Figure of Speech (Halle Shifters)

by Bell, Dana Marie

  The two exchanged confused glances. “I’m a boy,” Artemis said slowly, like she was five or something.

  “I’m a girl,” Apollonia added. “Are you sure you’re old enough to be mated?”

  Chloe rolled her eyes. “What bind of shifter?”

  “Bind?” Artemis smirked. “Kinky.” He shot Jim a wicked look. “Lucky bastard.”

  Jim snarled. “Her brain has a problem with its autocorrect function. Now answer her question.”

  “They’re Tiggers.” Barney smirked back.

  “Tigers. Ti-Gers.” Apollonia shook her head sadly. “And they say you’re the smart one.”

  “I’d say we should change our last name to Hobbes, but then my mom would kick my ass.” Artemis shivered. “I make it a point not to piss off my momma.”

  Apollonia nodded, her expression fearful. “She scares me.”

  “You scare me.” Chloe bit her lip, unsure of these strangers.

  “Aw, sweetie. Don’t be scared.” Apollonia put her arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “We’ll protect you.”

  “From bagels.”

  “Donuts.”

  “Tuna.”

  “Mm, tuna.”

  Both brother and sister got faraway looks on their faces.

  “Wait.” Jim held up his hands, looking confused. She figured that happened a lot around those two. “You said the white Fox, like there aren’t any others.”

  “Ding ding ding! We have a winner!” Artemis held his arms dramatically wide.

  “And guess how we know that?” Apollonia held her hand to her ear. “C’mon, guess.”

  “You have phenomenal, cosmic powers?”

  Chloe giggled at Jim’s droll tone. “Bet me guess. One of you is a white kitty shifter?”

  Artemis dropped his arms. “Yup.”

  “Him.” Apollonia hitched her thumb toward her brother.

  Well. That explained the sense of familiarity.

  “So.” He wagged his brows at Chloe. “What does the Fox say?”

  “I swear if you make that annoying-as-fuck ring-a-ding-ding noise, mate or no mate I’ll take you over my knee and spank you,” Barney snarled.

  She bit her lip, resisting the urge to do just that. Instead, she turned to Artemis. “Show me.”

  His eyes turned silver and a white streak appeared in his hair. His muscles bunched, taking the man from hunk to Hulk in seconds. Pale stripes appeared on his skin.

  “Whoa.” She tilted her head. “Does that hurt?”

  “Nah.” His tone was gravelly, more Tiger than human.

  “Chloe?” Jim was staring at Artemis, and he looked both fascinated and horrified. “What is he doing?”

  “Have you ever heard of a werewolf being half-man, half-wolf?”

  Jim nodded.

  “Tigers actually do that.” Chloe remained calm. She instinctively knew Artemis would never hurt her. Her Fox was watching, curious and fascinated, the same as Chloe, but there was no urge to hide or fight the Tiger. “They have a third form, the man-beast. There was a time when they were the fiercest warriors of the shifter world.”

  “We still are.” Apollonia walked over to her brother and poked him. “Shift back, show-off.”

  Artemis complied. “I’ve shown you mine.” He winked. “Now show me yours.”

  Chloe dampened her scent, aware her eyes had gone silver and her hair now had a white streak just like Artemis’s.

  “Wow.” Artemis stared at her in admiration. “Now that’s a useful skill.”

  “I can’t scent her at all.” Apollonia sniffed the couch. “Not even on the furniture.”

  “It’s like mega-Febreeze.” Artemis snapped his fingers. “Oh! Can you do that in my car?”

  “It smells like Cheetos and old farts,” Apollonia added.

  “And whose fault is that?” Artemis shot back.

  “Not mine.”

  “You let your ex borrow my car, heifer.” Artemis shuddered. “The guy was a slob.”

  Apollonia shrugged nonchalantly. “You were out of the country.”

  He glared at his sister. “Cheeto. Farts.”

  She glared back. “Betty Lou Hinton in the back of my seventy-six Monte Carlo.”

  “She was pretty and oh, so pink,” Artemis sighed.

