Shifting Positions

by Jennifer Dellerman

  “Tess!” Kaylie's voice was sharp and Tess realized with a wince that her sister must have called her name a few times without receiving a response.

  “Sorry, I was thinking.” And getting a headache. Tess rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger. “So you're coming home to stay?” She prompted.

  “Yes,” the answer came quick. “I did my residency while in school and will be assisting Dr. Thomas at Woodcliff Veterinary Clinic starting the second week in January.”

  “Hmmm. And you're staying here. With mom and I?”

  “Uh, yeah. It would be stupid to rent a place when mom has that big house all to herself. Besides, I already asked and she wants me home.”

  Tess's eye began to twitch. Living with mom was one thing, living with her sister another, entirely different matter. Love wasn't the issue. The not killing each other was. Her worry for her mother and her ridiculous physical attraction toward Caleb had caused her defenses to start crumbling. The situation with Kyle in the café this morning had allowed her latent shifter to break free. As a female, she couldn't actually change into wolf form, but she did possess the heightened strength, desires and senses as the males, just not as acutely. With all the changes in her life, she felt vulnerable, as if she were swinging in the air, naked, covered in honey and dangling over a pit of hungry bears. She could actually feel herself regress into an unsure adolescent and her liberated wolf wasn't about to let her stuff her emotions back in that little box. Once her boisterous sister, who had always purposely pushed her buttons moved back, all hell was going to break loose.

  Maybe she should investigate the real estate market in town. Starting tomorrow. But right now, she would play Kaylie's game. An evil little smirk lifted one side of her lips. After all, what's a big sister for? “You know mom turned your room into a sewing room?”

  “Uh, no. She turned your room into a craft room.”

  “Not anymore.”

  Kaylie shrieked and ranted and Tess was forced to pull the phone from her ear. Instead of making her feel better, the tirade soon became irritating. Tess jumped off the couch and snapped back. “Damn it Kaylie, quit acting like a spoiled brat! It's mom's bloody house and she can do whatever she wants with it. Christ. We can move the furniture around again. It's not like your stuff is gone. It's still in your damn room, along with the sewing machine, fabric, yarn, and a million other things.” God her head was pounding!

  Focused as she was on padding up the stairs and to the bathroom, it took Tess a minute to recognize the sound now coming over the line. She flipped on the light and paused. “Are you laughing at me?”

  “Hell yes. Oh my God, Tess, it's true. You're not only mated to a wolf but you've lost control over your own. It's fabulous and about damn time!”

  “Witch.” Tess held the phone between her ear and shoulder as she dug out four Tylenol from the medicine cabinet. “It's not in the least amusing.”

  “It's ironic is what it is. You fought against your own nature for so long and this is what happens. It's classic.”

  Feeling mildly depressed, Tess glared at her pale reflection. “How did you know?”

  Kaylie let out a sigh. “Oh Tess, sweety. I always suspected. Your metabolism has always been faster and you were always stronger than me even though I played sports and you sat on your ass looking through fashion magazines. Mom and I were concerned you were acting against your natural instincts. She continued to coddle you, hoping you wouldn't squash all your feelings and become an ice queen and I set out to deliberately taunt you to get a rise out of you. Of course envy made me do it often, but I have no regrets.”

  “Envy, huh?”

  “Sure. You're a tall, gorgeous babe with boobs. I'm not. But then you tried birth control pills to help with your period and they didn't work. My jealousy died a quick death as every month I watched you in agony while I got off with only minor twinges.”

  Tess put a hand to her belly as her womb gave a small quiver in remembered horror. “They're still pretty bad. Nothing works, not the pill, the patch, the ring, injections. Nothing.”

  “That's because human hormonal birth control doesn't work on female shifters. Even though you don't change form, your DNA is too different. As much as I know you hate to hear it, physiology is the one thing you can't control.”

  “Perfect,” Tess let out a resigned sigh and turned on the tap. “Always knew you were the smart one.”

  “True.” Immodest, Kaylie wasn't. “What are you doing?”

  Tess popped the pills in her mouth and mumbled, “Taking Tylenol.”

