Natural Born Enemies (Cedar River Series)

by Murray, Gemma K.

  In the depths of my heart, I wanted to believe that Connor had loved this girl, but I sincerely doubted it.

  Adam sat for a moment, waiting for Mindy to say more. When she didn’t, he stood to leave. “Will you walk me out?” he asked, reaching for my hand.

  I took his strong hand in mine and let him pull me to my feet. When we got to my kitchen, he kicked the door closed so we were alone and unseen. Adam pulled me into his arms. I wish I could say I was reluctant, but I’d be lying. His hands on my hips, our bodies pressing together, those things felt right.

  He rested his forehead against mine and closed his heavily lashed green eyes. “I can’t apologize enough, Luna, to you, to Mindy, to my aunt, to the pride. My apologies sound hollow.”

  “Mindy knows what Connor was becoming, so did your aunt and the pride. If you believe differently, then you’re lying to yourself, Adam.”

  He sighed heavily. His warm breath caressed my skin. “Do you think she knows Connor would never have claimed that child?”

  “I think deep down she does. Right now, she wants to believe the best of him because he’s not here. She wants to remember him as she had built him up to be in her mind. She’ll remember the real Connor, don’t worry about that.”

  “I will always claim our children, Luna.”

  I kissed his mouth, “I know, Adam. You’re a better man than Connor could have ever been.”

  Adam kissed me more deeply, “Tell me to leave, Luna.”

  I slid my tongue along his bottom lip, easing a moan from him. “You promised Bowie you’d run with Ana tonight,” I whispered as he tore his mouth away from mine and licked the one spot under my ear he knew drove me crazy. I reached up and gripped his shoulders as his hands slid up to cup my aching breasts.

  “Tell me to leave, Luna,” he whispered.

  “I can’t, Adam. I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay here and make love to me.”

  I felt him smile against my neck. “However,” I continued, “I have company tonight and you have a promise to keep.”

  He sighed heavily before claiming my mouth once more.

  He pulled back from me, “You do realize all of your things are still at the house, right?”

  I smiled, “I know. They’ll be fine for the time being. I figure I’ll be out there again sometime soon.”

  Adam’s eyes lit up, “You don’t think I’m a complete ass?”

  “No, I still love you. I’m cutting you some slack due to the emotional roller coaster you’ve been on lately. Just a warning though, you have to give me some time to get things straightened around in my head before we chat about this again. Fix what you need to fix and we’ll talk about it again.”

  “I love you, too. For what it’s worth, I am sorry for jumping all over you at the community center. I’m scared, Luna.”

  I held my hand up. “I can’t talk about this right now, Adam.”

  He took my hand in his and ran his fingers over the calluses on my palm. “I need to say one thing and I’ll leave you alone.”

  I nodded my head and he continued. “I can’t do this without you. I need you beside me.”

  “And I will be beside you, I promise. I just need to deal with a few issues before it can happen, okay?”

  He kissed me and said, “Okay,” before he walked out the door and into the night.

  ***

  Mindy was smiling when I returned to the living room. “I really like Adam,” she said.

  “Yeah, he’s kind of special, isn’t he?”

  Her blue eyes danced, “He is so much nicer than I imagined he’d be. He’s always so quiet and he doesn’t really socialize since he got back from the Middle East. Connor said something got messed up in Adam’s head while he was gone.”

  I popped a kernel of popcorn in my mouth and chewed slowly. “He was asked to do things most of us will never be asked to do. Adam saw things you and I will never see. It should mess with a person’s head. If it didn’t affect him in some way, I would’ve been more worried. He’s getting help though.”

  Mindy looked at me thoughtfully, “Connor said you lost your baby. Was that true?”

  I felt the emotion bubble to the surface. I worked hard to keep it all under control. I wiped at the tears in my eyes as I nodded.

  “Yes, I did. I was only about four months pregnant when I lost the baby. Adam had left for boot camp. From there, he went right to war. I was devastated to know he wasn’t coming home before he shipped out. As it turns out, he felt as if he wasn’t wanted here.” The memories came flooding back and my heart broke a little as I shared my story with the young woman in front of me.