  “Ew. No one should have to clean up their brother’s—”

  Barney screamed, startling all of them.

  “Um.” Heather stood at the front door, staring at Barney like he’d lost his mind. “Can I come in?”

  Without a word Barney turned, flung Heather over his shoulder, and left. They could faintly hear Heather cursing him out before the roar of an engine cut her off.

  “Who was that?” The gleam in Artemis’s eye did not bode well for him if Barney caught him lusting after Heather.

  “Barney’s late.”

  Artemis blinked. “Late for what?”

  Chloe sighed, frustrated.

  “My mate was beaten and suffered a traumatic brain injury. As a result, she doesn’t always say the word she means.” Jim held her hand tight, letting her know she wasn’t alone. “Her cousin, the redhead Barney just carried out of here? That’s Heather, Barney’s mate.”

  “Oh?” Artemis’s gaze turned from hungry to filled with unholy glee. “Oh,” he drawled.

  Apollonia cackled. “Lo, the mighty hath fallen.”

  “Yes, well, he’s ready to chew his own paw off if Heather so much as comes close to him, so it might be a while before he hits the ground.”

  “The bigger they are,” Artemis snickered.

  “Does that mean Barney’s staying in Halle?” Apollonia looked delighted.

  Artemis rubbed his hands together. “I’m gonna like this town.”

  “I think we should move here.”

  The two shared a look. “House hunting!”

  “And these are the two who are going to guard us?” Jim muttered.

  Chloe smiled weakly. They were in deep doo-doo.

  Jim stepped out of the master bathroom to find Chloe staring out the window into the street below. She was dressed in sleep shorts and one of those thin-strapped tank tops he found he loved slipping off of her.

  “I’m scared.”

  Her voice was so soft he barely heard her. “Because of the Senate?”

  She nodded once. “Don’t want you or Spencer hurt.”

  He wanted to dismiss her fears, but he couldn’t. “I won’t lie to you. I can’t promise we won’t be.” He moved cautiously toward her, afraid he would make things worse rather than better. “I can promise we’ll do our best to stay safe.”

  “Not a Hunter.”

  “No. I’m not.” He was just a lone Wolf who barely knew what he was doing. “But we have good friends who are. We’ve got a Pride full of people who want to help us, and we’ve got your weird family to protect us.”

  She almost smiled as she turned toward him. “My family isn’t bat weird.”

  Her words weren’t coming out slurred, but she was speaking slowly, as if measuring each one on her tongue before doling them out in bits and pieces. “What’s really going on?”

  She bit her lip. “Is it worth it?”

  “What?”

  She gestured between the two of them. “This.”

  “Don’t doubt that for a second.” He pulled her close, snuggling with her in the darkness. “This is worth everything.”

  “You’re a snap.”

  He waited, unsure for once if she really meant that or something else.

  “But I like that about you.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad.” She was still speaking slowly, still obviously worried. “Promise me something?”

  “Hmm?” She wiggled, lifting her nose to his neck. She sniffed his skin, relaxing
against him bonelessly.

  “If you get scared, you tell me. Even if you can’t speak, I’ll know.”

  Her arms tightened around him and he took her weight, holding her easily as she sagged. “Don’t want to see you hurt.”

  He thought about that for a few moments. What was the best way to ease her fears? “What would you like to do? Do you want Glory and Ryan to move in with us?”

  She poked him in the side hard enough that he flinched. “Serious.”

  “So am I.” He’d do anything to ensure Chloe never again spent a sleepless night. “If that’s what it takes to make sure you feel safe, I’ll invite them in a heartbeat.”

  She stood silent, swaying slightly in his arms, a quiet midnight dance as she thought. “Air hole.” She shook her head. “Egg roll.” She made a fist, her frustration clear, but Jim couldn’t do this for her. He knew what she was about to say, but she had to do it herself. “Petrol.” She screamed in frustration. “Patrol!”

  He nodded. “Your family is doing that already, but if it makes you feel better we can ask Francois and Barney to do it as well.”

