Kess swung by the kitchen to pick up their orders. Cormac was laughing hugely about something and she took a moment to watch him. Something very close to delight filled her. She actually wished she could sit down and join them. She dropped the plates off at their table, but couldn’t stay to talk beyond asking if they needed anything else. Another four-top had just been seated and she needed to get them settled.
She was coming back from refilling table fifteen’s drinks when Cormac caught her beside the drink station. "Hey," he said, trying to stay out of the way of the staff. "There’s something I need to ask you."
Kess nodded and put down her tray. She took his arm, leading him back down the hall that led to the bathrooms and storage area. "What’s up?"
"My parents always have this huge party for New Year’s Eve. The whole family and about half of the town comes. It’s usually a pretty good time. My mom will have cooked for an army of people and will be urging everyone to eat at every opportunity. My dad will probably hold court by the fireplace. My sister will have escaped to the movie room with her friends so they can all roll their eyes at the adults uninterrupted." He stopped, running his hand through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck. "I…I thought it might be a good time to meet my family, too. There’ll be plenty around to distract them so they won’t have time for their regular interrogation techniques."
Kess looked down at the floor. She wasn’t sure she was up for meeting his parents, especially when she knew that his father already didn’t like her. And there would be a lot of people around. She wasn’t sure about the idea of being in a roomful of strangers. She chewed her lip as she tried to make the right call. The very thought of being in the same room with the pack Alpha made her a little nervous.
She felt Cormac’s hand under her chin and raised her gaze to meet his. "It’s not a big deal. No pressure. If you don’t have a good time, we can leave and go back to my place." She still must have looked hesitant because he smiled and said, "This isn’t a quiz, Kess. There’s no wrong answer."
She smiled back at him. Sometimes she really hated living in her own head, where she felt compelled to map out every move ahead of time to try and see the possible outcomes of a situation. It must be so relaxing to not worry about things like that, to just let stuff happen. "Okay. I’ll go."
Cormac leaned down to kiss her lightly. "Burke thought I should invite you to Christmas dinner, but I thought that might be cruel and unusual since there’d be no escape plan."
"Bran and Anita invited me to join them for dinner, so I couldn’t go anyway." She was suddenly grateful that she had other plans. The idea of spending a long holiday evening with Cormac’s parents as a first meeting was not something she wanted to entertain. And Christmas was usually a pretty personal celebration for families anyway, or so she’d heard. Her own family didn’t celebrate that holiday. Still, Kess thought Cormac looked a little disappointed that she had other plans.
She pushed up on her toes so she could give him a proper kiss, quick but with heat. She didn’t want Griff catching them because she knew there would be no end to the teasing, but she wanted to make Cormac smile again. She broke it off when it threatened to become deeper, whispering, "I’ve got work to do."
She walked away, putting a little more sway in her stride, then turned around. "Are you staring at me again?" she teased.
His slow, wicked smile contained promises of intimacies to come. "I told you I would try not to. I never promised I’d be successful."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Lodge was a massive stone and log building that sat in a clearing surrounded by old pine growth. It blended in well with the landscape, a testament to the design and the use of natural elements in its construction. It soared up two stories with an attic at the top of the house. A huge wraparound porch held rocking chairs where you could sit and look out over the mountains. Kess could see why Cormac loved this place.
"Wow," she breathed as she stepped down from his Jeep. "Um, it's kind of enormous." She only had her house in Miami to compare it to—itself no slouch in the size department—but even it was dwarfed by the scale of the Lodge.
"Wait until you see the inside." Cormac pulled her hand to lead her over to the double front doors made of oak and iron and beveled glass.
The noise and heat crashed over them like a wave once they stepped inside. Cormac ushered her in, closing out the cold night air. Kess slipped off her coat, looking for somewhere to hang it while she took in the space.
