Half-Breed

by Marcia Colette

  My new steel crutches leaned against the nightstand. I despised those things. They slowed me down and got in my way.

  Throwing back the comforter, I used the night stand for leverage. Dragging the crutches and my ankle, I made it across the floor and out the bedroom door. As I hopped down the stairs, something stopped me. Thicker smells of morning breakfast billowed passed my nose and made my mouth water.

  Matt strolled around the corner and took me by surprise. I didn't have time to slide the crutches underneath my armpits, so I froze. He stared at me, jaw tightening, eyes narrowing to slits.

  "Dammit, woman!” He marched up the stairs, his focus unrelenting. “Those crutches serve a purpose. Bryce would tear my head off if you fell down those stairs and broke something else."

  "I was just—"

  "I-I-I-I was what? Huh?” He whisked me in his arms and carried me down the rest of the way. “I'm getting tired of toting you around. You need to carry me for a change."

  "If you weren't so freaking long, I would."

  He sighed, voice mellowing. “I was going to serve you breakfast in bed."

  "I know a better way you could serve me."

  I leaned into his strong arms, rubbing my cheek against his bare chest and shoulder. Delivering gentle, tender kisses, I explored his silken skin with my lips. He was as smooth and supple as a piece of caramel. I could have eaten him up on the spot. Damn, did I miss this.

  Matt sucked in a quick breath. Despite our squabble, it was nice to know that I still had that effect on him. He blinked several times before wiping the lust from his demeanor.

  We sat at the table eating breakfast between moments of guarded conversation. I thanked God when the phone rang, freeing us from our moment of death by discomfort. Matt answered it, remaining in the kitchen until I heard a beep and the phone clicking into position on the wall mount. Not saying a word, he sipped his coffee and read the morning paper as though nothing had happened. Talk about uneasiness.

  The doorbell rang less than a minute later. Matt tossed his paper on the table to answer it. Familiar voices resonated from the foyer. I threw my napkin down and hopped across the living room. I knew those voices. A huge grin dug into my cheeks as I closed the distance. Bouncing across the carpet and onto the hardwood flooring, I stopped at the edge of the couch.

  Stephan and Adam grinned back at me.

  "Lex!” Matt shrieked. “What did I say about those damn crutches?"

  "Oh, for crying out loud, Matt, they're upstairs.” I thought. To be honest, I had misplaced them somewhere between the bedroom and the dining room. Gee, imagine that.

  "You're going to break your narrow neck.” Sighing, he turned back to Adam and shook his head. “I hope you have more luck getting her to listen than I have."

  I hopped the rest of the way to the foyer, where Stephan snatched me up in his arms. “More luck? What are you talking about?” I asked.

  The green-eyed god leaned in for a morning kiss, though it was the kind I would rather save for late night snuggles. A tap on his shoulder and he handed me off to Adam, who leaned in for a big bear hug, lifting me off my feet. I guess he had gotten over his “open expressions of love” issues. He gave me a smacking kiss on the cheek before settling me on my one good foot. Seeing him that happy, perhaps my broken foot was worth it after all.

  "Okay, guys,” I said. “Now that all the loving is out of the way, what gives?"

  "Do you guys want some breakfast?” Matt asked. “I've got omelets on the hot plate."

  Both men nodded, mumbling in agreement, and started towards the kitchen.

  "Wait a minute!” I hopped after them. “I want to know what's going on. Now! You can't just barge in here and ignore me."

  Matt's chiseled arms snuggled me from behind. “Adam here has volunteered to baby-sit you today."

  I turned in his arms. “Baby-what?"

  "Baby-sit."

  Snickering, Stephan cleared his throat. “We figured you would need some help getting around the house. So a few of us volunteered to help out until you're on your feet again. Besides, most of us are first-aid certified in case something happens. You couldn't be in better hands."

  "Seth is playing watchdog, isn't he?” I asked.

  No one responded.

  "Lex,” Adam said, “he only means well. He knows you're back in town and doesn't want any more trouble from you. It's better than being kicked out of Georgia and spending the rest of your lives on the run."

