by Dannika Dark
Nor had he realized how much pleasure could be gained from waking up on his back to find her holding him. She had snuggled against his left side, her arm draped over his chest, leg between his as if she had claimed him.
In the quiet moments of the previous night when Naya was fast asleep and clutching him tightly, a wholly new and unexpected feeling had emerged. One that kept him up the rest of the night, watching the door. Not because he was afraid of someone discovering them, but because he needed to protect what was his.
Suddenly it didn’t matter anymore if he deserved her, if she wanted him, if people would cast judgment on them, if it would mean losing his pack, or if the whole goddamn world thought they were crazy. He wanted claim on Naya. Of all the fucking practical jokes for the gods to play, he’d fallen for a panther.
A wicked tongue like hers might have put off most men, but Wheeler felt like he’d finally met his equal. Beneath the layers of beauty was an intellectual woman, and that was the secret she kept from the world. She put on a good show, but maybe it’s because that’s all that men had wanted to see in her.
Not Wheeler. After spending three hours in the bathroom listening to how her mind worked, he wanted to know everything about Naya. For Christ’s sake, the woman knew who Jackson Pollock was. Most of the women he’d slept with didn’t even know who Ronald McDonald was. Sure, her coffee tasted like motor oil and she owned a cross-eyed cat, but that’s what made her endearing as hell.
He could sense morning even without sunlight and decided it was time to make an appearance in the house. Wheeler yanked on his jeans and raked his fingers through his disheveled hair, which looked like a cat had licked it out of shape. He pulled the sleeveless shirt over his head and put on his socks, but it took him a few minutes to find his boots. Naya, in a panic, had thrown one of them into a vase near the bed. He carried them down the hall and set them near the entrance to the kitchen. He figured it would look suspicious if he had them on so early in the morning, since most of the time they avoided wearing shoes in the house.
Lynn had two skillets of bacon frying on the stove.
“Morning,” he grumbled.
The early morning sunlight glittered through the windows and cast a pretty light across the floor.
“I heard about last night,” Lynn said, using a fork to flip over a piece of bacon. “I’m glad you found that poor woman. I can’t imagine what would have happened to her and that sweet little girl.”
They all knew. If they hadn’t found Skye, the pack would have taken in the child. No question.
Lynn never wandered around in a robe or nightgown like some of the other women did. She had on brown slacks and a flowery shirt that matched.
“Smells great,” he said. “I could eat a horse.”
“Afraid there are laws against horse jerky,” William said from the table, startling Wheeler. “You look mighty… refreshed.” William lifted the white coffee mug to his lips, his eyes twinkling.
“Any coffee left?” Wheeler asked.
Lynn set down her fork. “If you want some, you’ll have to make it yourself. William just finished off the pot, and I’m running late. I made an appointment to meet with a new client this morning. Oh!” She pulled open the oven and a giant pan of buttermilk biscuits appeared. Lynn set them on a cooling rack and turned off the burners.
“Here, I got it,” Wheeler said.
“The bacon—”
“I got it.”
She looked at him as if somehow he could ruin bacon by removing it from the frying pan. Lynn patted him on the back and left the room.
William’s cup tapped against the table when he set it down. “Mustn’t let the bacon burn. I like ’em crispy, not black.”
Wheeler irritably scooped the entire pan up with a spatula and dumped the strips into a bowl. He walked over and slid the greasy pile of meat in front of William. “Breakfast is served, your majesty.”
“Indeed. Next time you might let them sit on a paper towel for a minute or two.”
“The other pan is all yours.” Wheeler walked behind William and handed him the spatula before taking a seat on the bench.
William hustled to the stove and turned off the burners, giving each slice of bacon individual attention as he laid them neatly on a paper towel. “Say, Naya is a pretty good warrior, isn’t she? I’ve heard about panthers, but I always thought it was just their animal that knew how to fight.”
“She holds her own,” Wheeler replied, separating a few pieces of bacon and setting them on his green plate.