  When I finished, Mindy had tears in her eyes once more. “Are you worried you and Adam may not be able to have children?”

  “It’s crossed my mind, but we’ll deal with it. We both have other things on our minds, things a lot larger than whether or not we’ll have a family. The fact of the matter is the pride may not accept me as Adam’s mate. I can’t spend my life without him, but I’m not going to put him in jeopardy either.”

  Mindy had a stunned look on her face. “You’d really walk away from Adam if the pride threatened him in some way?”

  “Of course, I would. Adam and his life are more important to me than anything else. I can live without him. I don’t want to and I wouldn’t be happy about it, but whatever must be done, must be done.”

  Mindy rested her hands on her flat belly. “I’m scared about my baby, Luna.”

  I took her hand in mine, “I know. I can’t promise you anything, but you’ll have the best of medical care. Doc Goodman is a good doctor and so many new things have come along since I was pregnant.”

  Mindy didn’t look very relieved, but she stopped crying which was quite remarkable. I pressed the PLAY button on the Blu-ray’s remote and the movie began.

  My mind continued to wander as the movie played. Trying to get a handle on all of the things changing in my life took my entire thought process. I was used to being independent. I loved living on my own without having to rely on the pack. I loved Adam more than anything, but what if the pride wouldn’t accept me? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities. I had never heard of a wolf being the mate to an Alpha cat of any sort. The whole “natural born enemies” element often came into play. Then, there was the idea of never having a child who resembled Adam. Having a little girl with her dad’s darker complexion and pale green eyes or a little boy with his father’s dark hair and grin would be a dream come true. An Alpha is supposed to have at least one child to ensure the continuation of the pack or pride. My thoughts carried me away to the land of sleep. I heard my alarm clock going off in the bedroom. Poor Mindy was sound asleep in a ball on the opposite end of the couch. I covered her with the blanket and went to take a shower. I had a lot to get done before everyone went out to Adam’s on Saturday. I made up some scrambled eggs, sliced ham for me, and put a portion in the refrigerator for Mindy. Coffee was essential this morning. To avoid tempting the pregnant girl, I poured the rest in a thermos to take downstairs with me.

  The store was quiet and the chocolate began to talk to me. I poured chocolate into molds, created the cream for centers, and measured flavorings into the various shot glasses I had. I turned on my Celtic Thunder CD and let the music wash over the wounds of my soul. The voices of the men infused me with energy and hope as I created the candy. I pulled the Irish cream out of the liquor cabinet and poured some into a shot glass. It seemed like the right thing to make today. Irish cream centers in dark chocolate shells would the special of the day. With the chocolates cooling, I turned to the big stove I rarely got to use. There was going to be so much food, but I needed to feel useful so I began a batch of chocolate cupcakes. Once the cupcakes were cool, I’d fill them with an almond cream and frosted them with a whipped frosting.

  I was washing up the dishes when there was knock on the back door. I peeked out the window to see Adam walking back to his truck. What on earth was he doing? I opened the door
and went to call for him. On the doorstep was a bouquet of flowers. “Adam,” I called out. He turned and waved before getting into his truck, a smile on his face.

  I cradled the flowers in my arms, burying my nose in their luscious fragrance. There was no card, but his smile was all I needed as I watched him drive away.

  Chapter Thirty- Two- Adam

  I had spent the night at Bowie and Ana’s, and then walked up to the big house for breakfast. This family wasn’t mine by birth, but I felt more at home in this big farmhouse kitchen than anywhere else in the world, with the exception of Luna’s.

  Mrs. G had made a massive breakfast. I filled my plate three times before I had to say “no more.” I tried to help clean up the kitchen, but Mrs. G kicked me out of her kitchen. “Go see Mr. Simpson this morning. Tell him you need some lovely flowers for a special lady. You take those flowers and drop them off to your wolf. You don’t need a card. Just knock on her door and leave them for her.”

