elsmed fielded this question. “It’s up to her. I’ll give her the option of wiping her memory. She’ll forget tonight’s events ever happened. I can even make her forget you. You haven’t fully consummated the mating bond, so the symptoms for her will lessen in time.”
Daniel’s palms grew sweaty at the idea of Colleen forgetting him. Now that he’d met his mate—had forged a connection with her—his inner mountain lion would slowly go feral. The longer he denied himself the mating bond, the deeper the descent into madness. The ache in his chest he felt when he was away from Colleen would become an unbearable pain. He’d heard of other shifters ending their lives to end the suffering.
“It’s her choice, though. What if she refuses and doesn’t want to have her memories altered?”
“Then you’re a lucky man,” the sheriff answered. “I’ll go bring her into my office,” he said to Elsmed.
Moments later, Daniel was alone in the room with his thoughts. Panic threatened to take control. What if she decided he wasn’t worth it? What if she didn’t feel the same way about him? He fought the urge to burst into the sheriff’s office and absco
nd with Colleen—force her to accept him as her mate.
The door opened, and he looked up, hoping to see the petite blonde, but saw Mickey instead. He was followed into the room by DJ Brewster, whom he hadn’t met before that night.
“Thanks for your help,” he said to DJ. “I owe you one.”
“My grandfather owed you, so we can call us even.”
“Grandfather?” Daniel looked at the other mountain lion shifter, and he did seem familiar. There was something about his straight nose and thick, dark eyebrows, even his scent. “Wait a minute, is Jerome your grandfather?”
“He is, and he told me about our family’s history. Guess I might not be here if not for your grandfather. When you’re ready, I’ll introduce you to the other mountain lion shifters. They’re anxious to meet you.”
“Yeah, well, I might be feral soon,” Daniel said, rubbing the tightness in his chest. It had been growing worse the longer he sat in the confined space. The longer he was away from his mate.
“Have some faith, daddy-o.” Mickey clapped him on the shoulder as he sat down next to him. “I hope to be so lucky someday to have a woman look at me like Colleen looks at you. Even from twenty-five feet in the air, I could see it.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Epilogue
Three Years Later—September 1960
“So, what do you think, Mrs. McCabe?” Daniel asked, nuzzling his wife’s neck right above the faint scar from his mark. He loved the reaction this elicited. It never failed that goose bumps erupted over her entire body when he brushed against the sensitive area. He stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his hands cradling her belly that was just beginning to swell. They were standing at the entrance to the recently completed Creekwood Estates Country Club, which was built at the top of a small hill. Green grass, wildflowers, and trees stretched out before them on one of the most natural golf courses in the country. No chemicals were used to maintain the greens. A herd of antelope grazed by the ninth hole. Daniel tracked their movement, his inner cat’s interest piqued. Streets dotted with new homes had been built around the natural landscape, some with dramatic curves around existing boulders. Phase One of Creekwood Estates was complete. The grand opening for the country club was scheduled for the following day.
Legends of Havenwood Falls 2 Page 30