by Jane Jamison
Putting his head back, his body fully changed into a huge dark werewolf, Mike lifted his mouth to the ceiling and howled. The howl dragged out, growing softer until it was replaced by something between a human moan and a wolf’s low snarl.
Danny and Alex, fully changed to wolves, growled at Mike. Like their brother, they shifted back and forth on the padded feet.
Stella backed up as Mike padded toward her. His head was down and his mouth drawn back into a snarl. His fur stood up on his haunches, and his ears were laid back.
She should’ve run, but it was too late. They surrounded her like a pack on the prowl for prey. When she first tried to speak, nothing came out. She tried again, fearful that regardless of what they’d promised, they wouldn’t know her.
“Mike. Stop.”
He growled, making her jump. Instead of running, she gathered her courage and tried again.
“Please, Mike. Listen to me. I know you understand me. You have to.” She backed up as he kept coming toward her.
Please remember me.
She let out a yelp as the backs of her knees hit the couch and she sat down. “Mike? Alex? Danny? Please. You promised you’d know me.” Would she pay the price if they’d lied?
Mike growled again then tilted his head to the side, reminding her of the way her childhood dog had looked at her. Alex and Danny grew closer, standing next to Mike.
“Please. Mike, I know you remember me. It’s me, Stella. I’m your mate.”
Mike’s growl was low and mean. It terrified her.
She had to trust that they were still inside the huge animals pacing toward her. Reaching out, she closed her eyes and offered Mike her hand.
Please let me be right.
Chapter Seven
Stella peeked one eye open. She’d half expected to have her hand chomped off. Instead, she felt the rough slide of Mike’s tongue along her hand. “So you really do remember me?”
A soft growl and another swipe of his tongue answered her. Mike put his chin on her knees. Amber eyes locked with hers.
“And you two?” She reached out and ran her hand along Alex’s coarse fur. His heavy breaths lifted and lowered her hand as she continued to run it along his neck. “Yeah. You know me, too, don’t you?”
Danny hopped up on the couch beside her, making the sofa groan under his weight, and then slicked his tongue along her cheek. At first, she jerked back but then—after her heart finally returned to a normal rhythm—she settled down and even laughed at his happy dog-like face. His animal grin reminded her of his human one.
“I can’t believe this is real. You’re werewolves.” They grew closer, leaning their huge bodies against her. “Hey, guys, don’t lay on top of me. You’ll crush me.”
Mike snapped at Alex in a playful warning. “Now, boys, no fighting.”
This is crazy. I’m talking to wolves who are the men I love.
Oh shit. I’m in love with werewolves.
She sat back, her hands still playing over their fur. She still couldn’t believe it. Maybe that was why she wasn’t freaking out. Either that or she’d gone insane.
“Wait a minute. If the people who have amber in their eyes are werewolves, then that means a whole lot of people in Fate are werewolves. Holy shit.”
Mike growled and pulled away, padding to the spot where he’d changed before. Danny ran his tongue along her cheek again then followed Alex as they took their places beside their brother.
“Are you going to change back? No. Don’t.” Yet how would they talk if they didn’t?
Their wolf bodies begin to blur again. Now she realized that it wasn’t her eyes having problems but their bodies changing, blurring as one form replaced the other. In what seemed less than a minute, they’d returned to their human bodies.
“Are you all right?” asked Mike.
“Amazingly, incredibly, I am.” She couldn’t believe she wasn’t running for her life. “I guess I’m just waiting for it all to hit me.”
“When it does, be sure to remember how much we want you as our mate.”
“Now I get it. Mate as in a wolf’s mate.” She blew out a breath. “I have so many questions right now, but they’re all whirling around in my head so fast that I can’t settle on only one.”
“Let us help you.” Mike pulled on his shirt then his jeans, forgoing his boots. Alex and Danny dressed, too.
Mike took a place beside her with Alex sitting on the other side. Danny took the coffee table. Hadn’t they done the same thing before? She smiled, loving how she was getting to know them better each day.
“Fate is a shifter town,” started Mike. “Most of the people you know are in wolf packs.”
“Packs? As in more than one?”
“There are a few of them, but our pack is the strongest and has the most members.” Danny held his head high, pride showing in his eyes. “We’re part of the Shadow Ridge Pack. As our mate, you’ll become part of the pack, too.”
“Does that mean you can change me into a werewolf?” What would it be like to be able to transform? Would it hurt? Would she feel like a human trapped inside an animal’s body? Would she see the world differently?
“It’s your choice, but if you want to be a full member of the pack and have the other bitches—I mean women—respect you more then you’ll let us change you. But again, it’s up to you.” Alex took her hand between his. “Either way, we hope you want children. You can have them as a human or as a werewolf.”
“This sounds outlandish to ask, but if I change, will they be born in their wolf bodies?”
“No. It’s better if you stay in your human form while you’re pregnant. The baby will be born in human form that way. Whether or not the baby is a werewolf, a human, or a hybrid is something we can’t predict.” Mike eyed her, the question already on his face. “Does that make a difference to you? I mean, the having children part?”
“I don’t think so. I do want kids, but not right away.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t force you to have a litter soon, sugar.”
