Honestly, if he were her, he would have kicked his ass to the curb. Instead, she’d offered to take things slowly, give them time to learn one another before he finally claimed her.
His Wolf wasn’t too thrilled with that, but as much as it pouted and grumbled, Jim knew it was the right way to go. He’d hurt Chloe badly, and he needed to make sure she knew that he valued her just as much as he did Spencer. If he rushed things he might never gain her full trust.
“Ahem.”
Jim rolled his eyes. Oh, joy. He recognized that voice. In fact, he’d been expecting this for a while now. “Hello, Ryan.” A tap on his shoulder had him turning. “And Alex.”
Ryan Williams and Alexander “Bunny” Bunsun stood behind him in line, wearing identical scowls. Ryan was the first to speak. “I hear you’re dating my sister.”
A snicker from the front of the line and an oh shit, dude’s dead had Alex smirking. “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to kick your ass.”
It was no secret that Alex was very protective of his female cousins, Chloe and Heather especially. “Chloe told you not to?”
Alex growled, while Ryan simply glared.
“Did she explain what’s been going on?” Jim pushed his cart forward as the line moved, hoping the two weren’t planning on putting on a bloody showdown in the middle of the Super Foods.
“Something about a bastard, but I figured she was talking about you.” Ryan’s smirk was annoying. Jim had the urge to wipe it from his face, but the Grizzly could probably mutilate him with his pinky finger. While Jim could take on a human, a Grizzly Bear was a whole other matter.
Besides, even if there was a chance he could win he wouldn’t hurt Chloe’s brother. She might be willing to forgive him for a lot of things, but he doubted even she would forgive Jim for making Ryan bleed.
“She was talking about my half brother.” Jim started emptying his cart onto the conveyor belt as the person ahead of him moved forward. “My dad cheated on my mom and wound up having a son out of wedlock. Spencer is living with me now.” He wasn’t going to go into details with these two until their attitudes changed. He understood how they felt, but while Chloe was Ryan’s sister and Alex’s cousin, Spencer was his brother.
“And you think that makes what you did to Chloe okay?” Alex flexed his hands, almost making fists.
“You want to tell me what Chloe said, or do you just want to threaten me?” Jim wasn’t about to allow these two to intimidate him. They might maul him, but he’d get a few good licks in himself. Besides, he was pretty sure that if they damaged him Chloe would be on their asses like a burning rash. “Because I’m not telling you jack shit unless you back off.” While he wouldn’t get himself in trouble with Chloe by starting a fight, he sure as hell was willing to defend himself if need be.
The two exchanged an angry glance while Jim finished unloading his groceries. They spoke quietly while the cashier rang him up, then followed him out of the supermarket to his car.
“Fine. Chloe said Spencer was in a wheelchair, that he had something wrong with his nerves.”
Jim quickly explained CIDP. “He’s got a rare inflammatory disorder that’s eating away at the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves that deliver the signals to his arms and legs. Because he went so long without a correct diagnosis, he’s wheelchair bound. It’s still better than when we thought he had Lou Gehrig’s disease or MS, though. CIDP isn’t fatal.”
The two men looked shocked.
“Worse, the sperm donor wants nothing to do with him, so I’m the only family Spencer has left.” Jim finished loading the groceries into his car and slammed the trunk shut. “So he’s agreed to move in with me while we look for a wheelchair friendly place for him to live.” Something Jim no longer had a problem with now that he knew Spencer wasn’t terminally ill. If Spencer had been dying Jim would have done his level best to give his brother the best final days possible, and that meant living with Jim for the rest of his life.
Ryan’s shoulders sagged. “Damn it. I really wanted to beat the snot out of you.”
Alex cursed softly. “Fuck. That we can understand. Family comes first.”
Ryan held out his hand. “I’m sorry I called you an overused, undersized douche-nozzle.”
