“No,” Trevor barked. “I don’t want to be kikua.”
“My father was willing to overlook you. He allowed your mother to take you away and make a family elsewhere. And of course then he met our mom and moved on. But ultimately you are the true kikua heir, Trevor. It’s your post. You have to step up so we can beat these guys.
“I’m going to be a dad.”
Addy’s voice was astonished when she finally spoke. “With the human? Does she know her baby will be a wolf?”
I barely had time to process this before Addy went on.
“Thank God,” Addy breathed. “Beth’s back. She looks too much like me in wolf form. It scares the hell out of me when she’s out there.”
I leaned forward, attempting to peek into the kitchen without being noticed. Addy and Trevor sat with their backs to the doorway, Addy’s red hair rumpled and her baby blue robe snuggled around her. A tall, slim man stood at the coffee pot, his profile in view as he poured a mug of steaming brew. He had inky hair in a low ponytail and bronzed skin. I assumed this was Addy’s fiance.
Movement at the open back door drew my attention. I glanced that way and instantly froze.
A white-and-grey dappled wolf the size of a small pony padded into the kitchen.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A shimmering like a mirage fluttered around the wolf. A split second later, a younger, plumper version of Addy reached for a robe hanging on the coat rack and shrugged into it, covering her nudity.
“What’s for breakfast?” she asked, sliding into an empty chair at the table.
I, unfortunately, had reached my limit. I burst into the kitchen, my heart beating wildly.
“What the hell is going on?” I screeched, feeling as if I were in the middle of some angsty teen paranormal romance movie.
Trevor whirled in his chair. “Ves! You’re up early.”
“You’re talking about a battle and wolves, and what the fuck is a kikua? And suddenly there’s a wolf in the doorway, and then she’s human and naked and no one bats an eye. And the father of my kid is supposed to be some kind of leader for a wolf pack? You’re telling me my kid could be a puppy?”
I had a feeling my eyes were just as wide as Addy’s and her sister’s, but probably a lot more crazed.
Addy cleared her throat and looked at Trevor. “So she doesn’t know, I take it.”
Bethany jumped to her feet. “I’ll make some tea.”
“I just need you to put clothes on,” I snapped, rubbing my brow. “I can’t stop thinking that I just saw you naked and you’re still naked under that robe.”
Bethany held up her hands and backed away. “Fair enough.”
After she disappeared into the murky hallway, Addy stood up. “Wate, we should leave. I think Trevor has a lot to explain to Vespers.”
“Now wouldn’t be appropriate to introduce myself?” Wate asked playfully. “Talk about my magick? Give a demonstration?”
I’m not sure who glared harder—me or Addy.
In the silence following their departure, I walked to the coffee pot. I picked a clean mug from the shelves above it and set about pouring a cup and lacing it with as much sugar and cream as could be legal.
“Are you hungry?” Trevor asked my back.
“If I was, I’m not now.”
He remained silent as I finished making my cup and then joined him at the table. We stared at each other. Warm, coffee-scented steam tickled my face.
“You’re a werewolf,” I remarked.
Trevor inclined his head. “Does the idea bother you?”
“Every time you’ve been hurt in the past…” I let my voice trail off. “At Sunlight Vistas. Your leg really was broken, wasn’t it?”
“It was. I heal instantaneously.”
“Like the cut Thursday night,” I murmured.
He nodded.
“Are you immortal?” I asked, aware as I said the words how absolutely bizarre the situation was.
“No. We aren’t immortal.”
“So your whole family… your mom? Your dad?”
“Not my dad.” Trevor shook his head.
I sank back against my chair and closed my eyes. “I need you to start from the beginning.”
“My mom is the oldest sister,” Trevor said quietly. “She should have been kikua when my grandpa died ten years ago. But she left the clan when she was a teenager. She fell in love with my dad, a normal human. She turned her back on her heritage to be with him.”
I nodded to indicate I was still listening.
