Winter Awakening

by Tl Reeve

  “You good?”

  She peered up into the most startling pair of hazel-green eyes she’d ever seen. Only one person had those eyes. “Luc, hey. Wow. Great seeing you here.” She took a step back.

  The corner of his mouth kicked upward. “Good to see you, too, Sarah.”

  His scent. Oh my God. She took a deep breath. Cedar with a hint of cinnamon to give it a raw, spicy afternote. She swayed forward, drawing another lungful of the most delicious fragrance she’d ever smelled. “Mmhmm.”

  He chuckled. “Where you off to?” He pushed his fingers through his hair, and she had visions of knocking his hand out of the way to do it for him.

  She’d done it in her dreams. Why couldn’t she do it in real life? Because, you idiot, only stalkers do stuff like that, not you. “Work!”

  He blinked. “Okay.”

  She blew out a nervous breath. If she stood there for a second longer, she’d do something stupid. Something not like her. Face it. You want him. You want to jump his wolfie bones. You crave this man. No. Who the hell says “wolfie bones”? Her, apparently. “I mean I’m trying to find one.”

  “Winter isn’t the best time to find employment.”

  No, because the town didn’t stay open. Unlike Maine, no one drove snow plows through town to clear the roads. Nor could they push the snow off of all the dirt paths. Heck, after she learned everything she had from Ethan, cutting trails through the snow could show up on satellite images, giving away their location. Conspiracy Theory 101 with your instructor Sarah Philips. “I suppose it’s not, and I should have done this sooner. I…guess I’ll wait.”

  “It’s only a few months, right? It’ll fly by.”

  She nodded then pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

  “If you need anything, Ero and I are here for you….” He stared at her a moment more, his lingering gaze turning her insides to a massive mound of jelly. “Mate.” Without another word, he eased past her, returning to whatever he’d been doing before she ran into him, as though he hadn’t uttered the word.

  She did a double take. Had he…and then he…. Why didn’t he stay? “Sure.”

  Sarah pushed the door open and stumbled out into the crisp air. She shook all over. Adrenaline surged through her, causing her to have one hell of a head rush. She was a complete and utter imbecile. What the hell happened to her? She’d turned from a thirty-eight-year-old woman into a sixteen-year-old girl. Mate.

  No. She couldn’t accept his assertion.

  But, these emotions? One minute, she’d been hot, the next cold. The second he touched her, she became a bumbling fumble-butt. How? Mate. No. No way. Ethan had been the one. She’d planned on telling him. Planned on biting him. Bringing him home when it was safe. She had all these things she wanted to do with him. Second chance. No. She didn’t have the capability to love again. Taking care of Dylan, Charles, and Jason had become a full-time endeavor.

  Between school and homework and both boys taking martial arts classes, her adult time was limited. She had a few hours in the morning while they were in school, and used that to take care of the normal errands anyone would have. So, going any further with her little fantasies was a no-no.

  She headed toward Los Lobos Café. When she and her brother had explored the town after their arrival, she’d promised herself she’d stop in and say hi. Instead, she’d made every excuse to bypass the place. Today, she’d do it. Then she’d ask if they had any work she could do. One store saying no didn’t mean everyone would say the same.

  Chapter Two

  There’s a moment when everything falls into place and the world seems perfect. Ero liked to call it serendipity or kismet. A time when things played out in a perfectly straight line. Ero came to accept it. He told Luc as much when they decided to come home, and when they ran out of places to search for their sister. Years ago, they’d put her on a bus with their aunt and sent them away seconds before they, climbed on another going in the opposite direction. Coming home gave them a place to begin.

  At two o’clock, Shawn would arrive to help start the process of finding Ero and Luc’s aunt and sister. The day held a note of promise. As if something good would come Ero’s way. Hope took root deep within him while getting ready to open the café. He told Luc about it, but his brother blinked and shrugged it off—a subconscious action he’d become accustomed to and hoped would dissipate over time since they returned home.

