by Lynn Howard
After a quick check of her reflection, she grabbed a pair of boots and carried them into the living room. She hardly even limped anymore.
“Hey. You ready –” His words cut off as his eyes roamed her from head to toe. “Wow.”
“What?”
“I’d gotten so used to how you looked in PJs and sweats, I forgot how hot you looked in everything.”
That was all she needed.
Setting her boots on the floor in front of the couch, Campbell crossed the room, slid an arm around Brax’s neck and pulled him forward as she slanted her mouth over his. As he had every time she touched him, he tensed, then relaxed into her touch, as if he had to wait to make sure that was what she really wanted before allowing himself to enjoy it.
Brax’s lips were soft, so soft. Softer than she’d imagined. His hand was gentle as he cupped the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek as she teased the seam of his lips with her tongue.
He opened immediately, moaning into her mouth as their tongues touched.
Holy hell, he could kiss. She swore her toes curled against the carpet and every inch of her body tightened as her blood boiled in her veins. Instantly, she was wet and ready for him. And would’ve tried to strip them both naked if her stupid phone didn’t chirp over and over. Even when she ignored it, it started right back up again.
Mom. Had to be. And since Campbell didn’t answer the first time, her mom was probably freaking out and thinking something had happened to her only remaining daughter.
Pulling away with a frustrated sigh, Campbell pressed one more kiss to Brax’s lips before turning and grabbing her phone from inside her boot.
Yep. It was her mom.
“Hey,” Campbell said.
“Are you okay? What happened? Do I need to send the police?”
“Mom! No. You don’t need to send the police. I’m fine. I just fell asleep on the couch.”
A sigh of relief washed over the phone, causing some static. “You had me scared half to death, Camp. You’re supposed to call me.”
“I haven’t been hunting. I figured I’d give you a break from worrying while I’m healing,” Campbell said, shaking her head at Brax with a smile. “I’m taking time off while those gashes on my leg healed up.”
“You could still call me, you know. You don’t have to call only when you’re hunting. You’re my only child. I need to know you’re safe.”
Only child. She used to be her oldest child. Pain lanced through Campbell’s heart and took the breath from her lungs.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. I’ll still call when I’m not hunting. Sorry, mom.” Campbell turned her back on Brax and rubbed her forehead. “I’m actually going out today. Want me to call you tonight and fill you in on all the excitement of a bar-be-cue?”
Her words came out far more sarcastic than she’d intended. But grief tended to manifest as anger inside Campbell’s heart and mind.
“Bar-be-cue? With Brax?”
“Yeah. And his friends.”
Silence engulfed the conversation until Campbell wondered if her mom had hung up. “You still there?”
“You sure that’s a good idea, Camp? I’m assuming his friends are all Shifters.”
“They’re like him, Mom. I’ll tell you all about them later, but I’ve got to get going. I’ve got to finish getting ready.”
Campbell turned and glanced at Brax who raised his brows at her. She was already ready, except for her shoes. But she needed to get off the phone so she could get her mood under control.
“Alright, baby girl. But please be safe. And leave immediately if you get any weird vibes from those…people. And call me as soon as you get home.”
“I will, Mom. I love you.”
“Love you, too,” her mom said.
Campbell ended the call before she could ask or say anything else.
“Your mom worries about you,” Brax said.
“Yeah. All the time. It got worse after Caren died. She freaks if I don’t check in every night.”
“That’s sweet,” Brax said, then motioned to her boots. “Slip those on so we can go eat.”
“Why the hell are they grilling so early in the day?” Campbell said as she lowered onto the couch and slipped her boots onto her feet, lacing them. “You think Polo can come?”
“Is he going to try to eat everyone?”
“Nah. I’m sure he’ll end up calming down when he realizes no one’s going to hurt me. I assume no one’s going to try to hurt me?” Campbell said, looking up at Brax with a pointed look.
