by Anthology
She snuggled into him, needing his reassurance. “You spied on me through the roof?” She chuckled at the thought.
“How do you think I knew I could fix your roof? I did a little pre-inspection.”
“In the middle of the night? Climbing up on my roof without a ladder? Grif! You could have fallen.”
He soothed her though the thought of him falling off her roof made her shiver. “Don’t worry, honey. Cats are good climbers and we almost always land on our feet. You’ll learn that soon enough.”
“I don’t like heights.” She shivered again as he stroked her, but whether in fear or from his tempting closeness, even she didn’t know.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to climb anything unless you want to, but it’s a good skill to learn. Most other things that will come after you in the wild can’t climb well, so it’s a good escape route.”
“You mean other animals chase you when you’re in cougar form?” She was appalled by the idea, but he just shrugged.
“Once in a while something bigger, like a grizzly, will try, but most animals give all were a wide berth. Most were forms are natural predators and with the human influence we’re pretty powerful hunters. Animals sense that and most steer clear. Of course, once in a while different kinds of were will chase each other for fun.”
“Fun?” This was certainly an odd world she had gotten herself into. She felt a bit like Alice must have felt after she fell down that rabbit hole.
“Some of the wolf Pack up here likes to play games once in a while, but it’s mostly all in fun. A lot of growling and posturing but I can almost always outrun them.”
“What about when you can’t outrun them?” Her eyes were wide as she pulled back to watch his grinning face.
He squeezed her as he kissed the tip of her nose. “That’s what trees are for. Wolves can’t climb for shit.”
After they were dressed, Lindsey plucked up her courage to face the two brothers to whom she had yet to be properly introduced. She couldn’t help the blistering blush that stained her cheeks as Grif held her against his chest, his arms under her breasts, facing the two men.
“Boys, this is my mate, Lindsey.” She heard the rumble of satisfaction in his voice and felt it against her back as he held her close in the spacious kitchen. “Sweetheart, this is Steve.” He pointed her toward the slightly larger, more muscular of the two men standing at the kitchen counter, impatiently watching the toaster. “And the youngster over there is Matt.”
Matt snatched the much awaited toast out of his older brother’s hands. Steve went after him, making stabbing snatches at the toast, to no avail. Steve’s eyes were a deep chocolate brown, holding secrets and wisdom in their depths as he gave up on the toast and faced her with an appraising look.
“Welcome to the family.” His voice was pleasant, deep and masculine and his manner was friendly. He really did make her feel welcome. As Grif finally released her, Steve stepped forward and took her by the arms, pulling her close for a hug that took her by surprise.
Even more shocking was the kiss he placed on her startled lips a moment later. He smiled down into her startled eyes and licked his lips as he drew away.
“You’re a sweet one, Lindsey and you’ve made my brother a grinning, happy fool. I say it’s about time.” He released her and clapped Grif on the back, both men sharing an admiring glance at her as she was swept into Matt’s arms for a second smooch and warm embrace.
“Damn,” Matt said as he pulled back. “Grif is a lucky man. Welcome, to the Clan.”
She stammered out what she hoped was a polite thanks, realizing yet again that traditions among the weretribes were undoubtedly different than what she was used to. Being kissed on the mouth by her brothers-in-law apparently was something quite normal. She wondered and worried a bit over what else might be considered normal to these folks, but she was a shifter now, and she had better get used to it.
Chapter Nine
The men each packed away more food at breakfast than Lindsey had been used to eating in an entire day, but she found her own appetite had increased as well. While nowhere near the full package of bacon, dozen eggs, and multitude of muffins the men ate, she still found herself taking an extra helping here and there because she was truly hungry. The fact that little Belinda ate as much as she did simply amazed her.
Lindsey found herself grinning as she went for her fourth strip of bacon.
“What’s made you so happy?” Grif dropped a quick kiss on her temple as she stuffed the last piece of crispy bacon in her mouth and chewed. He dipped down to lick at her lips, catching a bit of the flavor on his tongue. “Mmm, bacon.”
She swallowed happily. “I’m amazed by the idea that I can eat that extra piece of bacon and not have it go straight to my hips.”
Nuzzling her ear he whispered. “The only thing going straight to your hips, Lindsey, will be me.” He pulled her chair closer to his with a loud scrape as the family watched indulgently.
Belinda jumped up from the table and put her dishes in the sink. “I’m going to check on Blaze.”
“Who’s Blaze?” Lindsey asked with more enthusiasm than the question warranted, embarrassed to have been caught cuddling with Grif in even so innocent a way. The last thing she wanted to do was upset his little sister—or any of his family, for that matter.
“My pony,” Belinda answered with a nonchalance that reassured Lindsey. The girl wasn’t upset with her, just preoccupied by thoughts of her four-legged friend. “He was limping before. Grif says I was lucky to find a pony who wasn’t scared of big cats.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Lindsey answered, thinking about the world in a whole new way. Belinda’s easy words spoke volumes about how different Lindsey’s life would be now that she was a shapeshifter like this family. She was going to have to consider things like how animals reacted to the wild side of her now.