  The bells on the door rang as a customer entered. Ero had added them only a few weeks ago as the traffic picked up for his business. He didn’t want to be stuck in the backroom, grabbing supplies, and miss a potential sale because he was thinking too hard. Glancing over his shoulder, he was surprised to see Sarah standing there, inside his café. “Good morning.”

  Snow clung to her burgundy scarf, and her fingers were pressed to her lips, as if to warm them from the biting chill. A beautiful shade of pink tinged her cheeks, snow kissed from her time outside. The tumultuous weather inspired snuggling up to this she-wolf—this woman—and finding solace in her arms. If his brother joined them, locking their mating into place, so be it. The punch of lust to his gut staggered him. The whisperings of Mate, found her, mine, ours, take, floated through his mind. The rightness of it startled him. Perhaps divine intervention did exist after all.

  Sarah’s gaze darted from left to right as she took a tentative step forward. The scent of her nervousness surrounded her, but a subtle aroma lying just beneath it wrapped around him. Honey with a hint of pear and the bite of hot cider on a cold winter’s day. It made his mouth water and his groin tighten.

  “You look like you could use some coffee.” He grabbed one of the mugs off the counter and filled it with his special winter blend—a mix of orange zest and bitter chocolate with a hint of sweetness. “On the house.”

  She gifted him with a gracious smile. “Thank you.” After wrapping both of her hands around the mug, she brought it to her lips and blew the steam rising from it then took a sip. Her moan of appreciation had his wolf puffing out his chest.

  “You’re welcome. Would you like something to eat?”

  “No, thank you.” Again, her gaze darted from side to side. What was she afraid of?

  Immediately, he went on guard, overwhelmed by a need to protect her. “What’s wrong?” The question came out gruffer than he’d anticipated.

  “N-nothing.”

  “Are you sure?” His twin might be the pack protector in the family, but it didn’t mean he was a slouch when it came to discerning body language or scents. He liked to think he had one of the best noses in the pack. Instead of becoming a tracker or a protector, though, he went into the culinary arts. It relaxed him. Gave him purpose and helped feed his pack—whether he did it emotionally by listening while having a cup of coffee or, like with Sarah, by physically feeding them because they were hungry.

  “Yes.” She took another sip of the coffee. “I’m never very good at this.”

  Right about now, he’d agree or say anything to help her out. “Well, the best way to do it is just say it.”

  “Okay. I need a job. Doesn’t have to pay very much, and it doesn’t have to be every day.” She took another sip of her coffee, lowering her gaze as the thickening waves of her unease constricted around him.

  A job? Miss Claire had been in there several times with Miss Fern to talk about Sarah. All the things she’d lost and how she seemed so alone. He thought, of course, they’d work one of their schemes on her. A little trip here. A chance meeting there. Instead, they seemed more content to worry, which surprised him. “Have you thought about what you’d like to do?”

  She frowned. “I’m not above cleaning toilets.”

  His wolf bristled at the idea of her washing up another wolf’s mess. “Can you make coffee and take orders?”

  Her amber eyes sparkled with surprise. “Yes. When I first left the pack, I worked in a little hole-in-the-wall place.”

  “Want to start right now
?” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Lunch hour will be starting shortly, and this place is going to be packed.”

  “Seriously?”

  He grinned. The way her whole body lit up at the idea of her being gainfully employed had all his blood rushing south. “Yes. Finish your coffee. Grab something to eat if you’d like then we’ll go over everything when you’re done.”

  She placed the coffee cup on the counter then lifted onto her tiptoes, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

  His breath hitched. His palms itched to grab her and haul her up against his body for a true kiss. “You’re welcome.” He pressed his lips to hers, and, for a second, everything seemed right in the world, finally.