Jim took it, shaking Ryan’s hand firmly. “And I’m sorry I hurt your sister. I’m going to do what I can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Just…” Alex looked at him, and Jim could see the war going on inside him. His hazel eyes were browner than normal. Part of Alex was still pissed at him. “Talk to her from now on. Don’t leave her like that again.”
“Yeah. I don’t think you understand exactly how bad things were.” Ryan grimaced. “She was dying, and there was nothing we could do about it.”
“Wait.” Jim held up his hand as a cold chill went through him. “When I got the call I was told she was stable and in the best possible care.” Jim watched the cousins exchange grimaces. “Seriously? Dying? Why was I told she was going to be all right?”
Alex and Ryan scowled. “Who told you that?” Alex growled.
Well, shit. “My mother.” It was right after he told her he was going to find Spencer whether she liked it or not.
The two men shared a confused look. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Alex was watching him suspiciously, as if he thought Jim was lying to him. “Aunt Laura told me she’d called and told you about Chloe.”
Jim shook his head. “Nope. I never spoke to her until I got there and Chloe was already awake.”
“What the fuck, man?” Alex looked confused as hell.
Jim shrugged. “Maybe something got confused?” God, please let it be that and not my mother being a bitch. “I know your aunt was upset. It’s possible my mother just didn’t understand what she was being told.” A remote possibility, it was true, but still there. He refused to believe his mother had lied to him on purpose.
Ryan shot him a sharp look. “You kept telling her she was too young for you.”
“She is.” Jim still couldn’t get over the age difference, but he’d have to. There was ten years between them, and she’d practically been a baby when he first met her. “When I visited her in the hospital no one told me how bad she’d been.” She’d been bruised, battered, scared and scarred, but she’d been awake. Her green eyes had glowed when she’d first seen him, dulling when he told her that they couldn’t be together.
Fuck. If he’d known then what he knew now, he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from being with her. As it was, he’d been so torn between his duty to Spencer and his desire for Chloe that he’d become a bear to live with.
“If it weren’t for Julian, she would be dead.”
Jim almost howled out loud.
The cousins exchanged another, unreadable glance. “Speaking of Julian…”
“You might want to have a little chat with him.” Ryan cleared his throat. “The two of them have a…connection most other shifters don’t.”
Connection? Oh, Jim’s Wolf didn’t like the sound of that. Not one little bit. It didn’t matter boo-squat to him that Julian DuCharme was madly in love with his mate, Cynthia Reyes. He squinted at the two men, noting how uncomfortable they looked all of a sudden. “What kind of connection?”
Ryan zipped his lips as Alex shook his head and held up his hands. “Nuh-uh. Talk to Super Bear. Or better yet, Chloe. Let them explain it.”
“I’m not even sure I could if I tried.” Ryan frowned, looking confused. “It’s not a mate bond, but it’s really close.”
Jim surprised himself with a loud, animalistic snarl. The world lost color as his eyes shifted, the reds and greens of the parking lot turning yellow and brown. Anyone with a mate-like connection to Chloe that Jim didn’t have deserved pain.
Ryan wagged his finger at him. “Now you know how she felt whenever she saw you
with another woman.”
Jim took a deep breath, trying to calm his Wolf. “I haven’t been on a date in over a year.”
“Bullshit,” Alex coughed into his hand.
“Seriously. The one time you all saw me out I was with a colleague, someone I was trying to lure into my practice. Remember Doc Klein?” He waited until they both nodded. “He retired six months ago. I just managed to replace him.” It was one of the many reasons he’d been so swamped. He’d had to take on not only his own patients, but Doc Klein’s as well. “He had that massive heart attack and was forced to take early retirement.”
From the expression on their faces they hadn’t known that little tidbit. Neither of them owned pets, and they’d been busy with their own personal issues. “No wonder you’ve been unavailable,” Alex muttered.
“And I wasn’t able to talk to anyone about any of this, not even Emma. Between my parents, Spencer’s illness, and Doc Klein? I was fucking swamped. Then I get the whole fur-faced thing plopped on top of that, and we’re lucky I’m not in a hug-me jacket humming ‘Psycho Chicken’.”