Grif eyed his brothers and Steve stood as Belinda headed for the door. “I’ll go with you, squirt. Let’s see if I can help out with Blaze. I had a pony when I was your age.”
Lindsey knew the girl was unaware of the silent messages passing between the brothers as Grif motioned Steve to keep a close eye on their little sister.
“Do you expect trouble?” Lindsey asked as soon as the door shut behind Belinda and Steve.
Instead of answering, Grif shot a look at his youngest brother. Both men had grim expressions on their faces.
“It could be nothing…” Grif began, turning back to her.
“But you don’t think it is,” she finished his sentence for him.
“Grif told you about our ex-brother-in-law, right?” Matt said from across the table. Lindsey looked over at him and nodded. “Our best information puts him nearby. The threat could be very real and we’re treating it as such.”
Wow. Not only did she have to deal with all the changes in her life and her relationship status, but now there might be a killer nearby, looking to kill her and hurt the Redstones. It was almost too much to take in.
But she knew one thing. She knew Grif would protect her to the best of his ability. He’d done nothing but that since almost the first moment they’d met.
She turned to him and took his hand. “It’ll be all right,” she whispered, hoping she spoke the truth. “I’ll do whatever you need me to, but I want you to know one thing. If something happens to me, it’s not your fault. I got myself into this mess. I’ll take whatever consequences—unintended or otherwise—result. Becoming a shifter has exposed me to any number of unforeseen dangers. This problem with your ex-brother-in-law is just another. You couldn’t have foreseen any of it any more than I could.”
“You’re very forgiving,” was Grif’s soft comment, spoken after a few moments of thought. The tension in the room was significant and she could feel Matt’s scrutiny, though the younger man said nothing for the moment.
“I love you,” she whispered. For her, that said it all.
Grif’s hand tightened on hers and his lips turned
upward in a small smile.
Anything he would’ve said in return was forestalled by the opening of the door. Belinda walked in, Steve close behind her. She looked dejected as she poured a glass of water for herself from the sink.
Lindsey saw Grif look up in question at Steve.
“Munchkin’s pony needs to rest his foreleg for the next day or two. She’s not happy about it,” Steve explained. “He was favoring the right front leg and it’s inflamed. We put a poultice on it and he should be right as rain as soon as he gets a little time to recover.”
“But I can’t ride him,” Belinda put in with a frown as she sat at the table, propping her chin in her hand and placing the water glass in front of her. “That stinks.”
Lindsey couldn’t help her amusement at the young girl’s downcast expression. If only her own problems were so simple. Belinda probably didn’t know the danger that stalked near the family. The brothers were protecting the fragile youngster from it while they could. Lindsey wasn’t so sure that was a good idea, but she’d only been part of their little group for a short time. It wasn’t her place to critique what they chose to tell the youngest member of their family, or not.
She’d bet that Belinda was a lot stronger than they thought she was. Sure, she’d had some terrible things happen to her recently. The loss of her mother had, no doubt, hit the girl hard. Lindsey sensed strength about her though. The strength of the willow that bent, but did not break under a heavy wind.
The somewhat poetic thought made her wonder if maybe her grandfather was sending thoughts to her. Grandpa often compared life situations to those in nature, though it hadn’t really been Lindsey’s way…until just lately. It seemed the older she got, the more she appreciated her grandfather’s wisdom that had been passed on to her in bits and pieces. She only wished she’d had more time with him, to learn from him.
“You okay, love?” Grif spoke softly to her, reclaiming her attention. He’d called her love, which was about as close as she supposed he’d come to returning her earlier declaration in company. Still, the term of endearment sent a little thrill through her bloodstream, making her tingle with joy.
“Fine. I was just thinking.” Lindsey searched for a way to help the brothers keep the active young girl close to home for the day. “Maybe Belinda would like to help me bake today? I thought maybe I’d make some treats.”
“Baking?” Steve’s head popped up and his gaze zeroed in on hers with an eager hopefulness she never would have expected from him.
But Lindsey really wanted to know what Belinda thought. Lindsey wanted to help the brothers keep everyone safe and she also wanted to become better friends with Belinda—her only female ally in this house full of men.
“I bought chocolate chips the last time we were in town,” Belinda offered, a guarded sort of eagerness entering her gaze as she met Lindsey’s eyes. “And there’s plenty of oatmeal, raisins and brown sugar. What else do we need for oatmeal cookies?” As she spoke, her enthusiasm became harder to hide.
“Not much else,” Lindsey said, rising from her chair to check out the oven. “You’ve got two baking sheets. That’s good. We can work with that. But first, we need to clear the decks and start with a clean kitchen, so we can mess it up.” Lindsey smiled and Belinda laughed, already taking dishes to the sink from the remnants of breakfast.
They’d clean the kitchen first, which would take a good half hour. Then they’d start on the cookies. That ought to fill up the morning. They could make lunch for everyone too.
Lindsey hadn’t discussed the impromptu plan with Grif, but he nodded and smiled his approval and she knew she’d done well. The brothers helped clean a bit before heading toward the living room. Lindsey peeked through the open archway from time to time and saw them discussing printouts and things on the computer screen with frowns on their faces. Grif was also on the phone a lot and she could only assume he was working on locating the possible danger. He certainly looked serious enough to be tracking a killer.
