Cecily nibbled on a piece of chicken but didn’t reply.
“What about you?” he asked. “Aside from your asshole stepbrother and stepmother, what was your life like growing up?”
She put her chicken down and then wiped her mouth and hands on a napkin. “Well, I didn’t really have many friends. When you live on a compound all summer, you don’t really have neighbors. I had friends at school and at the compound, but no one group I’d call my crew. We were all from the same—” She hesitated. “I don’t know, socio-economic background?” She shrugged, continuing. “Most of the kids I knew had too much time and too much available cash for anything but trouble. Drugs, partying, clubs. You name it, they did it. And they could be mean. Cruel, really. To anyone who didn’t fit in. When I went away to college, it was better. I have a few friends, still, but they’re scattered across the country.
“Growing up, Jackson was sort of a ringleader at school. Susan kept him on a leash when it came to me, even though I’m four years his senior. I was the golden ticket, since my father knew he wasn’t his true son.” Cecily snorted. “That woman would have liked nothing more than to see Jackson and I married. It would have solved everything. Problem is, he’s such a jerk. Still, I got to travel. I speak three languages, and we had a terrific staff. They loved to tell me stories about my mother. She was beloved.” A soft smile lit her face. “I guess I am, too.”
Chase leaned over, taking her chin in his hand. “And why not?” He kissed her mouth, letting his lips linger. “Good people are always drawn to good people.”
She opened for a deeper kiss, but a loud snap turned their attention toward the trees. Chase peered into the shadows, lifting a finger to his lips. “Get behind me,” he whispered, and then reached for the rifle.
He climbed to his feet, his eyes still on whatever lurked beyond sight. Cecily did the same as a huge bear lumbered into view, his black snout sniffing the air. She drew a sharp breath, and the animal seemed to zero in on them both. It swatted the ground and roared, long front claws scoring the ground.
“Cecy, back up slowly and work your way toward the Jeep. Don’t wait for me.”
She inhaled, taking in everything about the animal’s scent. “That’s not a bear, Chase.”
“Well, it’s doing a pretty good impression, then.” He pointed the rifle at the huge beast. “Take a hike, Yogi. No picnic baskets for you.”
Cecily’s eyes burned yellow hot. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breath came in short, rapid pants. Electricity screamed through sinew and bone and her knees buckled. The bear lunged, but she pushed Chase out of the way as she fell to all fours.
He pivoted with the shotgun, taking aim. The shot echoed off the crags and the bear bellowed, jerking back in its tracks. Blood poured from the animal’s shoulder as Chase cocked the rifle for a second shot. He froze with his finger on the trigger. A low, painfilled howl left the bear’s mouth and when it lifted its huge head, Chase’s mouth dropped. Blue eyes. Human eyes.
The animal turned with another bellow, disappearing into the woods again, and Chase lowered his weapon. “Jesus, you okay?” he asked, helping Cecily up from the ground.
“Did we kill him?” she asked, craning with a wince.
Chase shook his head. “No, but he’s injured, badly.”
“He’ll heal when he shifts back to human. Maybe not completely, but he’ll be okay if he shifts quickly and hasn’t lost too much blood,” she said, dragging in a steadying breath.
“What about you?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. Just give me a sec.”
“You nearly shifted. Is it okay to stop yourself mid…mid…transition?” he asked, both concerned and fascinated.
Cecily chuckled, shaking her head. “Your guess is as good as mine, but that wasn’t mid-phase. I know it’s been a while, but if memory serves, I’d be on all fours with a hell of a lot of fur and sharp teeth.”
“But you’re sure you’re okay, right?”
“Fine.” She nodded. “Although, it might be a good idea if we pack up and head back to the cabin. My senses are sharp enough to tell that wasn’t a regular bear, but I can’t tell who it was or if they were alone.”
Chase looked from her to the broken branches and blood-covered leaves leading into the woods. “You think he was purposefully looking for us?”
“I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t remember how cognizant one is in animal form. Maybe he was more animal than human when he stumbled into the campsite, and just reacted.” She shrugged, helping him carry the remnants of their picnic back to the car.