Kess thought the outside of the Lodge was impressive, at least until she got a good look at the inside. The main room was anchored by a huge stone fireplace that looked large enough to cook a whole pig. The room opened up the full two stories, peaked by heavy beams and an enormous black antler chandelier. People wandered about, talking and laughing, moving between the buffet tables and the bar. Music and the dull roar of many conversations going on at once filled the large room.
"Where should I put this?" she asked, swinging her coat. When he didn't respond right away, she turned her head to find him staring at her. Was what she was wearing really so different? "Hello? Coat?"
He snapped out of it and grinned at her. "Hang on." He opened a closet and pulled out a hanger, draping Kess' coat over it and putting it back. "Care for a tour?"
Cormac took her hand and snaked his way along one end of room until they came to the bar. "What would you like to drink?" He had to put his head close to hers to be heard.
She shrugged, not sure. "Water?" He looked at her, quirking a brow, but handed her a glass that he filled with bottled water. He grabbed a beer.
It was all a little overwhelming. Someone came up to Cormac and shook his hand. Cormac introduced her and she smiled and nodded like she should, but it was a lot to take in. She tried to relax, letting herself settle into the scene around her. Cormac slid his arm around her waist and drew her further into the press of people. He began introducing her to random people he passed, getting drawn into conversations with old family friends, while Kess tried to look like she fit in.
Kess remembered the preparations for the parties her father threw, sometimes for business partners and sometimes for clan. She was never allowed near the business parties, and Sek had kept her away from the ones for the wereleopards even after she'd had her first change. He had said it was because those parties tended to get out of hand, although he never explained what out of hand meant, and he didn't want her exposed to it. She hadn't really minded because it meant that Sek was occupied with something other than tracking her whereabouts and she was able to sneak out with her friends.
They stopped beside an attractive older woman chatting with a younger man, and waited until she noticed they were next to her. She turned and Kess immediately saw the family resemblance. The bones of the face and Cormac's coloring came from her. Kess wiped her hands on her skirt as his mother gave him a hug.
"Hey mom!" Cormac yelled, leaning down to give his mother a kiss on the cheek. "This is Kess. Kess, this is my mom."
"Mrs. McNeil, it's a pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand.
Cormac's mother gave her son a strange look. "Oh girl, that won't do." And she enveloped Kess in a hug. Kess stiffened for a moment, then hugged back. When Mrs. McNeil drew away, Kess looked at her, stunned. She hadn't expected a welcome like that. "And call me Emmeline," she said warmly.
"Um, okay. Emmeline." Cormac was grinning at her and she realized she must have looked like someone had smacked her. "You have a gorgeous home."
"It'll do," she said winking. "Go grab yourself some food. I'll tell your father you're here." Then she was off, winnowing through the crowd with ease and grace.
"Not even thirty seconds," Cormac said, taking Kess' hand again, this time leading her back to the kitchen.
"Huh?"
There was no one in the huge gourmet kitchen. Cormac leaned against a granite counter and pulled Kess into him. It was blissfully quiet. "It took her less than thirty seconds to start shoving food at
you." He looked at her carefully. "How are you doing?"
"Good, I think. Your mom is kind of great."
"Beyond great." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer so she leaned against the length of him. "Speaking of great, that word doesn't even come close to describing how you look tonight."
Kess flushed, pleased with the compliment. If he had known how long she had obsessed about what to wear tonight, finally deciding on the pencil skirt that had been part of her uniform at a high end steak house and the red sweater, he would probably have laughed at her. For the first time since leaving Miami, she'd actually missed her enormous closet filled with girly, pretty clothes.
"Yeah?"
"Oh yeah," he breathed, his hands tangling in her hair as she lifted her mouth to his.
"Cormac." A deep voice interrupted their reverie. Kess pushed away from Cormac and turned to see who had walked into the kitchen.