  “Skate this,” she sobbed.

  “Shh.” He rocked her again, stroking her hair. He’d been wondering when it would all become too much, when the pressure of her disorder and the people trying to hurt them would cause her to break down. And even though all he could do for her was hold her, a part of him was glad that she felt comfortable enough around him to allow herself to cry.

  It killed him, how hard she broke when she finally did. She sobbed until her breath hitched and her knees gave out. He lifted her up, settling them in the bed, Chloe awkwardly draped across him. Her arms were so tightly wound around his neck he was afraid he’d have bruises, and his T-shirt was thoroughly soaked with her tears.

  He lay there, his arms going slowly numb while his mate cried out her pain. When the sobs finally slowed down to hiccupping breaths, he eased her down until they weren’t clinging to each other quite so tightly. “Things can only get better, Chloe.”

  “Pfft.”

  He chuckled. “It’s a figure of speech, sweetheart.”

  She sat up, her eyes red-rimmed, her nose running and her cheeks blotchy. “One bray at a time?”

  “Something like that.” He carefully turned them until they were both on their sides. “Chloe?”

  “Hmm?” She settled back down against his chest, tucking her knee between his legs.

  “I’m glad.”

  “That I got snot on your T-shirt?”

  “No.” He blinked. “Wait. What?”

  She shuddered through another sob. It seemed she was one of those people who didn’t really stop crying when they were done. No wonder she hadn’t let herself truly go before. It was the kind of hard crying that left you with a sore throat and eyes even after you slept.

  If she’d cried like this in front of her family they would have never let her live alone, no matter what she or her doctors said.

  So Jim did the only thing he could think of. He sighed deeply. “It’s my favorite T-shirt too.”

  She wiped ineffectively at his chest.

  Jim took hold of her wandering hand. “Stop.” He kissed her knuckles. “You can smoosh around the goo on my chest later. Let me get this out, okay?”

  She giggled and shuddered at the same time. Her breath caught on a whine and she almost began crying again.

  “Hey. Do you need to let go some more?” She shook her head and put her fist to her mouth. “I don’t mind, and I’m not going anywhere. No matter how much snot you sniffle on me.”

  She laughed again. “That’s h-horrible!”

  “No, what you’re doing to my shirt is horrible.” He stroked her hair, hoping she understood what it was he was trying to do. It might be the wrong thing to do, but he believed with all his heart that she’d had the emotional storm. Now she needed the sunshine to heal. “It’s vintage.”

  “Just because you ran it through the wash with bleach does not make it vintage.”

  He hid his smile against the top of her head. Her speech was back to normal. It had worked. “Does so.”

  She sighed, and this time her breath only hitched a little bit.

  They lay there quietly, Chloe occasionally shuddering out another breath as he held her. Right when he thought she’d fallen asleep, he heard her whisper his name. “Yes?”

  “What were you going to say?”

  He blinked, on the edge of sleep himself. “Oh. Love how strong you are, but love even more that you can let yourself grieve with me.”

  She’d stiffened when he said the L word. “You keen it?”

  “Yup.”

  She relaxed once more. “I shove you too.”

  He laughed when she groaned. “It’s all right, little fox.”

  “No, it’s snot.”

  He laughed even harder, almost doubling over when she began smacking his chest.

  “Bass hole.”

  “Even if you don’t say it right, I get it, Chloe.” He kissed her forehead. “It’s just a figure of speech, after all.”

  “Hmph.” She laid her head on his chest again. “Words are important.”

  “They are,” he agreed, his laughter subsiding. “But actions are even more so. Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way.” He stroked her hair, the action soothing both of them. “Besides, I understand what you’re saying, and what you’re not.”

  “Yeah?”

  The wistful need in her voice was killing him. “Yeah.”

  “You know I love you, right?”

  “I do now,” she grunted.

  He couldn’t help it. He laughed again. “And you love me.”

  She pinched his side. “Do not.”

  “Do too.”

  “Do not.”

  “Liar, liar, plants for hire,” he sniffed.