  She pulled back from Ero on a gasp. She could blame the heat of the moment. The excitement of finding a job on her second try. The realization she would be okay within her pack if she needed more than Ethan’s benefits could provide, but it was more. Though she hadn’t wanted to consider the idea of finding her true mate, or in this case “mates,” she had. Cedar with the hint of clove wrapped around her. Two men with two distinct scents. She wanted to roll in it, silly as it sounded.

  “Does my mom make all of your pastries?” She grabbed a piece of banana nut bread and placed it on a small dish.

  “Along with Miss Fern. They were the first ones to offer their services when I opened the doors almost two years ago.” He motioned to a nearby table. “ Let’s sit. Are you settling back into pack life?”

  She gave a small lift of her shoulder. “Yeah. With Ethan being in the Air Force, I never lost sight of the whole pack mentality. Plus, I had Jason with me. I think I had it easier than most who left.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. He must have been a great guy to find you.”

  She blushed. The compliment and the condolences were a balm to her still-fragile soul. “Thank you. It’s been eleven years since his death. My boys and my brother helped me through the worst of the grief.”

  “But it never quite goes away.”

  “No. It doesn’t.” She ran her fingertip around the lip of the cup. “The boys do something amazing, and I think, ‘I wish Ethan could have seen this.’ Or, when they’re unruly I think, ‘I wish Ethan was here to help me out.’” Why she prattled on about her dead husband, while one-half of her mates sat before her didn’t make sense, but it felt easy to open up to him, and once she got going, she didn’t know how to stop. “They’re completely boys. They’re curious and sneaky and precocious and loving.”

  “Do they understand they’re wolves?”

  “Yes. I didn’t want to hide it from them.” She’d told them about her home every night as a bedtime story. Just not about the evil that had bled her pack almost dry. “I hid a lot. Things I wanted to tell their father. Things I wanted to tell my mother before coming home. I feel like I’ve wasted a big chunk of my life living in fear.”

  He nodded. “Magnum did a number on all of us. It didn’t have to be physical for us to still suffer. His mental games….”

  “I know.” She reached out and touched his hand. The zing of awareness popped between them, and she swore she felt all the way down to the tips of her toes. “Have you found your baby sister yet?”

  “No.” The sorrow in his eyes devastated her. “We had a plan. Luc and I went one way. She went the other. If things changed, we’d meet back here.”

  Sarah remembered his aunt, Pandora, and their sister, Meadow. “I hope they return. Have you talked to Shawn or Saja about finding them?”

  “Shawn’s coming by this afternoon.”

  “Fantastic! I bet they’ve missed you both.” She gave him a small smile. “So, should we get to work?” She popped the final bite of bread into her mouth before taking the last swallow of her coffee. “Where do you want me to start?”

  “Let’s start in the back room then I’ll show you everything up front.” He stood. “It’s all pretty easy once you get the hang of it. And….” He bent as she stood and brushed his lips over hers. “I’m glad you decided to come by today.”

  When Ero said the place would be packed for lunch, he wasn’t kidding. People stopped in for coffee, soups, and sandwiches, along with lattes and tea. There had also been the occasional hot chocolate thrown in. She didn’t even have time to call home and tell her brother she’d be late or that she’d found a job.

  She’d been working so hard, she didn’t have time to pick apart the second kiss he’d bestowed on her lips. They still tingled. Sarah touched them every so often only because the buzz of energy surprised her. Never, not even with Ethan had she experienced anything like it. Her wolf gave her an approving chuff before settling down. If she thought the beast would gloat about this situation, she didn’t.

  “Welcome to Los Lobos Café. What can I get you?”

  “A conversation and a cup of tea, child.” Miss Fern squeezed her hand. “You look like you could use a break.”

  She glanced around the room. The remaining customers had their food and drinks and were carrying on conversations. “I have been meaning to come see you and Henry.” She had to set up boundaries for the boys and explain the rules. She also needed to meet with Drew. There’d been a whirlwind of activity once she arrived, and sometimes it seemed never ending.

  “You’ve had your hands full since returning.”

  She sat across from the woman she’d considered her aunt for as long as she could remember. “How are you?”