  “Headache?”

  She swallowed two at a time with a glass of water. “Yes. It just came out of the blue.”

  “Probably due to the hormonal changes of meeting your mate and freeing your wolf. You're also no doubt ready to or have already started the mating heat. The symptoms usually occur one week after physical contact with a potential mate.”

  Tess winced. “What the hell?”

  Kaylie chuckled unrepentantly. “Sorry. It's the doctor in me. I can't help but analyzing everything. It makes my roommates crazy.”

  “Great.” The last thing Tess wanted was to be analyzed, and by her younger sister of all people. “Just don't be pulling that medical crap on me when you get home.”

  “Whatever. So tell me, what's it like with a shifter?”

  Tess crossed over the hallway into her bedroom, leaving the light off, and lay down over the bed cover. “What's what like?”

  “Sex of course.”

  “Kaylie!” Tess choked out.

  “Don't tell me you and Caleb haven't done the dirty deed yet. You've been there what, over a week now? How could you resist that hunky sheriff?”

  Tess closed her eyes, images of what had occurred in this very bed last night. His head between her legs as he laved her pussy with his tongue, his thick fingers pushing in and out of her wet flesh. She'd never orgasmed so hard before. Usually she used a man to get excited and then once he left, gave herself release. But not with Caleb. He not only took his time, he knew exactly what he was doing. Best of all, he seemed to enjoy it if what he told her after was true. That he had climaxed in his jeans. She shivered at that, wondered if it was truly possible.

  Then she remembered how she'd felt when her lips were wrapped around his cock. So large he'd barely fit in her mouth as he slid in and out. She'd never been one to enjoy giving a man oral sex, but with Caleb it was intensely erotic. She had ached to have him in her mouth. He'd thrust so carefully while she clutched the strong columns of his thighs. The way his muscles had bunched under her hands, head thrown back in ecstasy as he came. And his taste. She let out a small moan as her sex quivered and began to ache with renewed arousal.

  “That good?” Kaylie whispered with awe.

  That snapped Tess back. “I did not have sex with Caleb.”

  “Well why not?”

  Tess's mouth opened, closed, opened again. “Because I'm not that easy.”

  Kaylie laughed. “Oh please. I know you. If you want a man, you go after him. Besides, I've read about your exploits in the tabloids.”

  “And I've told you time and again that you shouldn't believe everything you read. Geez, Kaylie. Half those men I quote dated unquote, were gay.”

  “And the other half?”

  Tess ran her tongue over dry lips, hesitating before she answered. “Not so much.”

  Maybe she'd been with more than a few men. Maybe she even regretted a few of her sexual conquests. But she'd needed something. Something to ease the emptiness inside her. So maybe, possibly, could be, the deep seated feeling of loneliness that had always existed in the pit of her stomach had made her act a bit irrationally when it came to the opposite sex.

  She frowned, unconsciously covering her tummy with her free hand. There was no knot of nerves, no sense of loss. She felt like something was missing, but it wasn't clawing at her gut. Just a gentle sense of waiting, knowing that what she needed was coming.

  Shit. It
was Caleb. Son of a bitch. She really was his mate. She was so screwed.

  The front doorbell rang just as she finished her mental cursing and her heart gave one mighty leap before it picked up sped. Caleb had informed her earlier that he would be by after talking to Dave's parents. Dave. She forgot to mention him to Kaylie. Then again, she probably shouldn't say anything until she talked with Caleb.

  Tess glanced at the slim watch on her wrist. Nearly an hour since she spoke with him. Time sure did fly when reality, and sisters, smacked you upside the head.

  “Hold on, someone's at the door.” Tess walked over the wooden floor and looked out her bedroom window. “What the hell?”

  “What wrong?” Kaylie asked.

  Confused, Tess whispered, “It's Frank Kolter.”

  “Rat bastard,” Kaylie hissed out. “What's he doing there?” Unknowingly, she had lowered her voice to match Tess's.

  Tess squeezed her eyes shut as she realized the likely reason for the former alpha's impromptu visit. “He's probably here because of a little incident this morning involving Kyle and myself.”