  I sighed, unsure of what to think about that. “He's not bending the rules any further, is he?"

  "No,” Matt said. He kissed me on the top of my head. “Even you have to admit that it's better this way. I'm not in the mood for a long distance romance, nor do I plan on joining your pack."

  "You found a pack?” Stephan asked. “You're not talking about that Hunting Club of yours, are you?"

  Matt waved a dismissive hand. “Don't read into it too much because you'll only hurt your head. I'll fill you guys in over breakfast."

  * * * *

  Adam stayed true to Matt's words about not letting me lift a finger. He picked up around the kitchen, but when he saw me wiping down the dining room table, he took the rag away and pulled out a chair, ordering me to sit. That worked for a while, because it gave me time to catch up on work. But when I needed a break and went to the utility closet for the vacuum cleaner, Adam showed up behind me, sliding it out of my hand. Again, I took a break from staring at the computer screen and thought maybe I'd do a little laundry. And again, Adam was there, hoisting me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, toting me to the living room for a seat on the couch. Folding the laundry was the only thing he let me do, because it didn't require me to be on my feet.

  Stephan wasn't lying about the folks in the Georgia Pack being first-aid certified. Before the pack found Bryce, Seth made it a requirement in the den. Something about being on a long dark road and needing help when help wasn't available. All day I fielded calls about rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Just what I needed, a bunch of around-the-clock nurses. I even thought about hurting Adam so that it would take some of the attention off me.

  * * * *

  The phone rang around six the following morning. My eyes blinked several times to get the fuzzy red numbers on the clock to focus right. I could have strangled the idiot on the other end. We had more than an hour left before we had to get up.

  I crawled halfway over Matt's back to answer the phone on his side. His tantalizing skin gripped me. If I sneaked a little kiss, who would know? Matt was out cold. So, I stole a quick kiss of soft back. Oh, my man, that wasn't nearly enough. It took every ounce of strength not to start nibbling. My tongue flecked across the satin skin along the length of his spine. I stopped every now and then to suckle like a newborn baby.

  The heck with the phone. That was why we had an answering machine. Besides, I still had some making up to do.

  More of my sensual kisses adorned his back, my tongue running across his velvet skin. Matt chuckled, muscles seizing up. I giggled in response. He turned over, reaching around to make sure I stayed on top of him. He moved my textured hair back behind my ear and pulled me in for a kiss. I kept one eye open, looking at the clock and wondering if we had enough time for a quickie. From the way his hands slipped underneath my panties, kneading my rounded rump, time was the last thing on his mind.

  The answering machine beeped. We got so involved that I never heard the mechanical female greeting.

  "Lex, it's Dane.” He paused. “Pick up; it's important."

  Our lips unglued. Grinding his teeth—obviously annoyed—Matt reached for the night stand and plucked the phone off the base. He didn't bother putting it up to his ear. Instead he handed it to me with a grunt.

  "Dane,” I moaned, “what's wrong now?"

  "Decker's escaped."

  My sex-ensnared brain cleared. I sat up and glanced at Matt. His worried look probably matched mine.

  "When?"

  "Sometime last
night. When I told him you left, he got really agitated. I told Riley we'd put him down tonight if things didn't change. I went out to check on him a few minutes ago and found the lock broken and him gone. I don't know when he left, but I think we both know where he's going."

  My eyes darted to Matt again. Saying too much would make him more aggravated than he already was. He didn't know about Decker because I forgot to tell him. At the time it didn't have anything to do with what was going on.

  "I will kill him,” I promised, hoping he got my meaning. Dane may have loved him like family, but I loved him like a wart.

  "I know. Do what you have to do, but call me if you see or hear anything. Stay safe.” He hung up.

  "What was that about?” Matt asked, staring at me, his arms folded across his chest.

  I handed the phone back to him. “A new wolf from the Hunting Club went rogue. Dane wanted to put me on alert."

  "Are you guys assembling or something? Do you have to go? Because you're in no condition to—"

  "Honey, relax. I'm not going anywhere.” I lay the upper part of my body across his, feeling his arms snake around my waist. “Everything is going to be fine. Danielle's coming this morning and Evan's schedule is cleared for the afternoon."