She couldn’t bring herself to tell him she really wanted Polo there as backup. She trusted Brax, but she didn’t really know his Pride nor any of his friends. And Polo would alert her if anyone there was a bad guy. Or at least she hoped he would. He might also go nuts being around so many Shifters.
Maybe taking him wasn’t a good idea. She’d feel awful if he got hurt or had a stroke with so many predators around.
“You know what? Never mind. He doesn’t need to go. I’ll take him on an extra long walk later.”
“You can bring him, Camp. As long as you think he’ll be okay around all of us. All of my friends are good people, but I know dogs and cats tend to get a little weirded out around Shifters.” He chuckled. “One of my friends, Tristan, he has a human mate who had a cat when they first met. I mean, she’s a Shifter now, but the cat is only recently starting to tolerate Tristan’s presence. Poor thing used to hiss and growl at Tristan every time he’d come around.”
Campbell looked down at Polo who was looking at her expectantly, as if he knew they were talking about him and he was letting her know he was ready to hit the door.
“How did he act when you walked him past the Pride that first night?”
Brax shrugged. “Growled a little. Puffed up. But he didn’t lunge at the car or piss himself. Seriously. I think he’ll be fine. You’ll both have fun. And Rieka and Grace can play with him. I mean, if he’s okay around kids.”
Honestly, she wasn’t sure how he was around kids. The only time he encountered them was when they were walking and he was on a leash. He usually wagged his tail and seemed excited, but most kids, hell most adults were pretty scared of Polo.
But what if he hurt one of the babies?
She’d keep him on a leash. Brax said it would be fine, and he had to trust he knew his friends well enough to know whether they’d be pissed if he and his new friend…his new mate brought along a one-hundred-and-thirty-pound dog.
“Okay. Cool. I think he already knows what’s going on and I’d hate to break his heart by making him stay, anyway.”
Campbell turned to attach Polo’s leash, but Brax’s hand on her arm stopped her. When she turned back, he cupped her face in both large hands and moved forward, pressing his soft, warm lips against hers.
She sighed and slid a hand up his chest to cup the back of his neck. The second she started to deepen the kiss, however, he pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers.
“You have no idea how bad I want to do nothing more today than make out with you. But Daxon said if I didn’t get his new sister-in-law to Big River before noon, he was going to kick my ass.”
“Daxon. Your brother?”
“My twin.”
“I figured brothers but would’ve never guessed twins.”
“Well, we’re obviously not identical. And even more obvious is that I’m the better-looking twin.” He grinned wide, then bent and attached Polo’s leash. “Want to go for a ride, big boy?”
Polo’s nub wagged so fast and hard his butt was wiggling.
“I’m not a dog whisperer, but I’m going to say that’s a yes.”
Brax stood, the leash in his hand.
“So, uh, when we get back…”
She frowned with a smile. “Yes?”
“You think we can kiss some more?”
“Honestly, I’ve been wondering why the hell you haven’t kissed me yet. I get the whole not taking what I don’t give thing, but I wa
s hoping you’d take all my flirting for a green light.”
“What flirting?”
“Putting my head in your lap. Holding your hand. Inviting you to stay the night. Not like I was hoping for a slumber party where we braided each other’s hair and talked about boys.”
She grabbed her keys and walked out of her house before Brax, waiting on the porch for him to lead Polo out so she could lock all the deadbolts. They weren’t only there to keep her safely locked inside. She also didn’t want to come home to find some asshole or drug addict stealing her shit or waiting for her to get home to attack her.
Brax descended the stairs and stared up at Campbell. “That was flirting? I figured you were only trying to get comfortable. And that you felt safe when I was there.”
“I felt safe before I met you, Brax. I mean, I kicked your ass, didn’t I? What makes you think I wouldn’t do that to anyone who tried to break in? Especially when it would more than likely be a human, not a Shifter, looking to steal a laptop or flat screen TV.”
“Huh,” Brax said, glancing down at Polo. “You couldn’t have given me a heads up?” he said to the dog as he led Polo to his Camaro. “You cool if I drive?”
“Yeah. That’s fine.”