“You still need to…psycho what?” Ryan tilted his head. “There’s a song called ‘Psycho Chicken’?” He turned to Alex. “Why haven’t I heard of this?”
Alex grunted, ignoring his insane cousin. “You still need to make time for Chloe.”
Ryan was glaring again, but there was a little more sympathy in his gaze too.
“I plan on it.”
“Good.” Ryan held out his hand. “Make sure you talk to Julian before you confront Chloe about the bond they have. He’ll be able to explain it better than we can.”
“And ask Cyn how she feels about it.” Alex took his hand next. “She’s in the same position you are, so she’ll be able to give you a little more insight on how your Wolf will react when the two of them connect.”
The more Jim heard about this the less he liked it. He was definitely going to have to speak to Julian and Cyn, preferably before he spoke to Chloe. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Good.” Ryan looked relieved, but Alex still looked a bit worried. “Chloe won’t admit it but I know she’s concerned about how you’ll react to her bond along with everything else that’s wrong with her.”
“I didn’t leave her alone because she has trouble talking. I was taking care of a terminally ill brother.” Jim wanted that clear right from the start. “Besides, I knew nothing about shifters and mates. If I had, things might have been different.” If Chloe had been up front with him, he would have…
Hell, he would have freaked the fuck out, but he wasn’t completely unreasonable. Once he’d seen her shift he would have believed her. The undeniable draw toward her would have been explained. The need to simply breathe the same air as her would have made perfect sense.
“Would they?” Alex was watching him, his expression skeptical. “I’ve seen what happens when humans find out about us. Some of them accept it just fine, but most run as far and as fast as they can.”
“Not from Chloe, I wouldn’t have.” Not ever.
“You already did.” Ryan patted him on the shoulder. “But at least you’re not running anymore, right?”
“Right.” Jim rubbed his shoulder once Ryan lifted his gigantic, fifty-pound paw off of it. What the fuck did the Bunsun-Williamses feed their kids? Stainless steel Wheaties?
“By the way, does the Curana know now what was going on?” Alex glanced at his watch, frowning when he saw the time.
“I introduced Spence to Chloe and Emma at the same time. We stopped by Wallflowers and they bonded over tea and my assholeness.”
Alex chuckled. “Good. I need to go. Tabby’s expecting me. She’s got a doctor’s appointment.” Alex shook Jim’s hand again. “We’re watching you.”
Aw, that hit him right in the feels.
“Ditto.” Ryan shook hands too. “I need to call Glory and let her know we’re on our way back.” Already he’d pulled his cell phone from his pocket, a worried expression on his face.
“How are the panic attacks?” Glory had relapsed after being shot, the panic attacks that she’d suffered through in her late teens returning with a vengeance. Chloe told him she was doing better, but he wanted to hear it from Ryan as well.
“She’s doing better, but it will take time to get them back under control.” Alex was already striding toward his car. “We’ll see you at the family dinner on Sunday.”
Jim blinked. They would? “Okay.”
“Bring Spencer.” Ryan smiled, his phone to his ear as he followed after Alex. “Hey, SG. We’re on our way.”
Jim shook his head. Family dinner, huh? Maybe he was closer to being accepted by the Bear and Fox clan than he’d thought.
With that small hope winging through him Jim took off. He’d make Spencer’s dinner, then go pick his mate up for their first real date.
It was a going to be a good day.
Chapter Four
Chloe blew out a deep breath and stared at herself in the mirror. This was her first date with Jim, their first real attempt to be mates.
She was scared stupid.
Her hands were shaking, her palms were sweaty, and she’d swear from the way her heart was beating she’d run sixteen miles in her three-inch pumps.
What would she do if he changed his mind again?
Her Fox snarled, yipping and snapping at the thought. If Jim tried to walk away just one more time, she’d bite his ass. He was a shifter now, feeling the mating pull just as much as she did. If he ran, he was not only denying her but his Wolf’s needs as well. The Wolf would never allow that to happen.