“She did a blood let with my uncle before she left, giving him the power of the kikua heir. So that when the time came, he took over. No one ever expected him to die. When he died, by all rights, I should have become kikua. But I’d just started Basic and I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Coming to Pennsylvania to lead a pack I knew nothing about was not on my agenda. At the funeral, we did a blood let. I passed the kikua to Addy.”
I rubbed my brow, trying to process the story in a way that didn’t make me feel like I should be locked away in a straight jacket.
“You’re a werewolf,” I said.
Trevor grinned. I’d never realized exactly how wolfish his smile was until now. “I am.”
“Is…” I took a deep breath and lay a palm over belly. “Is our baby going to be a werewolf?”
“Most likely.”
“Were you planning on telling me ever?” I barked.
“Of course I was,” Trevor said soothingly, reaching for my hands.
I scooted my chair back. “I don’t know what to think, Trevor. Yesterday, I was just a girl who happened to get knocked up by her best friend who she could maybe see herself in a relationship with. Now, I’m probably the future wife of a werewolf and my kid is a puppy.”
“The baby is not literally a puppy,” Trevor said with a laugh. “He won’t experience the change until puberty.”
“Because acne and hormones aren’t enough of a problem!” I moaned, dropping my face to my hands. “And it’s a girl.”
“You know already?”
“Not really. Grandma Linh did this pendulum thing.” I shook my head. “But it feels like a girl. She feels like a girl.”
Trevor kissed my temple. “I couldn’t be happier if she’s just like you.”
“Only furrier.” I moaned again.
* * *
THE LABARRE FARM WAS A flurry of activity all morning. By noon, tables and chairs sprawled across the yard, heaped with all manner of homecooked dishes and beverages both alcoholic and non. After this morning’s revelations, I would have howled for a beer — heh heh — but in the best interest of my puppy, I refrained.
I found a lawn chair and dragged it away from the crowd for some alone time. Trevor was on a ladder stringing up a sign on the big red barn that said, “LaBarre Family Reunion,” when Addy joined me.
“Are you okay?” She slouched in a blue lawn chair, cradling a beer in one hand. Her red curls were tamed in a sleek ponytail. Her collared sapphire dress buttoned down the front to her knees.
“I think so.” I squinted into the sunshine, indicating Trevor with my chin. “I just wish he’d been honest up front. I’ve known him my whole life. At least half of that, he’s been a wolf and I never knew.”
“Don’t hold it against him,” Addy advised. “We’re a secretive race. There are a lot of dangers to being a shapeshifter.”
“Are we safe here? Now?” I asked, recalling their conversation about the rival clan that morning.
“As safe as we can be with ten dozen werewolves milling about.” Addy winked and took a swig of beer. She stood, offering what was left of her beer. “It won’t hurt him. Werewolf offspring are a hardy bunch.”
I accepted the can and smiled. “Her.”
“Even better.”
I was alone again after she disappeared to mingle. Trevor finished with the banner and came to give me a kiss, but disappeared into the house to help carry food out. When I offered to help, he poked m
y belly and gave me a firm No.
Because carrying casserole dishes was soooo dangerous for the baby.
Bethany joined me a few moments later. She handed me a plate of hors-d’oeuvre — deviled eggs, little meatballs, and some kind of cucumber sandwich bites. “I’m sorry you saw me naked.”
Heat spread over my cheekbones. “I’m sorry I bit your head off about it. You guys are probably pretty used to wandering around in the nude, huh?”
“It is a hazard of the job,” Bethany agreed with a giggle. “You get used to it. And you get comfortable in your own skin, you know? It’s liberating.”
“I can imagine.” I popped a tiny sandwich in my mouth and moaned. “Oh, that’s good.”
“Thanks. I made them.”
“Hey, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Am I…” I trailed off. “I’m sorry, this might be a totally stupid question. Am I at risk of becoming a werewolf? How does that work?”
Bethany tinkled with laughter, slapping her knee. “You are so refreshing, Vespers. It’s easy to get tied up in our world and forget there’s so many other people out there. No, you aren’t in any danger. We’re blood shifters. We can’t infect you because it’s in our DNA. There are contagion packs, don’t get me wrong. But there are none in this area.”