Mike whacked his brother on the shoulder. “Don’t joke. She’s got enough to handle without you making shit up.” He looked into her eyes. “You’ll probably only have one baby at a time like any human female. But definitely not a litter.”
“Good to know.” Relief swamped her. “That wasn’t even one of the questions I needed to ask.”
“We’ve got all night, darlin’. Don’t feel like you have to ask questions right now. Let things sink in first.” Mike pulled her against him. “The only question that really needs an answer is the one I need to ask you again.”
“Will you be our mate?” asked Danny.
“Damn it, asshole.” Yet Mike didn’t seem too irritated. “Well?”
She paused long enough to see the worry creep onto their faces. “Yes. I want to be your mate. As for becoming a werewolf? That one I’m going to have to think about.”
“No problem.” Alex squeezed her hand. “You take all the time you need.”
“Until then…” Danny grinned. “How about we celebrate in bed?”
* * * *
“This is nice.” Krystal took a sip of her tea. “We should do this every day.”
Stella could agree. “If only. But I don’t think I could get away. We’ve had two guests this week. I know that doesn’t sound much, but they’ve been a handful.”
“More than that Holland jerk?” asked Arizona.
“Well, no. But messier. A lot messier.” Stella’s gaze swept the diner. She’d just come from the ranch and seeing the men again, but she still hoped she’d see them walking down the sidewalk. Besides, now that she knew what some of the people were, she was taking a fresh look at them.
“So how’s it going with you and the Lennox brothers?” asked Krystal while trying to do her best not to seem obvious.
“The Lennox brothers. It sounds like a singing duo.” Arizona popped a French fry into her mouth. “But yeah. Tell us. What’s going on?”
; Should she tell them? The men hadn’t said if she was supposed to keep the werewolf thing a secret. Did her friends already know? If they didn’t, would she be outing a lot of people? She doubted the girls would believe her anyway.
“Earth to Stella.”
She blinked and met Arizona’s brown eyes. “Oh. Um, nothing much.”
“That’s not what I hear.” Krystal’s voice was singsong. “I heard from Stacy at the beauty shop that you’ve been seen riding around in their pickup and even headed out to their ranch.”
“You know you can’t believe everything Stacy says,” answered Stella. Stacy Flagg, owner of Stacy’s Hair Boutique and Gift Shop, was the town’s biggest gossip.
“She’s not the only one saying so.” Arizona dipped the next fry into the small plop of ketchup.
Stella reconsidered telling them again then decided not to. She wanted to keep the men and her relationship quiet for now. Once everyone found out that she was their mate then they’d have a lot more questions to answer. Until then, she’d savor the feeling of being loved and loving them back.
“Seriously, there’s not much to say right now. We’ve had a couple of dates is all.”
“Uh-huh.” Krystal, however, wasn’t taking her at face value. “So? Have you found out if they’re packing?”
“Packing? Are you asking me if they own guns?”
“You know what I mean.” Krystal’s gaze dropped to a place below the table. “Are they packing or not?”
“Are you asking her about their packages?” Arizona’s laughter rang out loud, drawing other customers’ attentions. “That’s not how the word packing is used.”
“Whatever.” Krystal frowned. “So are they or not?”
“That is none of your business.” Stella wasn’t about to discuss her men’s cocks with anyone. Even if she had a lot she could say.
“Which is a yes in my book,” added Arizona.
“Again. None of your business to both of you.”
“Aw, come on, Stella. Tell us.”
She was about to turn Krystal down flat again when her phone provided a much-needed excuse. “Hello?”
“Hi, sis.”
Maddie.
“Are you there, sis?”
Stella lowered her gaze, keeping her face guarded. “Why are you calling?”
“Uh-oh. Something tells me this isn’t one of the Lennox brothers. Ow!”
Arizona widened her eyes at Krystal. “Keep it up and I’ll kick you again.”
“I just want to talk,” said Maddie.
Stella fought the urge to hang up. But how would she explain it to her friends? “I don’t care to do that.”
Her sister let out a long sigh. “Fine. But you’re going to have to talk to me sooner or later. From what I hear, Fate is a small town.”
“You should stay where you are.” She could sense her friends’ uneasiness as they caught on to the tone of the conversation.
“That’s not happening. One way or another, we’re going to hash things out.”
“No. We’re not.” Her gaze flitted to her friends. “I’ve got to go now.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Good-bye.” She wouldn’t argue with Maddie. What good would it do? Instead, she hung up.
“Is everything all right?” asked Arizona.
“Everything’s fine.” She dug into her purse, found a ten-dollar bill, and put it on the table before scooting out of the booth. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Don’t go. Whoever that was, the call’s over. Stay, Stella.”
She tried to give Krystal a smile, but couldn’t. “Sorry. I’ll talk to you soon.” Hurrying, she rushed for the exit.
I’ll talk to you soon.
Would she talk to her sister soon? She missed having her in her life, but could she forgive and forget? Could she ever trust her sister again?
* * * *
“Are you having a good time, sugar?”
Stella stretched out on the blanket. “The only way I’d be having a better time would be if everyone else wasn’t around.”