She hoped.
Chloe gulped and slipped her purse over her arm. Jim should be here any minute, and no amount of fussing in front of the mirror was going to make this date any easier. She’d dreamed of him so much it felt like just another—
The doorbell rang, and she jumped.
“Okay, Chloe. This is bit. We’re a bad-ass Fox and we don’t take shit from anyone.” She bared her fangs at her reflection. “Grr.” She smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle in her skirt. “Right. Let’s go get our man.”
She spun on her heel and stumbled right into the wall. “Ow.” Shaking her head at her own clumsiness she stumbled toward the front door. “Oh, yeah. I’m so badass. Look at me, beating the crap out of the wall with my face.” She sniffed at a crack in the front door, very aware of what dangers could lurk in the most innocent places. A peephole could be covered, but unless it was another Fox on the other side of the door deliberately hiding its scent, she’d know who it was.
Her sniffer didn’t fail her. She opened the door to find her mate holding a bouquet of daisies. “Jim.”
“Here.” He held out the flowers with a small smile. “I thought they suited you.”
She blushed as she sniffed the daisies. “Tank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He looked around, the small smile becoming rueful. “May I come in?”
“Hm? Oh!” Chloe stood back and held the door open for him. His scent enveloped her as he brushed by her, making her shiver with need. Her Fox wanted him so badly she was surprised she wasn’t furry.
And that thought wasn’t wrong at all, was it?
“Um. I’ll go put peas in water.” Chloe dashed for the kitchen, almost tripping once more. The man was going to think she was a complete flake, a kid who couldn’t handle a simple bouquet of fucking daisies.
Chloe filled the vase, ignoring the sounds of Jim moving around her apartment. It wasn’t much, just a simple one-bedroom she could afford on her waitress salary and a little help from her parents. Not that she worked anymore. Her parents were covering her rent while she recuperated, despite the fact that they’d wanted her to move back in with them as soon as she was discharged from the hospital. When she’d refused, absolutely horrified at the thought of living with her mother aga
in, they’d relented.
Her father understood. Her mother did not. While Chloe adored her mom, living with her was like being a sun worshipper in Antarctica. It just didn’t work.
“Chloe?”
Chloe yipped and spun around, almost dousing Jim with water. “Hi.”
He bit his lip and took the vase from her. “We have reservations at Noah’s.”
Noah’s. Oh, she hadn’t been there in ages. “The powers can wait.” She snatched the vase back and put it on the counter, ignoring his chuckle. After all, Noah’s had the best damn chicken cacciatore she’d ever had. “Let’s go.”
“A little birdie told me they have blackberry tarts for dessert.”
Chloe whimpered. She adored blackberry…
Wait.
“How did you know those are my favorites?”
He winked and held out his arm. “My lady?”
She took his arm, resting her hand on his forearm. She squeezed lightly.
Was the man made of muscle? There was absolutely no give there. If she wasn’t careful she’d be caught squeezing, and petting, and, hell, she might start climbing him like a spider monkey. She peeked up at him through her lashes, hoping he hadn’t noticed her feeling him up.
If she didn’t know better she’d swear he had a slight flush to his cheeks. Maybe she hadn’t been as subtle as she thought.
They left the apartment, Jim watching closely as she locked her door. He tested it himself, nodding as the door didn’t open.
“I can mock a door, you know.” She chuckled ruefully over the misspoken word and pointed at the door. “Your mother wears brass knobs.”
He burst into laughter. “I know, little vixen.” He led her down to her car. “But I had to check.” He shrugged. “It’s like a compulsion. I need to know you’re safe, even when you’re with me.”
“That’s your Wolf protecting its mate.” Chloe admired Jim’s vintage cherry-red Mustang. She’d wanted a ride in it ever since she first saw it, when she’d been applying for the intern job at his clinic.
“Mm, nah. Don’t think so.” He held open her door for her. “I’ve always been overprotective of the women I—”
Figure of Speech (Halle Shifters) Page 4