  I kissed the rounded cheek, “Thanks for everything, Mama. I’ll do that.” I left and went to do exactly the task put before me.

  The greenhouse lights were on when I pulled up at the Simpson’s house. I walked around to the door of the greenhouse and knocked lightly. I saw Mr. Simpson raise his head and look outside. He smiled broadly as he held up his finger, signaling he’d be just a moment.

  “Good morning, Adam. How did your young lady like the lily?”

  “That’s actually why I’m here. I was wondering if you had any flowers you might be willing to part with. I screwed up in a big way. As much as she loved the lily, I think I need a bouquet.”

  “Come in, come in, come in,” the old man said. “I’ve got just what you need. You need a courting bouquet.”

  I had no idea what on earth the man was talking about, but I’d take his word on it.

  “We couldn’t help overhearing your argument with Miss McIntyre yesterday.”

  I felt the heat creep into my face. “I’m really embarrassed by that, Mr. Simpson.”

  The old man laughed loudly, “I would imagine you are, Adam, but we all make fools of ourselves in the name of love. You’d roll on the floor laughing if I told you some of the stupid things I’ve done over the years. I did it all because I love that old woman who is asleep in our bed.” His blue eyes turned to the upstairs of the house.

  I had made an ass of myself yesterday and the people of this town wouldn’t ever let me forget it.

  Mr. Simpson was still laughing as he said, “I’m Alpha and I’ll roar as loud as I want.” He slapped his knee and kept laughing.

  I brushed my hand over my face. Dear gods, just take me now, I begged silently.

  Mr. Simpson pulled out his knife and motioned for me to follow him as he made his way through the maze of plants. He picked up a basket and handed it to me. His first stop was his red roses. He cut two of them and set them in the basket. Next stop was his pots of lavender. He cut a bunch of that and laid it in the basket. His wall of lilies was next. He added various shades of pink to the basket followed by a bunch of white daisies. A couple of sprigs of white snapdragons finished the selection.

  We went back to his table in the center of the room and he carefully laid the flowers in a bunch. He wrapped them in a bit of tissue paper and tied them with a bright red ribbon. “Here you go. Take these to your lady. She’ll accept your apology.”

  I pulled out my wallet. I wanted to pay him for his time and flowers. The old man slapped at me, “Put that away. I’m doing this for the sake of love.”

  I smiled, “Thank you, Mr. Simpson. I appreciate this. Your flowers will go a long way to helping me get into Luna’s good graces. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  Mr. Simpson cast a glance back up to the window now lit up, “A bit of Miss McIntyre’s honey candy wouldn’t go amiss. The lovely woman upstairs has cut out my sweets and I’m truly missing my sweets.”

  “I will drop them off tomorrow morning. I’ll be here at the same time as today,” I whispered conspiratorially.

  “You’re a good man, Adam. Miss McIntyre will see it, too.”

  “I hope so, Mr. Simpson.”

  The flowers did smell nice as I laid them in the front seat of my truck.

  Pulling up at the back door of the store, I noticed the lights were on and the music was drifting out the windows. I laid the flowers on the doorstep and walked back to my truck. I turned as Luna called my name. The light behind her circled around her, making her look like an angel. She buried her nose in the flowers and her eyes closed. Her smile was all I needed to get through the rest of the day.

  I made my way down Main Street, checking on the people who were out at this early hour. I was going to miss this. Keeping an eye on the residents of Cedar River would fall on the shoulders of Bowie and the other deputies. I know Mr. G wanted me to stay on as deputy, but it wouldn’t be right. No matter how many different ways you look at it, I just couldn’t maintain an objective opinion. I didn’t want trouble coming down on Mr. G and the Shifter Council because of me.

  When I got home, Aunt Alicia was dressed in her jeans and a t-shirt, surrounded by boxes. “What on earth are you doing?” I asked.

  She lifted her face to me and smiled. “Why, Adam, you were a deputy, I think what I’m doing is pretty obvious.”