Chase paused after closing the rear hatch. “Maybe we should ask Dan at the bonfire tonight. He was in wolf form when he looked for Daisy. He must have been cognizant of his reasons, or why bother?”
“True. But let’s ask him when we get him alone. I don’t want to worry anyone if this was random.”
Chase nodded, walking to open the driver’s side door. “Deal. Now let’s get you home so you can demonstrate a little of that sharp teeth action while on all fours.”
“Be careful what you wish for, sexy. I might be too much for you to handle right now.” She growled, snapping her teeth with wink.
20
“Hey, you two!” Linda got up from her Adirondack chair on the grass at the edge of the beach. “Everyone, this is Chase and Cecily Villareal.” She waved them over with a smile. “They’re our resident honeymooners.”
Chase nodded to Linda before shaking Dan’s hand as he approached. “Thanks again for inviting us. We’ve been looking forward to meeting everyone.”
“Of course. Glad you came,” the man gestured toward the others. “There are plenty of chairs left, and the cooler’s full. Beer, wine, soda. Whatever people brought, so help yourself. The festivities are about to start.”
Cecily held out the bottle they brought. “We planned to make chips and dip or something, but we got back from the mountain later than expected. I hope pinot noir is okay.”
“So, a little afternoon delight in the crisp rocky air, eh?” He chuckled, ducking a quick swat from his wife as she came up beside him. “Ow! Love you, too, babe.”
“Ignore him.” Linda hooked her arm into Cecily’s elbow before doing the same with Chase. “He forgets what a dog he was when we were first married.”
Dan raised an eyebrow. “Hey, no hating on the hound. Besides, you love it when my nose ends up in private places.”
“Ha. Lucky for you.” She blew him a kiss, and then tugged on Cecily’s arm. “C’mon, he’ll heel once he has a few beers. He’s the only shifter I know who mellows afterward. The other males in the pack usually howl at the moon. Well, most of them. In the meantime, let me introduce you around. We’ve got a couple of oldies but goodies and a few newbies just like you.”
“Pack?” Cecily questioned. “Your pack is here?”
“Dan’s pack. I’m as human as they come, but for some reason the fleabag loves me.” She grinned. “But to answer your question, some are here, not all. Dan’s pack doesn’t even have a name. It’s more collective than clan. They take the lone wolves and strays, but everyone follows standard shifter rules, otherwise they’re out.”
Chase looked at the setup and the relaxed faces in the crowd. “Any bears in the group?”
“Not that I know of, and I know everyone.” Linda cocked her head, considering. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Cecily interjected. “I’ve never heard of a collective like Dan’s, I wondered if anyone unattached was welcome.”
Linda shrugged. “I suppose at some point they might, maybe. Though I haven’t heard of anyone new joining up.”
She tugged on Cecily’s hand again, practically bouncing toward the opposite side of the bonfire. The chairs were set in a semi-circle, far enough away from the tall flames, but close enough to be intimate. Everyone had a red solo cup in hand, and laughter and chatter buzzed in the air.
“Chase, Cecily…this is Charlie and Louise Ersa,” Linda said, st
opping in front of the first cluster of chairs. They own the cute chalet you guys pass on the way down to the lake. They’re originally from Pennsylvania but retired here permanently.” She pivoted, spreading a hand to the next people. “And these lovelies are Mitch and Gayle McVey. They’re our resident sunbirds from Vegas.”
“Sunbirds? As in opposite of snowbirds?” Cecily asked.
Gayle nodded. “Exactly. If you’ve ever been to Vegas in the summer, you’ll understand.”
“Actually, we just came from Vegas,” Chase replied, giving Cecily’s hand a squeeze.
“Really,” Louise chimed with a grin. “Don’t tell me you let Elvis walk you down the aisle.”
Cecily smirked, stealing a glance for Chase. “Yup. Complete with gold lame, sequins and a thank you, thank you very much.”
“Hilarious! You see some strange things on the strip. We had a couple take their vows while bungee jumping off the Hoover Dam. How they got permission for that, I can’t even guess.”