  “You mean when you beat the crap out of his eldest son?”

  Tess rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Just perfect. Do you know everything?”

  “Yep. Listen. Don't answer the door.”

  As Tess was already on the way down the stairs she asked, “Why not?”

  “Because Frank's a two-faced snake. You know how horrible the wolves’ lives here were. Hell, everyone in this town had major problems. It got so bad that humans were afraid to go out at night. Tourism plummeted. It was a nightmare his last couple of years as alpha. I almost told mom to move out.”

  Tess stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “What? I didn't know this. I mean I knew he wasn't the leader that Dad was, but I didn't know it was that bad.”

  “Oh yeah. Dean finally come into town about three years ago, beat the crap out of Frank in like ten seconds flat for some perceived slight and declared himself alpha. Then demanded anyone who thought they could take him and the position over do so. Needless to say, no shifter accepted the invitation and furthermore, never has. He rebuilt the pack, cleaned up the town and is even the town mayor.”

  Though she knew this, something in her sister's tone caught Tess's interest. “Dean, huh?”

  Kaylie let out a gusty sigh. “Yeah. Dean. Jerkwad. For such a smart man, he hasn't a clue about what's right in front of his face.”

  “Why do I have a feeling you're going to show him when you come home?”

  The sound of her sister's sputters caused Tess to cover her twitching mouth just as the doorbell peeled again. “Evidently we need to have a chat, little sister.”

  “I don't think so.” Kaylie changed the subject. “Frank sounds insistent. Just don't open the door. Talk to him through it.”

  Tess rolled her eyes. No wonder she had a headache with all the eye rolling she'd done lately. “He's a shifter, Kaylie. Do you really think a door would stop him? Besides, I'm not going to let him think I might be afraid of him.” Though knowing how unpredictable shifters could be did give her pause.

  Kaylie let out a huff. “Fine. Then don't hang up. I want to hear what he says so put it on speakerphone. I'm also going to the land line in case I need to call the sheriff's office.”

  “Ten-four.” Tess hooked the phone to her jeans, leaving the line open and her hands free. Then she reached for the knob.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Good evening, Teresa.”

  The yellow-bug light cast Frank Kolter in a sickly glow, emphasizing large black brows and the widow's peak which drew his straight, short hair back from his round face. His teeth gleamed sharp as they emerged past thin lips stretched to accommodate an almost sinister smile. The man screamed money from his soft suede shirt to his alligator loafers to his Cadillac Escalade parked in her driveway.

  A shudder ran down Tess's back and she saw Frank's nostril's flare, his eyes blaze for a fraction of a second as he scanned her body from head to toe and back again. Yuk. Now she was going to have to take a shower to scrub herself clean from that look. Not to mention what his cologne was doing to her clothes. The man reeked of some bizarre combination of ripe watermelons and coffee.

  By the time his grey eyes reached her face again, his true predatory nature slid behind a mask of slick, faux innocence. Whether it was the alligator loafers paired with an Armani suit - seriously? – or her age, Tess realized that Freaky Frank was nowhere near as scary as she remembered. And that was when she noticed it.

  His eyes. The color is a distinctive grey, just like Matt's.

  Knowing she could do nothing to prevent Frank from hearing her heart suddenly race into overdrive she leaned a shoulder nonchalantly against the doorframe. One hand remained on the open door, letting the cold evening air whip past her body and into the house. Fighting back a need to shiver, she raised a brow in mild curiosity. “Mr. Kolter. This is a surprise. What brings you out here?”

  “Ah, Teresa. Look at you. You've grown into such a lovely, young woman,” he said fondly and then shook his head in reflection. “Should have let the kid have his way,” he added under his breath.

  Perplexed at the barely there comment, Tess curved her lips in a tight smile. The lust oozing from every pore blended with his odd cologne, making her throat tighten in small convulsions. After the confrontation with his son, the older shifter had to know she possessed the ability to smell his arousal as any female shifter would. It made his complimentary words and gentle tone all the more disgusting.

  Her stomach churned alarmingly. The thought of losing her dinner all over his expensive footwear made her smile genuine. “Thank you, sir. That's very kind of you.”

