by Jane Jamison
“Again, I’m sorry about Riley.”
She scrubbed the frying pan a little harder than was necessary. “And again. Don’t worry about it. It’s a tough thing for her to get used to.”
“That doesn’t make up for her rudeness.”
It didn’t, but at the same time, it kind of did. “Matthew didn’t expect you for another day or so.”
“It’s really not that long a drive. Although teenage girls do like to make a lot of pit stops.”
She chuckled, easily imagining him at a convenience store, waiting impatiently as Riley took her time in the restroom. “We girls have needs, you know.” She cringed. “That’s not what I meant to say. I meant we like to take our time at things.”
“Don’t I know it? I suppose Matthew told you about Riley?”
“Some. I’m sure he meant to tell me more, but, well, you know.” She didn’t want to say that they were having too much fun, having sex and running, to have very many deep discussions.
“Yeah, I know.” He cleared his throat. “Her parents, our half-sister and our brother-in-law, were killed by a drunk driver. After that, we took Riley in to raise as our own.”
“That had to be a hard time for all of you. I can’t imagine how that must have devastated her.”
“Yeah, it did. She even stopped talking for a while. It’s gotten better, but she still wakes up crying for them every so often.”
“Did they get the man who caused the accident?”
“They did. But it was a woman.” He sucked in a hard breath. “Hell, maybe that’s part of it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The woman who hit their car looked a lot like you. That woman had the same hair style, the same shape of the face, and even the same body type. Hell, she could’ve been your sister.”
“Oh, my God. No wonder she gives me dagger eyes. Just looking at me must bring up memories of the woman who killed her parents.”
He sat back in his chair, a worried expression on his face. “It makes sense, but she’s old enough to realize that you’re not that woman.”
“Of course she does. But that doesn’t make it less painful for her. She can’t control her memories or who might remind her of that awful time.”
“I never thought of it that way. She’s seen other women with blonde, wavy hair. Why didn’t she act like that with them?”
“Were you involved with any of them?” She hated to ask the question, but if it helped them to understand Riley, then she had to.
“No.”
“Then that’s why it’s hitting her hard with me. Think about it. It’s really not difficult to understand. You told her I’m your mate, right?”
“Yeah. Although I didn’t go into great detail. But she’s a smart kid. She got it.”
“So right off the bat, before she even sees me, she feels like I’m trying to take you away from her. I’ll bet she was already upset before you got here. Am I right?”
“She tried to hide it most of the time, but I could feel her tension. She wasn’t thrilled at the idea, especially once we had to leave her friends back in California.”
“Getting uprooted is hard enough for any kid to take. Then she meets me, in bed with her uncle no less, and sees that I look like the woman who took her parents away. I don’t blame her for getting upset. Anyone would. Especially a teenage female werewolf.”
“Part werewolf.”
“I bet that makes it even tougher.”
“Still, you aren’t that woman and you aren’t taking us away from her.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not. But you coming here, for me, did make her lose her home and her friends. Plus, she knows she’ll have to learn to share you with me, and right now, doing that seems impossible for her.”
He gazed at her with such admiration in his eyes that she felt a blush rising to her cheeks. “We got lucky, Matthew and me. You’re not only beautiful, but smart, too. And you understand young girls.”
She gave him a smile of thanks. “Yeah, well, it helps to have been one once. Besides, I don’t know that what I’m saying is true, but it’s worth considering.” She wanted to wipe the worry lines from his forehead. “She’ll be all right, you know. She has you and Matthew.”
“Oh, sure. Two bachelors raising a teenage girl? Who better to do the job?”
She laughed, loving his sarcastic wit. But her good humor faded. “No one that I can think of. You’ve made the ultimate commitment to her.”
He didn’t answer right away, and she could tell he was measuring his words before he spoke. He seemed to do that a lot. “We have. She’s our family, and we’ll do whatever we have to do to keep her safe and happy.”
She turned then to face him, putting her back against the counter. “Even if it means giving up your own happiness?”
He fingered a strip of bacon then dropped it to his plate and gave her the answer she’d expected. “Yeah. It does.”
Her heart clenched, and she had to put her back to him again to keep him from seeing the fear on her face. “And that’s what you should do. Any stand-up kind of man would.”
“Trust me. It won’t come to that.”
“It could.” She didn’t want to think that way, but she’d never been in such a difficult situation. Everyone liked her, especially kids. But then, she’d never presented a threat to them, and Riley definitely thought of her as a threat even when she wasn’t.
“It won’t.”
“I’m glad you’re so sure.” She’d finished cleaning the pans and came back to the table to get everyone’s plate except Dan’s.
“You haven’t eaten yet.”
Food was the last thing on her mind. “I will. Later. I’ll just put this away and the others can help themselves when they’re ready to eat.”
He took her hand as she lifted her and Matthew’s plates. The sizzle seared up her arm, and she almost dropped the plates.