I sighed. “Thanks. I was worried.”
“You wouldn’t want to be a werewolf? We never get sick. Injuries heal instantly. Sex is incredible.” She winked.
“Trust me, the sex is already incredible.” My gaze followed Trevor as he came through the back door of the farmhouse, balancing two glass dishes on one arm and a pitcher of amber liquid in the other hand. He was laughing, his eyes dancing in the afternoon sunlight.
“TMI.” Bethany faked a gagging noise. “Cousin!”
I laughed. “Sorry.”
“He’s taken with you. He has been as long as I can remember.”
I glanced at her, surprised. “Huh?”
“Every time we talk to him, he brings you up. He has since at least grade school. That man has never had eyes for anyone but you.” Bethany turned to study me, her gaze making me blush. “I’m glad you’re you. You’re right for him.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“No, you definitely are. Trust me. I know things.” She stood and stretched, pointing to the food table. “Looks like they’re almost set up. You ready to eat?”
I glanced down at my now-empty hors-d’oeuvre plate. “I’m okay right now. You go ahead.”
I thought about what she’d said while I watched Trevor fix two plates — one was inevitably for me, because that was exactly the kind of thoughtful person he’d always been. I wasn’t inclined to think we were right for each other; mostly, I wasn’t inclined to think I was right for anybody. But I was damn sure willing to try.
* * *
SUNSET FELL OVER THE LABARRE farm. I stood beside Trevor, chatting with an aging couple he’d introduced as his great-aunt and great-uncle. They were a trip, those two — cutting up about a recent Florida vacation and drinking out of Solo cups that reeked of vodka.
“Oh, Jennifer, tell them about the crab and your bathing suit,” Clement said. The two of them laughed loudly, and nearly drowned out the first haunting howl.
The couple’ s laughter immediately ceased. Trevor straightened, his gaze scanning the reunion. Around us, the rest of the clan had also gone on guard, plates and cups being set gently on the ground.
“What’s happening?” I asked as Trevor slid in front of me, one arm holding me in place.
“I don’t know. That wasn’t one of ours.”
I’d never seen such a large gathering go so silent. Nobody moved, except for the children fidgeting at their parents’ sides.
Addy raced to us on silent bare feet. She grabbed Trevor’s arm. “Hansen.”
“We need to get the children and humans to safety,” Trevor said, voice hushed. He whipped around, his gray eyes seeming to take in everything at once. “The barn. Can Wate set wards?”
“Of course.” Addy shoved two fingers in her mouth and gave a shrill whistle — one long, two short, her eyes on the sky. “I sent him to scout.”
A large hawk, feathers dappled shades of brown, swept out of the sky to land beside Addy. Energy rolled around it, and Wate stood, shaking himself as if shaking off a cloak.
Naked.
Ugh, these people. I turned to Trevor. “He was a bird.”
Trevor snaked an arm around my waist and kissed my forehead.
“Take the humans and the children to the barn and set wards,” Addy told her fiance. She waved at her brothers, indicating she was coming. “We need them safe so we can fight.”
“I love you.” Wate grasped her waist and pulled her against him, kissing her fiercely. Then he let go and grabbed my wrist. “Come with me.”
Addy and Trevor fell into a lope toward the bottom of the hill. I watched over my shoulder as Wate pulled me. Trevor fell forward onto his hands, his body smoothly transforming into a huge gray wolf.
My body went hot. Knowing it wasn’t the same as seeing it happen.
“Children and humans!” Wate yelled over the sudden clamor. “Come with us for safety. Wolves! Prepare yourself to follow your kikua!”
A tall muscled woman in pressed pants and a Ralph Lauren polo shirt shoved an infant into my arms. “Keep her safe, please.”
Before I could respond, the woman fell to all fours and shifted, her expensive clothes ripped off her amber-furred body as she raced to join Addy and Trevor.