  “Better, now that my family is home.” Her gentle smile reminded Sarah of warm cookies and hot cider on a cold day.

  “I missed you while I was gone.”

  “As we missed you. So, found a good wolf to mate?” Her aunt wiggled her brows.

  Sarah groaned. “No. I have too much going on. Besides, I’ve known happiness. I have my boys. I was loved.” Didn’t mean she wouldn’t explore things with Ero and, hopefully, Luc. She was content, though. Not in a hurry to lock it into place.

  Miss Fern made a disgruntled noise. “Stubborn to the core.”

  She laughed. “Practical. There’s a difference.”

  “Ladies.” Ero came up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I hate to cut this short, but I could use Sarah’s help.”

  Miss Fern frowned. “You’re working her too hard.”

  “I highly doubt that.” He chuckled. “It’s her first day, after all.”

  “Even more reason for her to have an extra break.” She winked at Sarah.

  “I’ll have to remember your idea.” He held out his hand to her. “Ready for cleanup?”

  “Lead the way.” She took his offering, and a jolt of energy rocked her. Yes, this was meant to be.

  “Have a good rest of your day, Miss Fern.”

  “I will, my boy. You, too. Both of you.” She gave them a coy little finger wave.

  “I owe you one,” she stated when they were out of earshot.

  The wolfish grin he gave her, made her stomach do a funny little turn. “You’re welcome. I plan on collecting on the favor soon.”

  She stood there for a moment, stunned by his declaration. Yes, she’d gotten in way over her head, but she had time. Living on after Ethan’s death had been the second hardest thing she’d ever done—the first had been leaving her pack. Now, she’d been given a second chance at everything, and, as much as she worried about all the practical little things, she’d embrace it with both arms open.

  Maybe.

  Chapter Three

  Luc stepped through the door of Los Lobos Café and took a seat at his normal table. The scent of honeyed pears and a bit of spice wouldn’t leave him alone. It had clung to him the whole time he patrolled the borderlands. He’d thought for sure it’d go away after hours in the lightly falling snow and the crisp scent of wet pine and fir.

  He’d let his mate go, practically cast Sarah aside. Nevertheless, he forced himself to continue on the path he’d taken through the store. To chase after her would cause one of two thin
gs—either he’d make a fool of himself or they’d end up mating in the middle of town. And, if his brother turned out to be her mate as well, they’d be doing things in the middle of the road no one needed to witness.

  It’d give the matrons something to gossip about. He rolled his eyes and quickly banished the thought. Grabbing the local paper from the rack, he opened it to the sports section. He’d have to talk Ero into getting them some kind of antenna system, low tech, of course. He missed watching ball games. He could catch them here and there on the radio, but, due to all the trees, the reception was spotty at best.

  “Hi. What can I get you?”

  He glanced up. The subtle scent of honeyed pears wrapped around him, and his shaft thickened. Her long brown hair had been pulled up into a bun, while wispy ends framed her heart-shaped face. Long dark lashes highlighted amber eyes. She tucked her full bottom lip between her teeth as she waited for him to answer. “Soup, sandwich, and a cup of black coffee.”

  “I’ll be right back.” She scurried away.

  “You’re smooth.” Ero joined him. “How was your morning?”

  “About as interesting as yours, I’d guess.” He folded the paper then put it away. “I saw her at the convenience store this morning.”

  “Did you talk to her?”

  “Yes. She ran right into me after being rejected.”

  Ero frowned. “Rejected?”

  “She tried to get a job there.” He shrugged. “She was meant to come here.”

  “She’s my mate.”

  “Congratulations, baby bro,” he teased. They’d been born minutes apart, but he still gave Ero hell.

  Ero’s shoulders slumped. “She’s not yours, though.”

  Why they’d made a pact to only try to find a mate to fit between them he didn’t know. He chalked it up to them being kids and not having a lick of sense. But he couldn’t leave his brother. The thought literally pained him.