by Dannika Dark
“Mind if I’m honest?”
I shook my head.
Ivy drew in a shallow breath and watched a tiny ladybug crawling on the outside window. “Watchdogs are imperative to a pack when there are children, young adults, or women who need protection. You know this, of course. Austin acted as your father, but his duties as a Packmaster prevented him from keeping guard over you as well as spending the time needed to give positive reinforcement of a male figure in your life.”
I laughed quietly. “I had a lot of male figures in my life.”
“Yes, but packs believe that young children should form a strong bond with one male figure, and that’s usually their father. In your case, you didn’t have one. A watchdog is an honorable position, and despite the jokes between the brothers, Denver has earned their respect because of what he’s done. A watchdog is there every step of the way as the person they’re protecting begins to look for a job, move to another pack, or even date. Sometimes single women in a pack who are young and vulnerable need someone to look out for them. Denver is in a tricky situation because he was put in charge of a human child.”
“How does that make it any different?”
“Well, not so different at the time,” she said. “But he’s always known your life would lead in a different direction. You wouldn’t grow up to mate another Shifter or move to another pack where he’d have some input on your decision. In fact, you’ll keep growing up until you’ve aged—at least that’s the way he sees it, and that must be frightening for him. He was made to protect you, and now he’ll have no control over sickness, accidents, age, and all the things that plague humans. You might choose to leave us to be with your own. But…”
“But what?”
Ivy tugged on her earlobe and then leaned in. “Your situation is unique because of your schooling. Your mother loved you enough to give you the finest education so that you had options once you reached adulthood. That severed Denver’s role, and for him, it feels unfinished. He feels unworthy, cast aside, and I would imagine hurt. It’s nothing of your doing, but it’s like starting a game and your partner walking away before it’s over.”
“What if his partner comes back and wants to finish the game, but he doesn’t?”
Ivy’s face softened. She had lovely Native American features and such a graceful presence. “Is there something else I should know?”
I swallowed hard. Oh my God, I could barely admit this to myself, let alone feel the wrath of judgment from someone I knew. Out with it. “I think I love Denver. I’ve always loved him, but this feels different. Every minute I spend with him it becomes more pronounced—even painful.”
“And you think this is wrong.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. A pack is family and…”
“A pack behaves as a family, but they aren’t,” she said firmly. “Not entirely. Only a few are related by blood. It’s not uncommon for romance to blossom among single packmates of no blood relation. It’s also not as rare as you think for this to happen between a watchdog and his grown companion. They have an unshakable bond, and once maturity settles in, they begin to see each other in a new light. I’m certain you never saw Denver as a father figure,” she said with a pressed smile.
“God no.” I snorted. “He was always more of a best friend than anything. But what if my feelings are mixed up? Maybe I haven’t dated enough men to know the difference. He doesn’t feel this way about me, Ivy. He stopped writing, stopped wanting to see me. That means something.”
She huffed out a laugh and turned the cane leaning against the wall so the silver wolf’s head was facing me. “As to be expected. Left behind, stripped of his duties, and bereft of your adoration; put yourself in his shoes. He thinks his actions will save himself the pain of watching you age, regardless of how he may feel about you. Not everyone has Reno’s courage to take in a mortal with a shorter lifespan. But Reno’s lived a long and difficult life, so he understands the value of risking pain for love. Denver is not so seasoned.”
“Do you think what we have is real, or will chasing love ruin our friendship? I don’t want to tear up the pack, Ivy.”
“I can’t say,” she said, her gaze sincere. “Only you can figure that out. I’ve admired you two for as long as I’ve known you. I’ve never been able to shield my eyes from the possibility that it could develop into something more when you were older. Your personalities have always been compatible, and there’s a foundation of love and respect between you to grow on. In a way, reuniting after a long separation was ideal. You’ve had a chance to discover who you are in this world without his influence.”
“Prince has also shown an interest.” I put my feet on the ground and slipped on my shoes. “He made me an offer.”
Her mouth widened with surprise. “Prince?” Ivy touched her contoured cheek and looked out the window. “That I didn’t see coming. Do you care for him?”
“He’s got it all, but I barely know him. I feel… connected to him somehow because he was the one who rescued me all those years ago. Maybe indebted is a better word. I can’t imagine what might have happened to me if he hadn’t stopped and brought me home. I’ve always looked up to Prince, and in some ways, I had a crush on him too. Maybe all these childhood crushes are what’s getting me in trouble,” I said, throwing my hands in the air and standing up. “My heart is all over the place. The man I want doesn’t want me, and the man I’m uncertain about is offering me a place in his palace.”
“Maybe you should choose neither,” she suggested.
I walked behind my chair and leaned over the cushy back. “Naya’s setting me up on a date tonight, so maybe I’ll just see how number three works out. He’s human.”
Ivy rose to her feet and stood next to me, brushing my hair behind my ear. “Little Maizy, all grown up. So many choices, but the only one that matters is here,” she said, placing her hand over my heart. “You have to do what’s right for you, no matter what your reasoning is. Love, security, belonging—these will be your choices, and sometimes they’re not all neatly wrapped up into one man. If you make the right decision, those missing qualities will bloom in your relationship. But don’t expect the fairy tale. You need to take control of your life and follow your instincts.”