“Milly, don’t give up. Not yet. Something tells me you can win her over.” He let her go and stood. “Anyway, I’ll get her settled in her room.”
He strode toward the hallway then paused. When he stopped, she was afraid he’d already changed his mind about her, about them, about even trying to make things work.
“If that’s okay, that is. I mean, if you still want us to stay. It just hit me that I haven’t asked you what you want to do. What do you say, Milly? Do you want us to stay? It’s not going to be an easy road, you know.”
“I know.” Relief shuddered through her as her gaze met his. “But I want you to stay.”
The same relief she’d felt swamped over his face. “Good. I’m glad.” He was down the hallway the next moment, leaving her alone in the kitchen.
“You have to stay,” she whispered again. “If you leave, I’ll die."
One way or another, I’ll win her over.
* * * *
They waited for Riley to come back, but as the daylight grew less, their concern turned to all-out worry.
Dan looked toward the field for what must’ve been the hundredth time that day. After Matthew had returned without talking to her, they’d agreed to let her blow off steam. They’d decided to give her more than enough time, but they hadn’t expected her to stay out so long. “Why hasn’t she returned?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.” Matthew spoke in a soft, tight voice.
The look Matthew and Milly exchanged didn’t make him feel any better. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me?”
Milly let Matthew explain. “As I understand it, Forever and the surrounding area is as safe as they come. But lately, they’ve had a problem with young vampires killing cattle and using them in blood rituals.”
“You’re fucking kidding me? And you’re just now telling me? What the hell, man?” Dan was usually the one who stayed in control, not having many outbursts, but when it came to Riley’s safety, it was a different matter.
“Take it easy, bro. They haven’t hurt any werewolves. And not any
humans.” Matthew adopted a half-hearted grin. “See? Since she’s part werewolf and part human, she’s covered either way.”
“Not funny.”
His brother’s grin faded and his attention drifted to the window. “I’m sure she’s fine, but it’s time we go after her.”
Dan was already moving to the back door when Matthew stopped him and turned him back toward the front door. “I saw which direction she went in. I’ll go that route. You can check the other way while Milly goes down the road.”
Matthew was down the steps and racing across the yard before Dan could answer.
* * * *
It took longer to find Riley than Matthew thought it would, and when he did, he wasn’t pleased that she was with someone else. Especially when the cold sensation coming off the teen boy hit him in the gut. He struggled to keep his inner wolf in check as he glared at his niece and the vampire.
“Riley, what are you doing?”
The anger was gone from her face as she whirled to see him. She and the boy, a young man really, stood at the edge of a line of trees. He was wearing a cloak to shield him from the little sunlight that was left, but he still stood in the shadowed cover of the trees.
“Nothing.”
She looked guilty, betraying her claim. The boy, however, gave him a smile that made his stomach flip over in a sickening way. He strode closer and took his niece’s arm. Was the boy one of those he’d run into the other night? He hadn’t gotten a good look, so he couldn’t be sure.
“And who is this?”
The boy stuck out his hand. “I’m Kurt Shillings.”
The vampires in Bakersfield had maintained a good relationship with the wolf clans there, but the Hudson brothers had never felt very comfortable around them. Aside from the one woman vampire that had lived down the street and had taught night classes for parents as well as some of the children. They’d grown to like her. Although the school mainly had human students as well as teachers, a few other supernaturals had found their way into the classrooms, too.
He didn’t see any reason to take the boy’s hand. Instead, he offered only his name.
“I’m Matthew Hudson. And this is my fifteen-year-old niece, Riley.”
Riley rolled her eyes at him. “We’ve already met. And I’m almost sixteen.”
He kept his attention on Kurt. “How old are you? Judging from your appearance, I’d say you’re around seventeen. But then again, you can never judge a vampire’s age from his appearance.” He steeled his glare.
He had to give the kid credit for matching him gaze for gaze. But that was all he’d give him credit for.
“You’re right. You can’t tell by looking at us.” Kurt slid his attention from him to Riley. “It was nice meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Kurt moved fast, not giving Matthew a chance to respond. Instead, he took Riley’s arm and pulled her along with him. “What the hell was that?”
“Language, Uncle Matthew.”
“Don’t give me any of that, girl. How did you meet him? And why were you hanging around with him anyway? We were worried after you ran off.” He wondered if he should tell her about the teen vamps that were causing trouble, but decided to get Milly’s take on it first.
“We kind of ran into each other.” She yanked her arm out of his, but kept by his side. “What’s the big deal? You didn’t have a problem with my vampire friend back home.”
“Victoria was an adult, a female, and a teacher. And she was our friend, not yours. Besides, you don’t know anything about this kid.”
“Neither do you. What happened to judging someone by who they are and not what they are?”
Damn, he hated it when she threw his words back at him. “You have to be careful, is all. And no more running off on your own. You don’t know the land or the animals around here.”