A loud snap sounded. “Christ!” William shouted. He rubbed his bare chest and moved the skillet off the hot burner before emptying out all the bacon onto a plate. “There’s always one little piggy that wants revenge.”
Most of the men dressed casual in the morning. Wheeler’s clothes wouldn’t raise any eyebrows, except for the fact he was wearing the same outfit as last night. Austin usually got all the way dressed—or at least in jeans—and it probably had more to do with upholding an image. Plus he always had manual work to do at the crack of dawn. He was probably outside right now, chopping wood or digging a moat.
William set the bacon on the table along with a carton of juice and two large bowls of biscuits. “Naya’s attractive. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Wheeler flicked his eyes up to William and shoved the rest of his bacon into his mouth. “What are you driving at?”
“Nothing. Just couldn’t help but notice how comely she is.”
Wheeler sucked the crumbs off his fingers and watched him closely. “Keep away from her.”
William quickly buried a smirk. “Naya isn’t my type. Just can’t help but admire a supremely beautiful woman is all. Don’t you think? Or… is she not your type either?”
“Why don’t you make some coffee before I shove this fork up your nose?”
“I’ll make the coffee,” a soft, feminine voice announced.
Naya strolled into the kitchen wearing nothing but her white nightie, and Wheeler almost catapulted out of his chair.
***
I didn’t like waking up alone, even though I’d done it a million times before. What I did like was that Wheeler had stayed with me all night. We had some sexy times, but he opened up to me in a way no other man had. Not only that, but somehow he’d managed to break down my own walls. I could be myself with Wheeler without fear of judgment or that I wasn’t enough. It was the way he smoothed his hand over my hair when I had startled myself awake with a nightmare about Misha. He listened to me talk about her without any snide remarks. When he held me in his arms, I felt relevant—like my thoughts and feelings mattered to someone.
While my heart sank when I’d found the bed empty, I decided to hold my chin high. I kept reminding myself we had a pact behind closed doors, but on the outside, there were no promises. Wheeler wasn’t in love with me, and he wasn’t going to hold my hand in front of his pack and put a claim on me. I was just an exotic dancer who had spiced up his sex life.
“Don’t be foolish,” I whispered to myself, walking down the hall barefoot. “Stop those silly thoughts right now.”
Thoughts that I might actually love him. That would be disastrous! A panther and a wolf? I couldn’t afford to soften my heart for a man who would be ashamed to admit we’d slept together. He had slipped out before dawn, for God’s sake.
As I neared the kitchen, I overheard Wheeler telling someone to make coffee.
“I’ll make the coffee,” I offered.
Wheeler lurched out of his seat, his fingertips pressed against the table.
I pivoted around and put my hands on my hips. “What?”
“You should cover yourself up,” he said, voice tight, muscles flexing beneath his tats.
I glanced down. “I am covered. This is more than what I wear to work. My gown will hardly raise any eyebrows in this house.”
William walked by me with silent amusement on his face. While he rummaged through the fridge, I put on a pot of coffee and watched
Wheeler reluctantly sit back down.
I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to be naughty around him, but I made it into a game. Wheeler didn’t want me parading around in front of the Weston pack in my sleeping clothes, which I found delightfully amusing since Shifters didn’t consider nudity a big deal. So I leisurely strolled down the row of cabinets and opened a drawer in front of him. The dish towel dropped on the floor, and I took my sweet time bending all the way over to pick it up.
When I turned around, Wheeler had reached out and gripped the other end of the table. His taut muscles looked like granite.
In my defense, I was wearing a thong.
“Morning, Naya!” April gave me a lively smile and took a seat at the table. She had on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt.
“Have you heard from Reno?” I asked, twirling the dish towel.
“He called me this morning and said they’ll be there around noon or so. Everything’s going great, and he’s going to talk to the Packmaster and make sure Skye has everything she needs before he leaves. He’s done this sort of thing before. It’s great they accept any Shifter animal. It’s like a big commune or something, but in an undisclosed place. Sometimes I wonder if it’s really in Colorado or if he just tells me that to throw me off. I’m just glad it all worked out.”