Campbell climbed into the passenger seat and pulled her seat belt on as Brax leaned his driver’s seat forward so Polo could climb in behind him. “I’m surprised you don’t mind him riding in your fancy car.”
“Nothing fancy about it. Besides, Polo and I have a bro bond. He wouldn’t dare tear up the seats. Ain’t that right, Polo?”
And her furry baby surprised the shit out of her by barking, as if agreeing with Brax.
As Brax aimed his car toward the even smaller town of Cedar Hill, Campbell turned toward him.
“Can you communicate with animals? Like, can you actually talk to and understand Polo and other animals?”
“If I could, do you really think most of them would tuck their tails and run anytime I came near?” His smile was crooked and sexy as he glanced at her.
And dammit if her body didn’t go all warm and tingly by that simple look.
****
Brax had never thought of himself as a woman expert, but he thought he at least knew the signals when a woman was ready for him to make a move.
Apparently not.
Over a week and he could’ve already tasted her kiss. And damn! What a kiss! His dick had gone instantly hard the second she’d pulled him forward and he’d realized what she was doing.
And then he’d kissed her when she’d gotten off the phone with her mom. She’d wanted to move further, wanted to deepen the kiss. He’d done the hardest fucking thing he’d done in a long time – he’d put the brakes on before they went any further.
Honestly, if she’d started pulling his or her clothes off, there was no way he’d be able to stop. She kissed so passionately; he knew she’d be just as hot in the sack.
Fuuuuck. He had to stop thinking about all that before he stepped out of the Camaro at Big River with a raging boner. He’d never live it down. From either his Pride or any of his friends.
Big River was only fifteen minutes from where Campbell lived. Brax’s trailer with the rest of the panthers was also fifteen minutes from where she lived. Which was why he’d taken to staying at her house, even before she’d invited him to stay. The thought of fifteen whole minutes passing as he rushed to her side if she needed him made him sick to his stomach. A lot could happen in fifteen minutes, especially if a Shifter attacked her.
“That’s a lot of people,” Campbell muttered as Brax pulled the Camaro down the long, dirt driveway.
Looked like not only were all the wolves home, but so were the bears and their mates, and Eli and Emory and a couple of lionesses from Hope Pride up on the hill.
“Yeah. It’s fine. I promise you’ll have fun.”
Campbell turned in her seat to check out Polo. Brax glanced in his rearview to do the same.
The big dog was watching through the windshield, sniffing like crazy, his hackles already raised.
“It’s okay, big dude. You’ll have fun, too.”
Polo turned to look at the side of Brax’s face, then actually leaned forward and licked his cheek.
“Dude! I’m taken. Keep your tongue to yourself.”
“Oh my god,” Campbell uttered with a shake of her head. “I’m not sure whether you’re ridiculous or my dog has lost his mind. Or both.”
Putting the car in park, Brax stepped out and lead Polo out of the car. Campbell, however, still sat in her seat, her eyes bouncing over each person sitting in lawn chairs around a fire pit or standing near the grill talking with beers in their hands.
“It’s okay, Camp. These are the good guys. Wait until they found out you whooped our asses. You’ll be fucking famous.” He grinned wide and winked at her. That seemed to snap her out of whatever was keeping her glued to the car seat.
With a nod, she undid her seat belt and pushed from the car. She then rounded the hood and reached for Polo’s leash. “Let me have him. I can get him to calm down if he freaks out.”
“Oh please. Big Dude and I are besties at this point.”
Campbell rolled her eyes as she looped her hand through the leash, but she couldn’t hide the smile.
“Such a dork,” she said under her breath as she let him lead her toward his favorite people on the planet. Well, they were until Campbell had come along. Now they were all tying for second place.
“About time,” Daxon called out. He nodded his head at Campbell but then quickly turned his attention away.
Well shit. He’d forgotten to tell her something a little on the important side. Turning her and leading her back toward the car, he kept his voice low so the rest of the Shifters sitting around wouldn’t be able to hear him.