“Well, we’re all glad you two decided to come up for air tonight. Dan and Linda arranged for spectacular fireworks. It took all Dan’s charm to convince the town to let us to shoot them over the lake, but Rodney,” Gayle pointed to a chubby dark-haired man standing by the water’s edge, “is the fire marshal, not to mention a senior pack member, so they had to agree.”
Linda glanced at her watch. “Speaking of which, it’s nearly time! C’mon, everyone!”
“Nice group of people,” Chase whispered, taking their place by the water to watch the pyrotechnics. “Enthusiastic.”
Cecily burst out laughing. “Now who’s the snob?”
“Come up for air. It sounds to me like Linda’s as much of a hound dog as her hubby, along with the rest of them.”
Dan slid in beside them, handing them each a beer. “You got that right.” He grinned, tapping his ear. “Shifter hearing. It’s both a blessing and a curse, right, Cecily?” He coughed out a laugh, clapping Chase on the shoulder. “It’s all part of the deal when you marry a shifter. You inherit our appetites. You’ll see, dude. Your pretty kitty will rub past with a subtle meow, and you’ll be hard enough to cut diamonds.”
“Wow,” Cecily laughed, lifting the long neck to her lips. “You guys really have no filter, huh? When you said grown-ups only, you meant it. We may be on our honeymoon, but you guys are the ones with sex on the brain. What’s next? Swinging?”
“Nah. That was last weekend.” Dan winked.
Cecily choked, dribbling beer down her chin.
“Got you,” he winked, clicking his cheek. “You’ve got to forgive us for poking fun. In this pack we’re either married with small kids or retired. You saw the other day with Daisy.” He shrugged. “We need to cut loose occasionally, but we’re only teasing. No harm, no foul, I hope.”
Cecily wiped her chin on the back of her hand, giving the man a quick smile. “No worries. It’s all good, Dan—” Her words cut off when Chase tapped her shoulder, gesturing across the beach.
“Look familiar?” he whispered.
She turned to follow his line of sight to a couple standing off from the rest of the party. The man’s shoulder was bandaged, and his arm was in a sling.
“It’s got to be a coincidence—” She shook her head at first, but then looked closer. “Shit, they’re the couple from the pickup truck in town. My senses were tingling again, but I chalked it up to leftover weirdness from this afternoon.”
Dan glanced over as well. “Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know yet. Do you know those people?” Chase gestured quietly. “The two by themselves across from everyone.
Dan shook his head. “No. You?”
“We don’t, but we saw them in town earlier,” Chase replied. “They sent Cecily’s cat into a weird warner mode.”
“The beach is public, so it could be anyone. Especially since the fireworks were advertised all over town. It was one of the concessions for the permit, but I’ll ask Linda if she invited them or not.” He looked at Cecily specifically. “You need to pay attention to your gut. Shifter to shifter, our animals don’t lie.”
The first of the fireworks lit the sky, and the pyrotechnics were too loud for further conversation. Chase motioned for Cecily to follow him, and he led her toward the picnic tables beneath the trees where it was quieter.
“It’s got to be the same dude from the woods. It’s too close of a coincidence,” he said.
Cecily looked toward the beach again. “There’s only one way to find out.” She pushed past him, heading back to the edge of the grass. She stopped short just before the chairs. The couple was gone. “Well, there goes that,” she mumbled.
“It’s okay. We can ask around. Just because Dan doesn’t know them, doesn’t mean someone won’t.”
Chase shut up as Dan approached from the beach. “I asked Linda, but she doesn’t know them either,” he said, his eyes more than questioning. “What’s going on? You’re not telling me everything. I can smell the worry on you both.”
Cecily exchanged a look with Chase. “We weren’t late tonight for the reasons you think. We were late because we were nearly attacked in the woods late this afternoon.”
Dan’s mouth dropped, but he snapped it shut.
“It was a shifter, Dan. A bear,” she continued. “It’s why I asked Linda about your pack. He came upon us unexpectedly, or at least that’s what I’d like to think.”
Dan motioned them toward a tree off to the side of the picnic area, and they followed.