He was a little taller than Cormac and built like him. His features and eyes were almost exactly mirrored in his son. Awesome, Kess thought. Great way to meet his dad, with me draped all over his son like a skank. If the floor would just open up and swallow me right now that would be perfect. Cormac didn't seem bothered at all, still lounging against the counter as if he didn't have a care in the world. There was part of her that wanted to hit him.
"Hey Dad."
"This is Kess, I assume?" He turned his attention to her. "I'm Alaric McNeil."
"Yes sir." She didn't know why she said that, but couldn't really help it. The man seemed to exude an almost martial air. Kess had to fight against the urge to salute or something. If this was what being in the presence of an Alpha was like, she was incredibly happy her clan didn't have one. "Nice to meet you."
Alaric's face didn't change but he made a strange low noise in his throat. Then he looked back at his son. "Didn't mean to interrupt...things. We'll talk later." He glanced at her, eyes cloaked beneath heavy brows. "Enjoy the party."
Kess didn't let out the breath she was holding until Alaric had disappeared down the hall. "Terrific. Your dad totally hates me." She paced across the kitchen, low heels clicking against the travertine floor.
"He does not." Cormac sounded like he was about to laugh.
"It is NOT funny, Cormac."
He had opened his mouth to say something when an explosive yell of "MAC!" sounded from the doorway. Finn and Burke trooped in, ruddy from the cold air. The cousins greeted each other and began to talk about some of the people in the crowd out in the main room. Kess busied herself with straightening dish towels at the sink and gave the guys a chance to talk. She tried not to feel left out.
"I thought Lindsay was coming," she heard Cormac say. She had to admit that she'd been curious about the girl dating Burke. It would have been nice not to be the only outsider at a family party.
"She'd planned to, but she's snowed in." Kess saw him grin at Cormac. "She's pissed that she's missing it." Cormac laughed.
"So anyone feel like a run?" Finn asked the group. "I need to get out of here before I slip into a geriatric coma."
Burke nodded. "Mac? You in?" When Cormac looked toward her, Burke asked, "You up for a run, Kess? It's a beautiful night out."
It took her a minute to realize what he was really talking about. When she did, she looked at him quizzically. Was it really a good idea for a bunch of weres to be running around the woods on New Year's Eve? With this many people around? People would be drunk, sure, but she doubted there was enough booze to wash away the sight of three grey wolves and a black leopard running through the nearby forest.
Seeing her hesitate, Burke added, "Safest time to be out. Everyone will be here, celebrating until midnight. We'll be deep in the woods. Nobody will see us." He gave her an encouraging smile.
Kess smiled back. It looked like Burke had made up his mind about her. She felt good about his invitation, happy to accept. A run did sound way better than this party, especially after meeting Cormac’s father. And she’d never been big on crowds. She looked at Cormac and nodded.
*******
She rocketed through the trees, wolves trailing her. She’d been fighting for control for so long, over the change, over everything in her life that seemed so out of control, that it was nice to be able to accept this side of herself. It was better than nice, it was exhilarating. The crystalline air practically tinkled like bells beneath the moonlight, the trees standing like sentinels against the sloping earth. Kess urged her body to go faster, powerful leg muscles pushing her forward while her tail helped balance her against the tight turns she made to avoid trees and rocks. It was really the first time in ages that she’d gotten to let loose, fully awake in her leopard shell as she pushed its body to the limit.
Kess heard Burke and Finn veer off, intent on some new smell. She’d scented it, but deer wasn’t what she was interested in tonight. She didn’t feel the urge to hunt at all. She just wanted to revel in the physical sensation of her paws pounding against packed earth, the wind ripping past short fur, of bound and speed and leap and twist. It was a powerful thing to loosen the bonds she’d placed on herself; for the past year she’d always been so careful in her changes, never staying in her leopard form too long, only changing when the moon compelled her or she needed to hunt to keep from starving. This she was doing for pleasure, pure and simple. Despite the cold and the strange terrain, it reminded her of the times she, and sometimes Sek, went out to the Everglades to train and spar and enjoy her other nature.