Again, he decided not to tell her about the teen vampires. Trying to get her to accept Milly was hard enough without adding yet another problem to the mix.
“We’re going back into Milly’s house and you’re going to apologize for your rude behavior.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you will or you’ll lose your laptop and your iPod.”
“But that’s not fair! Why do I have to like her? I’m not the one fucking her.”
Rage sent him into an abrupt shift and his eyes colored. He fisted his hands and gritted his teeth, fighting to maintain control.
“Listen up, Riley Carpenter. You will do as I say. Cut the foul mouth and cut the attitude. Do you understand me?”
She clamped down on her teeth so hard he thought she’d break one. But she’d seen him shift and knew how close he’d come to changing into full werewolf mode. She’d pushed him to his limit and beyond.
“Fine. Argh! I thought you were the fun uncle.”
“I am, but not at the expense of your safety. Now get back to the house and shape up, young lady.” He cringed inwardly, realizing that he sounded like his father. Or Dan.
“I hate you!”
He swallowed the urge to yell back at her. Why did dealing with a teenager make him want to act like one?
Instead, he let her trounce off until he was sure he was under control. Once he’d regained his composure, he turned back toward the line of trees.
A flash of darkness caught his eye, but he couldn’t make out what it was. He growled, the hackles on his inner wolf rising.
Chapter Five
Dan felt like a teenager again, sneaking out of the house to see his girlfriend or to run with his friends. After spending the day getting to know Milly while keeping his hands to himself, he’d finally talked his brother into giving him some real time alone with her. He planned on making the most of it.
He helped Milly close the back door without making any noise. Matthew sat in the living room, his attention focused on his computer, but Dan knew his mind was on them.
“Did she see you?”
“Nope.” Milly slid into his arms. “Riley hasn’t come out of her room since you two had that talk with her about the young vampire.”
He frowned. “Yeah, that didn’t go over well. Let’s hope it was a chance encounter and it won’t happen again. Are you sure you don’t know him?”
Dan and Matthew had told her about Riley and the vampire, but she’d never heard the name Kurt Shillings before. “Never have. Not that I know many vampires. They stick to Shatland most of the time. But I do know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s going to be tough to get to know her if she won’t give me a chance.”
Dan nuzzled her neck and slid his hands over her rump. “Give her time. And remind me to thank my brother for covering for us in case she finally does come out and finds us gone.”
Her giggle sounded like a wind chime. “Oh, I will. What is he planning on telling her? Just so I know.”
“That we’ve gone into town to check in at your diner.”
“Got it. But remember what I told him. That we’d behave ourselves by going for a run and nothing else.” She checked him with suspicion written all over her face. “That’s what you told me to tell him, anyway. Did you make a liar out of me?”
He couldn’t help it. He had to tell her the truth. “If I’m lucky I did.”
She slapped him on the arm, but her smile never faded. “Why you lousy S-O-B. I have half a mind to go back inside.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” He leapt off the back porch, his energy level almost as great as his yearning for her. “But be real here. He knows what I have in mind.”
She skipped down the steps, telling of her own excitement. “And what is that?”
“A little of this and a lot more of the other.” He snaked his hand around her neck and brought her lips to his. But she ended the kiss way too soon, breaking away from him.
“And what if I have a different idea?” She glanced back at the house then started unbuttoning her blouse.
“I don’t lie and I don’t plan on starting now. We told him we were going for a run and that’s what we’re going to do.”
“Aw, now, Milly. I do want to run with you. But I want to do something else first.”
“Uh-uh-uh.” She kicked off her tennis shoes and undid her jeans.
He almost lost his mind when her jeans slid to the ground and he saw that she wore no underwear. “Holy shit, woman. Don’t torment me like this.”
He grabbed for her, but she twisted out of his hold again. She giggled then backed up, wiggling her fingers at him and enticing him to follow her. He tore his shirt off and yanked off his boots before fumbling with his jeans.
“Come on, Dan.” She turned and presented her nicely rounded ass to him. “Catch me if you can.”
He watched as the gorgeous woman who was his intended mate shifted into a beautiful golden wolf. She wagged her wolf tail at him, and he pranced on his feet as he tugged his jeans off and dumped them on the ground.
“Here I come, woman. And once I catch you, I’m going to do what I want with you.”
She let out a quiet bark then whirled and dashed across the yard. Dan shifted as fast as he could and hit the ground running.
She was fast, and it took a while for him to catch up to her. Once he did, he came to her side and matched her footing with his. She was sleek and graceful in her movements. Her long legs were strong and her paws ripped into the ground, leaving a cloud of dirt trailing behind her. He let her lead since she knew the area.
She darted to the side, making him lose ground as he dug in his paws and turned. But he caught up to her again soon enough and nipped at her rump. Her tail whipped to the side to hit his face, and if he’d been in his human form, he would’ve laughed.