“Me too. I’m making coffee,” I said. “Want some?”
“No, I’m sticking with juice. But thanks. Lexi will probably want some.”
Lexi wandered in with her hair in a tangle. “Want some what?”
“Coffee,” I said.
She stopped in the middle of the room. “Oh, uh… no thanks. I’m probably going to take a nap later on. We had a late night, so I don’t want the caffeine to keep me awake.”
“I could brew a pot of decaf.”
“We don’t have any,” she quickly said. “Did my mom already leave?”
“A few minutes ago,” Wheeler confirmed. “Is Austin awake? I need to talk to him about Delgado.”
“What about him?”
Wheeler stabbed his biscuit with a fork and ate it that way. “Well, for one, he’s going to be gunning for your friend. That what you want?”
The rest of the pack made their way into the room, quiet and ready to eat. William had put a bowl of fruit down in addition to a jar of strawberry preserves and a jug of whole milk.
“I like the view this morning,” Denver said, giving me a playful wink. He took a seat near the end of the table.
Wheeler merely watched him while he continued eating his biscuit like an ogre.
Denver placed two fingers in his mouth and a sharp whistle pierced the air. “Toss me an orange,” he shouted at Lexi.
She hurled an orange across the table and he caught it with one hand.
Denver straddled the bench and peeled the orange with his fingers, rubbing the sticky juice on his Atari shirt. Denver usually wore cargo pants or distressed jeans, but I’d seen him wearing long shorts in the summertime. I guess he wanted the women to see how nice his legs were.
“So, what are we going to do about Delgado?” Jericho asked Wheeler. “I have a family to protect. Did anyone recognize you at his house?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Wheeler replied with a mouthful of biscuit. “He probably had surveillance cameras set up. He’s not an idiot; he’ll figure it out. Let him get pissed. Angry men make stupid mistakes.”
“And sometimes those mistakes are at the expense of innocent people,” Austin said as he entered the room. He took a seat at the left head of the table and poured a glass of milk. “I don’t want the Council involved, so I’m leaning on my alliances for advice. I’ve called Prince, and he’ll be coming over later on to discuss strategy.”
“We were witnesses,” I reminded him. “Even if they can’t get Delgado because of the cage fights, he was keeping two Shifters in his house against their will. The young man had been sexually assaulted, and I’d say that’s enough to at least get his privileges revoked from owning Breed clubs.”
Austin rubbed his temple. “Maybe so. But men like him don’t go away easily. Human or not, he’s got connections and money, and that’s a dangerous weapon for any man to wield. Have you heard from him?” he asked me.
I lifted the pot of coffee and carried it to the table. “No, but I’m sure he’ll be ringing me at any moment. I left my phone in the other room so I can enjoy a nice breakfast. Let him throw a tantrum on my voice mail and wait,” I said smoothly. “Who wants coffee?”
Austin immediately put his hand over the top of his empty mug.
“No, I’m good,” Izzy said. “It’ll make the baby kick.”
Wheeler lifted his mug. “I’ll have some.”
Lexi choked on something and began a fit of coughing.
“Are you okay, chickypoo?”
She waved me off and gulped down some orange juice. I filled Wheeler’s cup to the brim. After that, I filled my own and then took a seat at the opposite end of the table from Austin.
Minutes passed as we had light conversation over breakfast. Melody was a night owl and often slept in. Izzy said she inherited that from her father, and Jericho barked out a laugh and placed his hand on her belly.
Lexi craned her neck. “About time you joined us, Maze. Breakfast is almost cold.”
“I don’t feel good,” Maizy said in a weak voice.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Maizy in front of the open doorway. Her cheeks were flushed, eyelids droopy, and yet her body was shaking. She had on an oversized red shirt that reached her knees, and it looked wet around her neck.
“What’s going on, Peanut?” Denver asked in a jovial tone, not turning around because he was too busy buttering his fourth biscuit.