“I’m torn. I want so much to live in this world, but I can’t. The Weston pack is great, but they’re expecting me to keep with tradition and move on. That’s what packs do. Part of me wishes I could live with another pack, but that’s unrealistic. On the other hand, I’ve never felt completely normal living in the human world either.”
“What do you want?”
I paused for a moment. “To know what I want.”
She brushed her hand down my hair. “No one has a crystal ball. We don’t always make the right choices, but life is here to teach us, so be a good student. Mistakes are the only way we learn. No one says you have to choose between these men; you can choose to be alone and travel the world. Do what’s in your heart. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to walk in your shoes between two worlds. For Lynn it was a choice to live among us, but you weren’t given another option, and only now are you faced with deciding where you belong. Maybe that depends on what ‘belonging’ means to you.”
“I’m so afraid of making the wrong choice and it having consequences that affect others.”
Ivy smiled and stepped back, holding my hands. “All decisions we make affect others, good or bad. Everything in nature touches and affects its surroundings. Do you remember the time one of the squirrels kept stealing the batting from the seat cushions on the porch?”
“How can I forget? Lexi got rid of the chairs.”
“Yes, and the poor squirrel had nothing to keep his nest warm. Lexi’s choice to save her chairs and take away the material for a nest could have meant the squirrel and her babies not surviving. Squirrels plant acorns and other nuts, which in turn become new trees.”
“I never thought about it like that. I think they turned out fine. As I remember, they stole M
om’s American flags from the yard and used those instead.”
Ivy chuckled and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “I remember. That was the squirrel’s way of choosing his fate.”
“And also showing a little national pride.”
We both laughed and headed toward the door.
“Thanks, Ivy. For listening. It’s given me a lot to think about. Coming home opened a big can of emotions that I wasn’t expecting, and I’ve also got something else on my mind I can’t discuss with anyone, not even you.”
“Are you sure?” She touched my shoulder and stopped me from gripping the doorknob. “You can tell me anything, Maizy.”
I thought about the mark on my back. “No, this is one thing I can’t share. At least not yet.”
Chapter 14
“Are you nervous?” Naya asked, adjusting my tresses, which she’d spent the past hour using the curling iron on.
“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll let you know when I pass out or throw up. This is my first blind date.”
Naya laughed naughtily and looked me up and down. “You should wear dresses more often. It does wonders for your figure.”
I glanced down at the white dress Naya had lent me. It felt more like second skin. Naya called it her peekaboo dress because of the keyhole style in the middle that showed off a little of my cleavage.
“I guess I can’t go out for barbecue in this dress. I’m going to be paranoid all night about getting a stain on it.”
She squeaked and clasped her hands together. “I just adored dressing you up as a little girl, and now we get to share clothes. Hot tamale, you look absolutely stunning.”
“You don’t think I need more makeup?” I glanced in the mirror at my minimal makeover.
“No need to impose my style on you, so the less makeup the better. I put just a little shimmer on your eyelids to make them sparkle, but when you have all this going on, there’s no need to go over the top,” she purred.
I touched the end of my dress just above my knee and tried to pull it down.
“No, no, honey. Wrong direction! Come on, I can’t wait for the men to see you!”
Oh God. The men.
“I’ve never dressed like this before in front of them.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ve worn dresses lots of times.”
I met her gaze. “Not sexy dresses. My mom is going to flip out.”
A rogue grin touched her lips. “The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“What does that mean?”
She approached the door. “Your mama has a date too.”
“What?” I gasped. “Who?”
“Maybe you two should double. She was about to slip out of the house to meet him, but he called and asked for me to stall her so he can meet her here. She has no idea!”
“Why?” My heart raced anxiously. My mother had never dated in all the years I’d known her. After my father, she’d sworn off men and said she was too old to start all over again.
Naya shrugged, playing with her hoop earring. “I guess he wants to formally introduce himself to the pack.”
“Is he aware my mother is sixty?”
Naya summoned a smile. “Your mother is a beautiful, intelligent woman and has a lot to offer a man. She looks just as young as I could only dream to look at her age. When will you figure out that relationships aren’t just about passion?”
All I ever saw in this house was passion. “Then what are they about? Enlighten me.”
“Companionship. Trust. Friendship. Laughter. That’s what puts the passion into a relationship. Physical chemistry isn’t just about sex; it’s about the way someone looks at you, the way they touch you when they whisper your name. Darling, if there’s one thing I’ve learned with Wheeler, it’s that I love the way he calls me kitty cat. I adore his dry sense of humor and the way he pretends to hate Spartacus when I’ve caught them cuddling together.”
Before I could argue, she took my hand and led me downstairs. Just as we neared the bottom, the doorbell rang.
I froze.
While the women were sitting in the living room, all the men in the pack were on alert and ready to kick ass. Austin had taken off his shirt—his tattoos and muscles prominent. Flanking him were Wheeler, Trevor, William, Reno, and Jericho. Their eyes were locked on the front door like a target. Naya approached it, eager to answer.