  His tired sigh said a lot. “I don't know if I can live like this. You up and leaving at a moment's notice if your Hunting Club calls. Not knowing if you'll come back dead or alive. Your reasons for doing it don't mean squat to me. You coming home in one piece does."

  "I know.” His hairless chest lulled me into pressing gentle kisses across his skin again, hoping it would take some of the edge off.

  "You do, huh?” Matt dug his elbows into the mattress and sat up, basically pushing me away. “Because there's no way I could stand by and watch some rogue bulldoze you down."

  Sitting next to him, I placed a hand on my hip. “You think I stand out there like an idiot with a red cape? If that's the case, then you're really in the dark. You've never seen me in action, so you'll never know what I'm capable of."

  "Well, I hope to never get that chance.” Matt flipped the covers back and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door.

  Damn. Another attempt at seductive peacemaking and we blew it. Not I. We. We had to work together to settle our issues. How many signals did he need before he understood I wanted our battle to end? Decker could visit our house tonight and we'd probably be too stubborn to save each other's necks. The way my luck had turned for the worse over the past few days, nothing would surprise me.

  Chapter 41

  "What do you want for dinner?” Matt shouted from the kitchen.

  I sat on the couch with my laptop, contemplating my wasted real estate course. With everything going on over the last couple of days, I had missed too many classes and received an email from the instructor saying I would need to repeat the program. Perhaps I should have stuck with my original idea of going into the bed and breakfast business. The only thing that stopped me was the startup cost.

  Matt broke my concentration.

  "Aiyana and I are going out tonight,” I said, not looking up. “Cook whatever you want."

  The refrigerator door closed, followed by bare feet slapping across the tile floor. They continued to the hardwood and scuffed along the carpet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large foot tap. My eyes traced it up to a pair of moss green sweats and a flattened stomach underneath a white, ribbed tank. The arms remain folded across the sculpted chest and wide shoulders. Matt stood before me with a dull look on his face.

  "When were you going to say something?” he asked.

  "When you asked about dinner.” Gee, Matt, do I have to inform you of what I'm doing every second of the day now? The words clung to the edge of my lips, but I let it go.

  "I might have had something planned for us."

  "Like what? Another play for third base only to backpedal into the dugout? Face it, Matt. I'm tired of trying to make a move on you and you not responding. How many times do you want me to say ‘I'm sorry’ before you'll forgive me? Will one more do? Okay, I'm sorry. There. Are you satisfied? Did it change anything? No."

  "I'm doing the best I can,” he seethed. “Do have any idea how hard this is for me? I want life to go back to normal, but it'll never be normal. It has nothing to do with being a werewolf or your Hunting Club either. It has to do with you keeping secrets from me."

  "Secrets? The biggest secret of my life is dropped at your feet and you act as though it's just another piece of junk mail to add to the collection. I have to trust a man who has a gripe with me not to tell anyone. Do you have any idea how hard that is?"

  "You know I'd never shoot off at the mouth about the humans in your Club. Nor would I say a word about the black market."

  Pestered, I sat my laptop on the couch, stood, and limped around Matt. “Just forget it. I'm not in the mood to start another fight, but the groveling stops here and now. If you want someone to suck up to your majesty's graciousness, then I suggest you buy a dog. I have to get ready for Aiyana."

  "You see what I mean? Every time we get into a heated confrontation, you walk away. Or limp. And how many times do I have to tell you about those damn crutches?"

  I got a third of the way up the stairs before turning. “I'm not stopping you from following me upstairs. I'm leaving because I need to get ready for tonight."

  By the time I had slipped on a pair of jeans and a cream-colored, hook-eye sweater, whining hinges from the bedroom door caught my ear. Matt stepped inside the room and slumped on the bed. I finished buttoning up my sweater, refusing to pay him any attention. He wanted to finish this despite my not caring anymore. If he opened his mouth, I'd walk out. Okay, so maybe there was some truth in his accusation that I was walking away, but I didn't see the point in rehashing the same old crap ... again.

  "Aiyana and Vaughn are meeting us at Skullduggery,” he said.