I had never held an infant before. The baby stared at me, confused but not concerned.
“It’s okay,” I told her dumbly. “I’ve got you.”
Wate and I gathered several small children as we waded through the crowd toward the barn, but grown ups, too — human spouses, I guessed, their faces as shell-shocked as mine felt. I did notice three or four human men appear from the farmhouse, shotguns resting on their shoulders as they followed their wives into battle.
Wate shoved open the heavy barn door. We spilled inside as more howls filled the air.
“Everybody in the center of the room,” Wate instructed. “I’m going back outside to set the wards. Do not leave this barn, no matter what you hear. If you step foot outside my protective circle, you will destroy it and put everyone else at risk. Do you understand me?”
The adults and pre-teens present nodded their understanding, and everyone took responsibility for two or three of the children.
The heavy barn door shut behind Wate as we settled on the floor. I cuddled the baby against my chest, her eyes closing in sleep as if we weren’t in grave danger. I wished I could switch places with her.
A pixie-like thing with straw-colored hair and big blue eyes on an expressive face shoved her way into my lap. I wrapped my free arm around her and tugged another child — this one eight or nine and carrying the red-hair — closer to me so I could put my arm around him.
My skin began to crawl. I shivered, glancing at the other adults. “Do you feel that?”
“It’s Wate’s spells,” an older woman answered quietly. She sat to my left, identical twins in chestnut pigtails on her lap. “You must be sensitive to feel them. I guarantee no one else here does.”
“I don’t know how. I’ve never been around magic in my life.”
“Sure you have. Magick is everywhere.” She smiled, but the gesture didn’t quite reach her sad brown eyes. “I’m Glenda, by the way.”
“Vespers.”
She smiled. “Very pretty. The tribe will come and their magick will help our wolves.”
“Is your husband a LaBarre?” I asked.
“No. My dear husband left me several years ago. My little girl married into the clan.” She nodded at a pretty twenty-something across the circle, deep in calming conversation with a gaggle of kids. Then she motioned to the silent twins in her lap. “These are my grand daughters. Their daddy is Addy’s brother, Sam.”
<
br /> The crawly feeling dissipated.
“Ah. Wate is done. He’ll leave us now to go help the rest of his tribe and the wolves.”
I tightened my arms around the children I held. “Now we wait?”
“Now we wait.”
And wait we did. Time passed slowly with not a sound nearby. The children became antsy, so we had to come up with new and interesting ways to keep them entertained. The barn was decorated for a hoedown with music equipment, banners, and a refreshments table, but we quickly ran out of “I spy with my little eye” objects.
I noticed Glenda looking more worried than she had before, and spoke — quietly so as to not wake the baby. “Should we send someone to look?”
“No, my dear. We cannot leave the barn lest we trip Wate’s protection barriers.” She sighed, shifting on the floor as if her back were hurting. “I don’t know if it is better that we cannot hear signs of battle, or worse.”
“Why is that?”
“The further the wolves draw the enemy away, the less they can do for us if the enemy decides to take action here.”
“On us? The humans and kids in the barn?” I was aghast. I knew there was evil in the world, but children?
Glenda held the sleepy twins closer. “War is dirty, Vespers. The enemy cares not who they harm, only that their actions further their vendetta against the pack.”
As if to prove her point, a scratching noise at the barn door filled the twilight silence. Any murmur of conversation ceased, and all heads swiveled to the door.
I grabbed Glenda’s arm. “Tell me that’s one of ours,” I whispered.
A jarring thud hit the barn door, causing a collective leap of fear inside.
“Something tells me no.” She set the twins on their feet and stood, her dark gaze darting over the interior of the barn. “We need weapons. If anyone is carrying a match, let’s light some torches from the hay. They don’t care for fire.”
The adults and not-quite-teenagers leapt into action, leaving a frightened circle of kids on the floor, too shocked to move. I passed the infant to a sweet-faced ten year old girl, and headed for the farm implements.
His Ordinary Kiss (His Kiss Book 2) Page 8