  I looked in the boxes. There were clothes in several of them. Some held books and others held pictures. “It looks like you’re moving out,” I said.

  She rested her hand against my cheek. “See? You figured it out. I always knew you were a smart boy.”

  “Why?” I asked, confused.

  “I’m not needed here anymore. You are Alpha, Adam. Luna is going to move in here and she’s going to want her things in here. I’m not leaving pride lands. I just thought I’d take the cottage that is available. I had cleaned it up in case you wanted to live there, so it’s all ready for someone to move in.”

  I took a deep breath. I had intended to give the cottage to Mindy. “Aunt Alicia, you need to sit down. I got some news last night and I wanted to break it to you myself.”

  I led her to the sofa and sat with her hands in mine. “I stopped by Luna’s last night to apologize. I made a fool of myself at the community center.”

  Aunt Alicia smiled, “Roman used to do that a lot. He would roar loudly when a simple request would have worked best.”

  “Any way, Mindy Peterman was there. She was staying the night with Luna. Mindy wanted to talk to me and I’d forgotten about it. So, I talked to her while I was there. Aunt Alicia, Mindy is pregnant and she says it’s Connor’s baby.”

  Aunt Alicia’s face went ghost white. “Connor’s going to be a dad?”

  I took a deep breath, “It appears so. I don’t believe he had any intention of claiming it as his own, but Mindy believes he was going to as soon as he became Alpha.”

  She shook her head, “I can’t believe he would, but, Adam, please don’t turn your back on her. I’m begging you. Connor may not have claimed the child, but I will.”

  I smiled sadly, “I’ve already promised Mindy she will have anything she needs, even a place to live if she needs it.”

  The realization of what I was saying dawned on Aunt Alicia. “Oh, you were going to put her in the cottage, weren’t you?”

  I nodded, “That was my intention, but only if she wants it.”

  “I’ll wait to see what she decides. Besides, I’m going to be out of town for a while, honey.”

  “Where on earth are you going?”

  “I’m flying out Monday morning to see your mother. We haven’t spent much time with each other over the years.”

  I frowned.

  “She may not have been much of a mother, but she is one helluva sister. If I’ve learned nothing in the last few days, life is short and we need to spend time with our loved ones while we can.”

  I did have to agree with her. I didn’t have to like it, but I did see what she was saying.

  ***

  I locked myself
in the office to see if I could figure out all of the bookkeeping needed to run the construction company. I had a headache from trying to figure out all of the details.

  At noon, Aunt Alicia knocked on the door. “Adam, sweetie, come out and eat some lunch.”

  I really hated to walk away from the mess, but I had to.

  There were two plates set on the kitchen table and a pan of lasagna sat in the middle of the table. Gods, it smelled like heaven.

  Aunt Alicia came in and sat down. “What are you working so hard at in the office, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  I took a bite of lasagna. “The books for Pierce Construction are more complicated than I thought they’d be.”

  My aunt smiled, “I’ll admit my bookkeeping leaves a lot to be desired, but I didn’t think they were that bad.”

  I swallowed hard. “You kept the books?”

  “Of course, who else would do it, Adam? I can teach someone to do them if you want me to though.”

  I groaned, “I thought Uncle Roman took care of it all.”

  Aunt Alicia spit her mouthful of water into her napkin when she laughed. “Oh gods, no, Roman couldn’t balance the checkbook, let alone keep the books for the company. He is good with measurements and such, but give him a checkbook and the man panics.”

  I breathed deeply, “Will you keep doing them then?”

  She looked at me with a puzzled look. “Of course, I will. I’m still part of this pride, right?”

  “Of course, you are. I just thought--,”

  “Stop thinking, Adam, and eat your lunch. I’ve got to get started on the food for tomorrow.”

  It was my turn to be puzzled, “What’s tomorrow?”

  “Saturday. Everyone from town is coming out to help you clean up the mess from the fire.”

  I had completely forgotten about it.

  “I’ll call Bowie after lunch. He can spread the word about not needing to do this now.”