Danny scanned the area around the lake. They’d chosen the least crowded side, but there were still a lot of families and couples hanging out. The weather was perfect to spend the day at nearby Lake Georgia. “What’s wrong with everyone else being here? This is a very popular hangout for the folks in Fate.”
She peered at the tree above them, the sunlight making it seem like the leaves sparkled. The men had picked her up early from the B&B to take her on a lunchtime picnic. Although their idea of a picnic consisted of a brown bag filled with sandwiches and a couple bottles of wine wasn’t exactly romantic, she wouldn’t complain. As long as she spent time with them, she was good.
“Dumbass. She’s talking about having some privacy.” Alex chuckled. “But if you’re too dimwitted to realize why she wants that privacy, then you wouldn’t have sense enough to get out of a drowning rain.”
“Huh?” Danny slid his gaze over her body taking in her tank top and short-shorts. “Oh. Now I get it. You want to get it on, huh, sugar?”
Mike groaned and lay down beside her. “Yeah, way to put it, bro.”
“It’s fine.” She kept her attention locked on the glittering green above them. “This is good, too. We’ll have plenty of time to do the other.”
“Especially once you finally move in with us. When are you going to do that, darlin’?”
It wasn’t the first time they’d asked her. Each time, she’d hesitated, unsure. Not about her love for them or theirs for her but because she was having a good time being “courted,” as Shawna put it. But the time had finally come. “How about today?”
Mike sat up abruptly while Alex and Danny fell in closer to her. Their eager faces were directly above hers. She grinned at their reactions.
“Are you serious? You’re not pulling our leg, are you, sugar?”
“She’s serious. She has to be. If this is a joke, it’s a mean one,” added Alex.
Mike studied her as though he could see the truth in her eyes. Which, of course, he could. “You’re moving in with us today.” Not a question. A confirmation.
“If the offer’s still good.”
As it usually did whenever they surrounded her, the air grew warmer as though the heat from their bodies was filtering out of them and into her. Another kind of heat started to burn inside her.
If only there weren’t a lot of people here.
“You’re our mate. It’s just that plain. You’re moving in.”
She cupped Mike’s cheek and wished she could cup something else. “Yes. I’m your mate, and I’m moving in.”
“Are you quitting your job?” Alex leaned closer. “We’d like it if you would. That way you’d be home with us every day, all day.”
She loved the way his masculine lips moved when he spoke. “I gave Shawna my two week notice this morning.”
Danny was on his feet in the next moment, surprising not only them but a lot of other people nearby. He let out a whoop and danced around like a mad man. “She’s moving in today. Our mate’s moving in with us today.”
“Knock it off, man.” Mike checked around them. “Not everyone here is from Fate.”
So not everyone here knows about shifters. Will I ever get used to the idea that they exist? Or, more, that the men I love are werewolves?
A woman’s cry split the air. On instinct, Stella sat up as Mike and Alex got to their feet.
People started running to a woman carrying her small child out of the water and onto the shore. The girl’s wet hair fell toward the ground, droplets falling from the ends, as she lay limp in her mother’s arms.
“Please, someone help. She went under. God, please, help us. She’s not opening her eyes.”
A man took the child from her mother and laid her gently on the ground. Mike, Alex, and Danny ran toward them.
I know what to do.
The paralyzing fear she’d suffered hit her as it had done the da
y the boy had been choking.
I know what to do.
She had to move. Had to do something. No one around the girl seemed to know what to do. Not even the Lennox men.
The memory of the little girl in the ambulance hit her, sucking the air out of her and keeping her frozen in place. The child’s eyes met hers, blaming her, accusing her of failing to keep her alive.
“Stella.”
She blinked and saw Mike waving her over.
“Stella, you can help her.”
How did he know?
Mike hurried back to her and knelt at her side. “You know what to do.”
“No. I can’t.” Yet every fiber of her being wanted to help.
He grabbed her arms and gave her a little shake. “I know what happened. You can’t let it stop you from helping her.”
“Please! Someone please help her.” The mother’s tormented pleas rent the air.
Mike tugged Stella to her feet and made her face him. “Go. You can do this. Don’t think. Just do.”
She would’ve sworn she’d sink to the ground as she’d done in the market. Instead, she started running toward the little girl still lying on the ground. By the time she dropped to the child’s side, she was acting on instinct, her training overriding the fear.
“Move aside. Give her room, everyone.”
She heard Alex’s command and sensed the others backing away. “Call 9-1-1. Now.” Her voice sounded so sure, so calm. She bent over the child and checked to see if she was breathing and found that she wasn’t. Gritting her teeth against the fear still threatening to take over, she checked the girl’s wrist, hoping to find a pulse. Again, she found nothing.
“I have to do CPR.”
The men were near her. Although they said nothing and didn’t touch her or the girl, she could sense their presence, their silent encouragement and support.
“They’re sending an ambulance from the next town over, but…”
The man’s voiced died off. He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Everyone knew what he’d left unsaid. The child’s mother sobbed nearby.
I can do this.
Stella placed the heel of her hand on the child’s chest and pressed down. The compressions came next as she started counting in a soft voice.