Cormac loped along beside her, keeping pace but not crowding her. At one point, he lifted his muzzle and howled, giving voice to his joy. Two answering howls sounded, coming closer and she knew Burke and Finn were on their way back. Kess glanced at him as he ran, the lean lines of him keeping even with her. She spurred herself to go faster, seeing if he could keep up.
The two ran through the woods, leaping over streams and bounding through the few clearings between the densely packed trees. She would pull ahead sometimes and he would chase, snaking through the trunks and undergrowth, finding shortcuts so that he would lead and she would follow. They played at this until the other two wolves joined them and then they all slowed to any easy amble. Kess felt her sides heaving as she caught her breath. The light from the moon illuminated the large boulders that jutted out from certain rises in the ground, painting them chiaroscuro.
She leaped from one boulder and climbed up an oak, the branches bare now that winter was truly here. She dug her claws into the bark, pulling herself up until she found a suitable limb to drape herself across, legs hanging down on either side. Burke and Finn took off again, but Cormac chose to sit beneath her tree, staring off into the distance. She wondered what it was like to change to a wolf, what the air tasted like, if his vision was sharper than hers, what needs drove him and how they differed from hers.
Kess stretched, muscles languid with fatigue. She didn’t know how many miles they covered, or where they were, but she trusted that Cormac could lead her back to his place unerringly. She yawned, opening fanged jaws wide. Now that she wasn’t running, the night was cold. Cormac was looking up at her on the branch now, and gave a low bark, moving his head to indicate she should come down. She gave herself over to one last stretch, bunching and flexing the muscles that had done the most work before heading down the tree to meet Cormac on the ground below.
He gave another howl, this one different from the last. Again two howls answered. Kess had no idea what was being communicated since her clan used posturing and body language and expression more than sounds for communication. He pushed against her, as if to make sure she was paying attention. He began to walk and Kess followed, walking beside him. She was happy and tired, pleased that she had taken them up on their suggestion of a moonlit run. If this is what it was like for Cormac and his pack all the time, it was no wonder he had such an easy nature. And it was no wonder that there was no conflict between his two selves. For him, it seemed as easy as breathing.
CHAPTER TWENTY
-THREE
Cormac guided the Jeep carefully over the back roads that led from the Lodge to his own cabin. It was on the backside of the property and the way to get there was really just a series of ruts dug into the open track from his Jeep passing through. It wasn’t far and he’d be grateful when he could stretch out on the sofa and relax sore muscles. The clock on the dash read that it wasn't midnight yet which made him happy. He'd get to ring in the New Year with Kess in private.
Kess sat beside him, relaxed and quiet. It was probably the most relaxed he’d ever seen her. Her head leaned against the head rest, her eyes closed but she wasn’t sleeping. They’d padded back to where they’d left their clothes, Kess disappearing into the night as a cat and returning as a fully clothed girl. Cormac had no such shyness—he’d never been raised with any since both his parents were werewolves as was his extended family. Nudity was sort of the order of the night depending on the moon’s phase.
He pulled his Jeep close to the door and Kess was already hopping out, not waiting for him to come around and give her a hand down. He unlocked the front door to his place and waved her in, following behind. She was kicking off her shoes, rubbing her arms against the chill. He began building a fire in the fireplace. He wasn’t used to keeping the heat at a normal temperature—he tended not to feel the cold unless it was extreme—so his house was chillier than Kess was used to. He got the kindling burning, then turned his attention back to his girlfriend who sat huddled on the sofa under a blanket.
"You want something warm to drink?" She shook her head no, then patted the seat beside her.
He gladly dropped down beside her, putting an arm around her and pulling her against him. She melded to him with a sigh. Cormac would have been happy to stay that way all night, but Kess began rummaging around in her messenger bag, coming up with a large square package wrapped in green paper and tied with a cream ribbon.
Moon 01 - Leopard Moon Page 15