The girls paused about an hour before lunch and switched from baking to lunch prep. The usual sandwiches turned into works of art under Belinda’s supervision and lots of the girl’s favorite side dishes were prepared and placed festively on the table before they called the boys in.
The brothers made a big deal over the ‘gourmet’ meal that had been prepared, peppering their sister and Lindsey both with kisses and hugs of thanks. The five of them lingered over lunch for more than an hour, talking about first shifts and teasing Lindsey in a comradely way about all the things she’d have to learn about her new life.
She took their teasing with good grace, knowing they were exaggerating some things and likely downplaying others. The brothers also lovingly teased Belinda and tried to steal cookies, but she limited them to three each until after dinner. They cajoled, but she stood firm and her laughter rang through the house, filling it with palpable joy.
After lunch was cleared away, Lindsey and Belinda went to work on a top secret project. Belinda had proposed making a cake to surprise her brothers and Lindsey was more than happy to comply. She taught Belinda some of the things her own mother had taught her about baking—a hobby they’d both enjoyed—and Lindsey found herself talking about her mother as the day wore on, drawing Belinda out about her own lost mother.
It was a day of female bonding at its best. They finished with the cake, hid it to the best of their ability in the big fridge for later revelation, and prepared a giant dinner for them all to enjoy.
Belinda and Lindsey had stayed inside all day while the men worked. It wasn’t something she wanted to do every day, but Lindsey understood the necessity of keeping the youngster close to home—at least while everything was so uncertain.
All day, Lindsey had kept peeking out the archway to look at Grif. He was so darn handsome and so obviously in charge. Even among his brothers—who were no slouches themselves—Grif stood out. He had some indefinable quality that drew her like a moth to a flame. Only this flame would never hurt her. He would warm her, singe her senses with his passion, but he would also protect her with his last breath.
Each time he caught her looking at him he’d make a gesture. A wink, a nod, a playfully blown kiss. Each one made her feel special…and loved.
They hadn’t been alone all day, but after dinner, when Belinda had disappeared into her bedroom with her earphones and music player, Grif took Lindsey by the hand and led her outside. They shared a few passionate kisses by the barn as he closed it up for the night and Lindsey’s internal fire flared to life—much worse than before.
“Do you trust me?” Grif looked deep into her eyes in the lowering darkness. She could see a lot better at night than ever before as her new were senses came to life.
“I do,” she answered seriously, gauging his mood.
Her body was on fire for him and she wanted to back him up against the wall of the barn and have her wicked way with him. She tried to control her impulses, but it was a losing proposition. He’d better find some real privacy for them soon, or she wouldn’t hold herself accountable for the consequences.
“There’s a place up in the woods I want to take you,” he said, surprising her.
“Right now?” Her libido was clamoring for her to jump his bones, but she fought it. He seemed to be saying something significant, but she was darned if she could figure out why some spot up in the woods would be so important to him just at the moment.
“No time like the present,” he confirmed and took her by the hand.
She’d been restless all day and had grown more so as time went on. Inside, she was still on fire and the temperature was climbing steadily. Grif’s slightest touch made her shiver. It was a physical, aching need.
He led her into the last open door of the barn and started taking off his clothes. Now that was more like it.
She shucked her jeans and tore off her shirt, ready for anything, but when she turned back to him, he was in cougar form. Okay, so he was serious about wanting to go somewh
ere first. She could work with that.
Summoning her cat in the way he’d shown her, Lindsey shifted shape and followed where he led. They ran for a while, working off some of the excess energy, but instead of turning back toward the house after she’d sprinted her fill, he coaxed her upward, not too far from the house on the same mountain. It seemed he hadn’t been kidding about wanting to show her something in the woods.
When they reached the top of the hill, she was surprised to find a rough circle of standing stones. Not too tall—nothing like the famous Stonehenge in England, for example—but definitely a circle of stones standing on end at the top of the mountain. There were trees all around and their branches formed a ceiling of sorts, high over the stone circle, while the circle itself remained free of trees and shrubs. Only green grass and small flowers bloomed there, around the base of the stones and the long slab in the middle that could have been a natural altar.
The moon shone down, near full, illuminating a circular patch in the center where the tops of the trees formed a circle far above their heads. Grif led her into the circle and around the altar, and there she finally spotted Logan, the werewolf Alpha, waiting for them in his human form.
He wore only a loose set of pants and his bare, muscled chest with its dark arrow of hair made Lindsey salivate.
Damn. Why was she so randy? She was committed to Grif. Should other men make her horny? Didn’t she have enough? Grif should be more than enough for a woman who had never really slept around.
Yet there was this heat inside her. A fire that refused to be quenched.
She made a mewling sound as Grif shifted to his human form. He crouched in front of her and rubbed her neck, his gaze filled with resigned compassion.
“It’s okay, kitten. I think I know what’s going on. It’s why I asked the Alpha to come here. You need to be made aware of some things about shifters that are not generally known.” He let go of her and turned toward Logan. “Did you bring the things I asked for?”