“So, I forgot to tell you something kind of important.”
Campbell tensed under his hand. “What? I should’ve brought my gun, dammit.”
“What? No. You’re not in danger. No. It’s just that…okay, so Daxon and the rest of the panthers are going to seem like they’re ignoring you or being cold. But they’re not. It’s a respect thing. You’ll notice they won’t touch or interact much with the other females, either.”
“Why?” Her face twisted into what looked like a mixture of confusion and anger.
“Because every female except a few of the lionesses – I’ll introduce them to you – are mated. Panthers don’t want to disrespect the bond by seeming like they’re flirting with a mated female. None of my Pride will touch you unless necessary. And they won’t talk to you unless you start the conversation first. And you’ll notice a lot of nodding and almost bowing when you come near.”
“You realize how weird that sounds, right?”
“Weirder than a human dating a dude who turns into a big cat?” Brax said with a grin in hopes of lightening the mood.
“Good point. Okay. So don’t take any offense if they all but ignore me. What about the other guys?”
“Oh, they’ll flirt with you mercilessly.”
“You mean they’ll talk to me,” she said, a ghost of a smile appearing on her beautiful face.
“Yeah.”
She nodded a few times, pulling her lips into her mouth as she glanced at the people watching them. “They’re all staring at me.”
“Nah. They’re wondering why I pulled you away before you could meet everyone. See that woman? The one in the pink sweater with the little girl on her hip?” He pointed to Nova, the mate to the Alpha of Big River Pack, Gray. “She’s the romance author I told you about. And she’s dying to hug you and get all the gossip about you and me. You’ve been warned.”
With that, he guided her back toward the waiting group, Polo following along obediently.
The big dude in question looked from person to person, staying close to Campbell, the hair along his back standing straight up. It would take him a few minutes to relax. Probably wouldn’t happen until Campbell relaxed and he realized th
ere was no threat.
Brax knew the dog could tell the people standing around were different, could sense the predators inside of them. But to his credit, he didn’t cower, he didn’t bark or growl at anyone, just watched and waited to see if his momma needed his help.
“Hey!” Nova called out when Campbell was close enough. She hurried toward them, one arm already outstretched. “It’s about time I get to meet you,” she said, wrapping one arm around Campbell while Rieka stayed balanced on her hip.
Campbell awkwardly hugged her back, her brows slightly pulled together in confusion.
“I’m Nova. That big guy over there is my mate, Gray. And this little princess is Rieka,” she said, looking down at her daughter with an affectionate smile.
“Hi. Nice to meet you.”
And then the rest of the women converged on her, taking turns hugging her, introducing themselves while pointing out their mates, and welcoming her into the fold.
By the time the intense yet friendly Peyton got to Campbell, she’d grown more comfortable with the hugs.
“Campbell, this is Peyton. She’s the one I was telling you about,” Brax said, sliding an arm around Campbell. They’d touched more today than they had in the week they’d been hanging out at her place.
“You were talking about me?” Peyton said, narrowing her eyes in mock anger.
“I told her how you were human when you and Tristan met.”
Tristan stepped up with a nod for Campbell. The wolf Shifter didn’t talk much. They’d learned only recently that he didn’t speak because he had a stutter and a stammer and worried people would judge him. Which was stupid. Tristan was one of the most loyal and strongest Shifters Brax had ever met.
“Any chance we can sit down soon and discuss all that?” Brax asked.
“Well, I’m a Shifter now,” Peyton said with a shrug.
Oh, and that she was. She’d had an animal forced into her, and, after she’d survived her first Shift, she’d become fierce as hell and her wolf was overly protective of anyone she deemed weak or helpless. Especially the lioness Callie, mate to the Second of Big River Pack, Micah.
“Yeah,” Peyton said, looking to her mate for confirmation. Tristan nodded and gave his mate a soft smile. The love and affection shined bright in his eyes as he watched his beautiful mate. “That’s cool. We’ll chat,” she said, winking at Campbell.