“The thing is, the bear lunged for Chase. He was aggressive, posturing beforehand, but something tells me it’s not because we spooked him. I don’t know what else to make of it. I’m a shifter, but I haven’t phased in years. To be honest, I can’t remember how much connection you keep to your human side. If this guy was so deep into his animal, he might not have realized his actions. That would explain everything. If not, then why attack? Why not turn and leave, or shift and let us know he was dual-natured?”
Dan looked from one to the other. “If Cecily didn’t phase, then why was he bandaged?” His eyes were on Chase specifically.
21
“I shot him,” Chase replied matter-of-factly. “I’m sorry the dude was hurt, but I had to protect myself and my wife. He attacked. What else was I supposed to do?”
Dan nodded, slowly. “I’m not a fan of firearms, but I get why you had a weapon with you. Still, it’s highly unlikely a shifter would be that deep into his animal he loses human cognizance. The only time I’ve heard of shifters becoming more animal than human was when they choose to live raw. That means being in his animal form for months if not years. If the guy you saw is the same guy, then perhaps he was involved in something he shouldn’t be, and you two were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, you were very lucky.” He lifted a questioning hand. “I’m surprised your fight or flight response didn’t trigger a shift. It’s unusual.”
“Oh, it triggered all right,” Chase replied. “She fought it.”
Dan looked incredulous. “Why?”
“I didn’t trust my instincts.” Her answer was truthful, but somehow disappointing and she knew it showed on her face.
Dan put his hand on her arm. “Honey, we may joke around a lot, but one thing the shifters on this mountain don’t joke about is safety and maintaining shifter standards. Never distrust your instinct, Cecily. You’re a shifter. Your body and your inner animal know what to do. You won’t lose yourself, trust me.” He gave her arm a soft squeeze, but then paused, glancing toward the others. “I’m going to have to tell them about this. Until we know more, others might be in danger.”
“Listen,” he continued. “Linda and I were going to ask you anyway, but now I think it best if we all stick together. At least until we know more. Charlie and Louise have a small claim up the mountain. We’re supposed to hike to the site tomorrow. Look for gemstones, just for fun. You two should come with us. It’ll get your mind off what happened. Plus, if anything else happen
s, there are at least four wolves, me included, along for the ride.”
“I don’t know,” Cecily replied, hesitating.
Chase put out his hand, resting the other on Cecily’s shoulder. “We’d love to. You’re right, it’ll be fun. Who knows, I might find an aquamarine big enough to put in a ring for my lady.”
“Great. Linda will be thrilled.” Dan gave them a close-lipped smile and shook Chase’s hand. “I’ll let the others know what happened. That way, we’ll all be on the alert.”
Cecily chewed on her lip, watching Dan walk back to his wife. “You answered for me.” She turned to face Chase. “Without even discussing it. What if I didn’t want to hike the mountain to look for gemstones? What if all I wanted was to pack up and head back to Boston? You can’t just decide things for me, for us, without talking to me first. Between this shit with Jackson and my father’s will, and my…my…hesitation on the mountain this afternoon, I know I must seem like I need rescuing or handling or whatever.” She glared at him, knowing her voice rose an octave even while whispering. “I don’t. I’ve been running Montgomery Holdings for months, alone. My shifter abilities may be rusty, but I am perfectly capable of making decisions, with or without you.”
“Cecily—” He reached out, but she slapped his hand away.,
She shook her head, anger making her face hot. “Don’t Cecily me.” She shoved at his chest. “You were the one who stressed we were a team. Was that a lie? Or maybe you’re all talk.”
“That’s not fair.”
She snorted. “No? I’ll tell you what’s not fair. You thinking you know what’s best for me. I won’t have it, Chase. If these are shades of what’s to come, then maybe this was a mistake.”
He blinked. “Wow. One fight and you’re ready to bail. Your family really did a number on you, didn’t they?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she ground out, wet eyes stinging.
Chase didn’t reply, but he didn’t turn and walk away like she half-expected. Anger made her chest tight and her throat dry, but he stayed, waiting for her to reply and for a moment the breath locked in knots in her lungs relaxed. Why?
The Alpha’s Chase: A Howls Romance Page 10