I hurried down the stairs. “Reno, could you at least put your gun away?”
He glanced down at the holster strapped across his shoulder and grunted. He never wore the gun in the house. Just then, all eyes drifted my way.
And widened.
Wheeler was the first one to speak. “Naya, take her back upstairs and put her in real clothes. Joke’s over. ’Preciate ya.”
She chuckled and leaned against the door. “Those are her real clothes. Now let’s just see about her date!” she said gleefully.
When the door swung open, an older man was balancing on one leg and picking a piece of dirt off his boot. I couldn’t see his face because of a hat he wore on his head—not quite a cowboy hat, but something I’d seen Aussie men wear. When he stood up, the air left the room.
“Well, I didn’t expect such a warm greeting,” he said in a Southern, burly drawl. After a few chuckles, he took off his hat and used it to dust off his pants.
The men looked at me and then back to him. Austin took a step forward and his muscles were tensing up all over as if he were a predator ready to strike.
I hovered near the bottom steps, confused why Naya would set me up on a blind date with someone so much older. The man with cloudy eyes looked up at me and smiled. His wavy hair was a long mix of silver and brown. His jaw was covered in whiskers like a man who thought razors were optional.
“You can’t be little Maizy,” he said.
“And you better not be her date,” Reno growled.
I glanced over my left shoulder and noticed Denver standing at the back of the room in the hallway.
April hopped off the couch and tugged at the drawstring on her sweats. “Maddox, what are you doing here?”
The click of heels against a wood floor sounded from behind me and I turned around to see my mom descending the stairs in a dark pair of slacks and a maroon blouse with loose sleeves. What hadn’t escaped my attention was the fact she was wearing a sparkly necklace and diamond earrings. When she caught sight of everyone, she froze like a statue.
“Hello, gorgeous,” Maddox said, giving her a familiar wink. “I know it’s not what we discussed, but I think if we’re going to keep this up, then maybe we need to do it proper. I’m too old to be sneaking around.”
Lexi’s eyes were wide as she approached the stairs from the living room. “Mom?” Then she laughed in disbelief. “You and Maddox Cane?”
“Always did think she was the purtiest gal I’d ever laid eyes on,” he said admiringly, leaning his left shoulder against the doorjamb. “Stole my breath the first time we met. Wasn’t until last year when I decided maybe it was time for a little redecorating advice. Plus I can hardly turn away a woman who cooks a mean pot roast.”
Flabbergasted would have been an understatement. It was the first time I’d ever seen the pack tongue-tied. Most of them seemed familiar with Maddox, but I didn’t recognize him.
My mom gripped the banister and looked ready to run back upstairs. A blush touched her cheeks, and her eyes were shining as if she was about to cry. I didn’t want my mom to feel embarrassed for getting on with her life and having fun. And how awful it must have been to keep her happiness a secret.
“Mom, I think it’s great,” I said. “I wish you had told me earlier and we could have talked about it.”
By then, it was too late. A tear glistened on her lashes. “Now my mascara is ruined.” She descended the stairs and kissed my cheek. “I’m so sorry; I didn’t want to confuse or hurt you girls.”
“We’re not kids anymore. And your being happy wouldn’t hurt me in the least.”
I turned around whe
n I heard a growl. Austin stepped up and approached Maddox with menace in his eyes. “You better treat her like a queen. If I hear you put one finger on her or showed her disrespect, I’m coming after you.”
Maddox chuckled and walked past him. “Don’t worry, Cole. We keep good company together. She’s a fine woman.” He winked at me. “Charmed to meet you, Maizy.”
On the upside, my mother’s surprise visitor took all the attention away from my sexy dress.
After they left the house, Lexi folded her arms and turned around. “Wow, I never saw that coming. Did you, April? Maddox used to come over to talk to you, and I noticed how he flirted with my mom, but I thought he was just messing around.”
April shrugged, and a slip of straight blond hair fell in front of her nose. “I didn’t have a clue. Don’t worry, Lexi. I’ve known Maddox for years and he’s a good guy, despite his reputation. He looked after me, and he really cares about spending quality time with someone.”
“Is he a Shifter?” I asked.
“He sure is.” Lexi sighed and put her hands on her hips.
“Not a wolf,” Reno grumbled.
A laugh burst out of Lexi. “Like that makes a difference with my mom. I don’t know how that’s going to work out, or for how long, but if it makes her happy, then I’m all for it. So I don’t want any of you giving her a hard time about it.”
Naya winked at me, and that’s when I realized the little vixen had known about my mom and Maddox all along. I bet she was the one who had given their relationship a nudge.
Wheeler plopped down in a chair. Seconds later, Spartacus jumped on top of his head and curled up. Based on Wheeler’s indifferent reaction, it didn’t look as though it was the first time the kitten had done it. Either that or having a paw with five sharp claws across his eyelid gave Wheeler second thoughts about throwing him off.
William laughed and leaned against the wall. “If you want to know the truth, Maizy’s date couldn’t be as bad as a wildcat like Maddox. Wouldn’t you agree?”