  He beamed. “It's only the truth. You mother is so very proud of you, as we all are. You made a name for yourself in a tough industry. It shows great courage.”

  Lying bastard. Her mom hated everything about Tess's chosen profession and never failed to comment upon it. Evidently, this was how Frank managed to not only become alpha after her father left, but turned his lumber company into a lucrative business in a competitive industry. He manipulated, goaded or coerced. Said what people wanted to hear in a tone so soothing as to make an outright lie believable. Eight years of working in a cut-throat environment attested to her recognition of his underhanded tactics.

  Her smile froze in place. ‘Thank you again,” she said. Dissatisfaction crossed his features when she didn't respond with great ceremony. Inwardly pleased, she tilted her head to the side. “I apologize if I seem short, but I need to get up quite early in the morning and was just heading up to bed. Is there something you wished to speak to me about?”

  It took Frank the space of a heartbeat to regain his composure. “I'm the one who should apologize, my dear. I didn't realize the time.” He chuckled. “I should say I must apologize twice then. Once for this impromptu visit and a second time for my eldest son's actions this morning. I understand he became a smidge uncontrollable and you were able to settle him down.”

  Finally, Tess thought. If she hadn't forced the issue, Frank would have pussy-footed around until morning. “It's certainly not your fault, Mr. Kolter. Kyle is a big boy.”

  “Frank, dear. Please call me Frank.” He sighed. . “I'm afraid I've let that boy run free too long. It's been so hard, trying to raise three rambunctious cubs and run a business. Then when their mother left us alone…well.” He let out another sigh.

  You could have tried being a father instead of a sperm donor, Tess wanted to rail at him. Hell, the man made it sound like Mrs. Kolter died when her children were only little boys. She hadn't. About nine years ago she'd packed a small suitcase, gathered her substantial amount of jewelry and simply left. According to Tess's mom, it was the smartest thing the woman had ever done. Especially since the whole town knew Frank was a lecherous whore. The concept of wolves mating for life meant nothing to him, nor did the vows of marriage.

  Tess remained silent because, really, what coul
d she say? Thankfully Frank shook out of his phony morose. “Kyle just needs to find a mate.” He smiled suddenly, the expression putting her on guard. “When I heard you were back in town, I'd hoped you two might make a go of it.”

  Bile burned in her throat. No way can he think that is a compliment or that Kyle has a chance in hell of getting in my pants.

  Her face must have shown surprise because he quickly added, “But I hear that's impossible now. What with Caleb claiming you as mate.” He squinted at her neck and shoulder as if he could see through her sweater. “Of course if he hasn't marked you…”

  She nearly choked. This was another thing she hated about shifter logic. If she said Caleb hadn't, she would be considered fair game. If she said he had, the whole town would be planning a wedding. Since she didn't like either option she settled for a noncommittal, “Hmm.”

  Though her sense of smell was, at times, unpleasantly acute, her hearing and eyesight was only marginally better than human, so when lights flicked through the bare branches lining the dirt road leading to her house, it caught her by surprise. Thankful for any interruption from Frank's shrewd gaze, she flicked her eyes away from his, keeping him in her peripheral. The lack of attention made the shifter frown and he swiveled on his heels. “Expecting company?” His tone held a bite of accusation Tess found more than a little annoying.

  Her hands fisted and she wrapped them around her middle. Oh yeah she was expecting company. And hot, sweaty monkey sex, with a steamy, dreamy shifter. But she only cleared her throat, and lied. “No.”

  The nearly full moon showcased the vehicle as it came into view and Tess nearly sagged against the doorframe in relief. Caleb. She slanted her eyes at Frank, and then pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at his expression. He looked as if he'd just swallowed a lemon.

  Wonder what that's all about.

  Silence spread as they watched Caleb drive into the clearing. Just when Tess thought he would wheel right past the house and head straight into the surrounding woods, he braked hard, sending a large plume of snow to cover both his truck and Frank's seventy thousand dollar gas guzzler. Frank muttered something unflattering under his breath and Tess coughed to cover a laugh. Evidently the animosity was reciprocated.