Lexi stood up. “Maizy, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t feel—”
Just as Denver turned to look, Maizy collapsed. I hadn’t even put my fork down before Denver swung his leg over the bench and rushed to her side. His plate shattered on the floor, and the rest of his juice tipped over on the table.
He dropped to his knees and cradled her head. Denver touched her cheeks and then looked at Lexi over his shoulder. “Jesus, she’s burning up. Get the truck!”
“Maizy?” Lexi ran around the table to her. “What’s wrong with her?”
Denver lifted her in his arms and turned around. “Someone start the goddamn truck! She needs to get to a hospital!”
Shifter children were prone to accidents, and we only sought help from Relics. But not all Relics were schooled in human diseases and had access to their treatments.
Denver swiftly moved out the door—still barefoot—with Austin and Lexi right behind him.
“Holy smokes, I hope she’s okay,” April said in a low voice. “I don’t remember her complaining she was sick, but sometimes that stuff just sneaks up on you all of a sudden.”
“Maybe we should quit taking her out to human places where she can catch all that shit,” Wheeler suggested, his jaw tightening.
“Don’t blame this on us.” Jericho rose from his chair, his long hair falling in front of his face. “We take the kids to the movies and the park because that’s what you do in a family.”
“She’s human,” Wheeler reminded him. “Maizy’s vulnerable in ways your kids aren’t.”
“Okay, let’s calm down,” I said. “There’s nothing we can do about it now. The doctors will know the right medicine to give her. This isn’t the dark ages. Children don’t die anymore from the flu like they used to.”
“Yes they do,” April said. “Well, I hear about it on the news. Probably just sick kids or the young ones. That’s why they get vaccinated. Maybe I should talk to Lynn about that.”
Jericho tossed down his napkin. “Getting her out in public is what she needs. She has to be exposed to all that shit so she can build up her immunity. We can’t shelter her here in the Breed world thinking just because we don’t carry diseases or viruses, she’ll be safe. Eventually she’s going to live in that world. Dig?”
“Hold on, wait a minute,” Izzy said, waving her arms. “You are not about to say we intentionally put her in harm’s way.”
“Wheeler has a valid point,” William said calmly, reeling in everyone’s attention. “I’m not saying he’s right or you’re right, but I think we all need to share the responsibility of what it means to keep our pack safe on all different levels.”
William was a slick one, and I could see his influence on the pack.
“Let’s keep a cool head,” he continued, peeling an overripe banana. “Wheeler is on the defense because he helped a family friend by doing what he was told, although it inadvertently put our pack in danger. He did call in advance to give us notice and prepare. Each of us is guilty of irresponsible decisions, and yet we’re not held to the same standard of judgment. How many times have we forgotten to buckle our seatbelts or driven another pack member home after a few drinks at the bar? Sure we can shift and heal, but—”
“No, you can’t,” I interrupted. I pushed my plate away and met the gazes of everyone sitting at the table. “Shifters aren’t immortal. I think sometimes we take for granted that we can heal. Yes, it takes a lot to kill us, but my mama died in a car accident. She hit her head and went into a coma—one she never woke up from. Once the human hospitals took her in, I couldn’t get her out. She spent days on their machines.” I wiped away a tear, my emotions raw. “When they declared her brain-dead, I had to make the decision to take her off life support.” All eyes were downcast. “We’re not immortal, and we shouldn’t live our lives as if we are. Accidents happen, so maybe we shouldn’t take each other for granted.”
The room quieted.
“I’m so sorry,” April said in a soft voice. “I know how you feel. I lost my father in a car accident.”
“Honey, I didn’t mean to stir up bad memories,” I said ruefully. Once again, I’d worn out my welcome, so I stood up from the table. “I’m sure little Maizy will be fine—you all take such good care of her. I’ll call Lynn and make sure she knows what’s going on. It would be nice if someone changed the sheets on Maizy’s bed and fixed up her room for when she gets home. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the heat house.”