  Chloe giggled. “Don’t mess up words. That’s my bob.”

  “You’d better not have a bob.” He blinked. “Wait. If by bob, you mean battery-operated boyfriend—” He yelped at one particularly hard pinch. “What?”

  “Go to sleep, you dork.”

  He sighed happily. “We okay?”

  “We okay,” she echoed.

  When George, their puppy, joined them on the bed and tried to wiggle between them, all thoughts of sleep disappeared in a haze of wet noses, wetter tongues, happy whining and lots and lots of kisses.

  And most of it happened after they kicked George off the bed.

  Epilogue

  “Hey,” Chloe whispered, opening the hospital door as quietly as she could. She glanced around, hoping she wasn’t about to wake the newest member of the clan.

  “Hey,” Tabby replied wearily. “She’s awake, it’s okay.”

  Chloe’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Cool.” Chloe entered the hospital room, Jim right on her heels. “Can I see?”

  Alex, sitting by his mate with the sappiest expression on his face, gestured them forward.

  A tiny white bundle lay in Tabby’s arms. Chloe wanted to hold her new cousin so badly she was shaking with it. “Oh. Please?”

  Jim wrapped his arms around Chloe. “Shh, little vixen. Give them a moment to hand her over.”

  Tabby laughed. “Here, Chloe darlin’. Meet—” she darted a quick glance toward Alex, “—Wren Usagi Bunsun.”

  Jim choked. “You named your baby ‘little bird’?”

  “You two are so bad,” Chloe giggled, snuggling her nose against the baby’s forehead and taking in her scent. “Especially since she smells like Wolf.”

  “What?” Jim sniffed the baby too, causing the baby to wrinkle her nose and turn her head. “Man, she does!”

  Alex grinned. “What did you expect from a Bear named Bunny and a Wolf named Tabby?”

  Tabby blushed. “I like the n
ame Wren. It’s pretty.”

  Chloe giggled harder. “And Usagi means bunny. You named your daughter after Sailor Moon.”

  “And yourself,” Jim chuckled.

  “You knew he was going to slip some Sailor Moon in there somewhere.” Tabby smiled when Chloe stroked the baby’s whisper-fine hair.

  Chloe glanced at her cousin. “What would you have named a boy?”

  Alex grinned. “Lobo.”

  “No.” Chloe shook her head. “You are not naming my baby cousin Lobo, you nut.”

  “Fenris?”

  “No.”

  Alex pouted. “Suppose Canis is out then?”

  “Ugh.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Can we muzzle him?”

  Tabby just shook her head. “Can’t. Someone’s gotta help me feed the baby bird.”

  “Damn.”

  “Fine.” Alex crossed his arms over his chest. “How about Connor?”

  He looked far too smug for this to be anything but some sort of trick. “Okay, Bunny. I’ll bite. What’s wrong with Connor?”

  Alex shrugged. “I don’t know. You tell me?”

  Chloe looked at Tabby, who shrugged. “I have no idea what he’s up to this time, but I like Connor.”

  “So if we have a boy, Connor Shingo Bunsun it is!”

  “Shingo?” Chloe groaned.

  “Yeah, Usagi’s brother is named Shingo.” Alex sighed happily. “I’m so glad you guys agreed.”

  “Damn it, Alex,” Tabby groaned. “Couldn’t you use, I dunno, Darien? That’s Tuxedo Mask, right?”

  Alex stared at her, horrified. “That’s just wrong. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask get married and have kids. I don’t want three-headed grandbabies, thank you.”

  Tabby sagged against her pillow as Chloe laughed. “Fine. You get Shingo, I get Connor.”

  “Done.” Alex held out his hands. “Now give me my baby girl back.”

  “Need to tell her the evils of men in tuxedos?” Jim helped Chloe hand the baby over.

  “Damn straight.” Alex’s whole face brightened as he stared lovingly down at his daughter. “No tuxedo-wearing, rose-wielding asshole is gonna get by Daddy. No he’s not, baby girl. You and me forever, right?”

  “Ahem.” Tabby cleared her throat.