  I stopped buttoning the hooks and eyes. “Skullduggery?"

  "It was my idea."

  "Your idea. What the heck am I going to do there? I've got this damn boot anchored to my foot. It's not like they have handicapped go-carts. And why's Vaughn taking an interest in girl's night out all of a sudden? What does he think I'm going to do? Hand Aiyana over to the Hunting Club as a teaser?"

  "I'm going, too."

  My face drooped and a bland weariness took hold. I can't believe this.

  He continued. “Vaughn's going because he wants a clean slate with you. Plus, if you think that I'm going to let you walk out that door with a madman on the loose, then you're just as nutty as he is."

  "Aiyana will be—"

  "—with Vaughn on our double date."

  "Double date."

  "Yes.” Matt stalked to the dresser, yanked open the middle drawer and searched through stacks of clothes. “Either we stay home or go out. There was a time when we were inseparable. We'll be inseparable again, if that's what it takes.” After finding a pair of jeans and a shirt, he headed to the bathroom and closed the door.

  As if having a plastic boot anchored to my foot wasn't bad enough, now I had a husband at the hip. I wanted Matt back, but not as a ball and chain. He could say whatever he wanted, but it would take a miracle for him to trust me again. Truth is, at least I didn't have to grovel anymore to get a positive response. His following me around wasn't what I had in mind, but it would have to do.

  * * * *

  Hobbling on those lousy crutches, I met Vaughn and Aiyana with Matt at the entrance to the amusement park. Aiyana gave me a bone-crushing hug before turning me over to Vaughn.

  A slight nod as he sized me up, then his lips curled on the ends as he snaked his arms around my shoulders. Even though I had put the pack's life at risk (something he specifically warned me against), I could tell there wasn't an ounce of hatred there. Perhaps it had something to do with trying to protect him and Adam.

  Once we had exchanged greetings, we walked along the brick sidewalk and disappeared through an enormous papier-mâché s
kull.

  Electronic beeps and blips, digitized voices, and ringing bells shrilled, adding to the noisy hum of the crowd. Video games filled the center of the enormous arcade, from Skee-Ball to simulator rides. On the other side were pool tables, laser tag, and a full service restaurant with a bar. Outside were go-carts for all ages, bumper boats, miniature golf, and batting cages. Despite the thousands of square feet, the hordes of people made it tight and close to unbearable.

  As expected, the wolf crew wanted food first. Everyone ordered a combination platter that involved steak, chicken, or shrimp. I settled on popcorn shrimp and fries. Matt thought I'd order a Caesar's salad, but I reminded him that the situation wasn't tense enough for that. Not yet, anyway. When we finished, Matt panned his eyes around the room, looking for the ticket booth.

  I threw my napkin on the table. “I guess that means I'm sitting this one out."

  "You don't have to sit this one out,” Aiyana said. “They have cars for two people."

  My eyes darted in Matt's direction. I crossed my arms and said nothing.

  "Oh,” Vaughn said, sliding his muscled arm behind Aiyana. “The crutches are only part of the problem."

  "You guessed it,” Matt murmured.

  "I'll tell you what. To make this fair, I'll ride with Lex and you can ride with Aiyana. That way, the two of you can get out your frustrations on the racetrack. We'll even take it to the bumper boats if we have to."

  After getting our tickets, we hit the race cars. Since the guys had built up their competitive spirit while standing in line, Aiyana and I stepped back and let them drive. We tore around the track, shouting obscenities at each other, promising to drive the other into the dirt. When we passed each other on the track, we took it personally and ran several other cars into the tire barriers. Even I got into the game by laughing and pointing when we passed Matt and Aiyana during our first few laps. Towards the end, the four of us left the entire track in the dust and sped towards the finish line. The others spent most of their time scowling as though they didn't want to have anything to do with us or our competitive edge. Not that I blamed them. Vaughn and I pulled into the checkered flag, beating out Matt and Aiyana by a second. Before we could unbuckle ourselves from the cars, boisterous laughter took control as we recapped the events. Vaughn reached over and gave me a victory kiss and declared I could be his copilot anytime.