Her shoulders dropped. She was confused, caught between conflicting emotions about the man on the other side of the shower curtain. Her body said one thing, but logic firmly stated she was in trouble.
A towel appeared between the wall and the curtain, attached to a tattooed hand. She caught another scratchy patch of shading between the muscle of his thumb and his wrist. Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed his arm. She twisted it to inspect the work.
Before she could pull away, the arm curled around her and yanked her out of the shower. Her body pressed into his chest, the towel caught between them. He looked down at her, those piercing eyes disarming her completely. They sparkled and danced and even brought a small smile to her lips.
Her heart thudded against his chest, so hard she was sure he could feel it. One hand wrapped around her wrist as his face inched closer to hers. Could he see the way her face warmed? Could he smell the way her body reacted, like she could? Her eyes dropped to his lips, the full lower lip looking plump and bitable in the moment.
“I need a name,” he said again.
Her brows fell flat, and she tore her arm out of his grasp to smack him in the chest. He shook his head. He wasn’t going to let go until she answered. She rolled her eyes at him and he laughed. It was oddly comfortable to be wrapped in his arms. His scent formed a cocoon around her, refreshing her and protecting her from the ones that’d filled the house.
She hated it. This guy was potentially dangerous and, here she was, mad because he didn’t kiss her. The drug in her system had turned her brain into mush.
“Kaylee Valdez.”
He smiled appreciatively, his eyes slipping down to the press of her breasts against his chest and becoming more beholden. “Nice to meet you, Kaylee Valdez. You can call me Gage.” He released her and spun around to leave.
She just stood there, gripping the towel to her chest, confused with the inner turmoil raging inside of her.
***
Gage cursed himself. What made him grab her like that? He’d done it without thinking, yanking a naked stranger out of the shower and holding her. He’d nearly kissed her, too. The smell of her, evoking the desire that had washed through her, had driven him mad.
The bear wanted him to pin her to the floor right there and then, to take her, mark her, and make sure she’d never leave them. He told the bear they had a problem. He’d left a pile of clean clothes on the counter and retreated to let her get dressed in peace. She deserved that, at least.
He dropped into a kitchen chair and let his head fall onto the tabletop. Just then, the back door swung open and Archer’s scent filled the air. Gage swallowed the growl of frustration building in him. He didn’t want to look at his brother. Gage couldn’t face the one he’d thought would never leave him. Archer had stood by him this long, and still he chose to leave Gage behind.
Gage couldn’t argue against the bond of mates. Archer was firmly caught in Joanna’s grasp, and there wasn’t anything he could do to get him back. It only made Gage feel more alone in the world.
His bear reminded him of the woman in the bathroom, of her dark eyes that swirled with the coyote’s gold and the spunky spark they hid. No, he told the bear. She was a scared and confused woman. They couldn’t mark her and try to make her stay. In the end, no one would stay.
“Why do I smell coyote?” Archer paused, his poise boasting alert.
Gage waved his concern away without lifting his head from the table. “Don’t worry. It’s not one of Killian’s. I found your stray.”
“Shit,” Archer drawled out. “I’d really been hoping I was wrong.”
As if drawn by their conversation, out of the corner of his eye, Gage saw Kaylee appear in the hall. She stood there, lost and adrift in an unfamiliar place. Her eyes darted around, as if she might make another break for a window. He’d have to toss her a pair of shoes next time. He lifted his head and motioned for her to come out. She hesitated. He couldn’t blame her. The room was filled by two big bears. Her coyote instincts might be young, but they were probably screaming at the sight of Gage and Archer.
Slowly, one step at a time, Kaylee approached the kitchen. Her head instinctively lowered, she pulled out a seat and sat beside Gage. He noticed her inching the seat closer to him and felt his heart stir. Before it could process the emotion, he shut it down.
She wasn’t here to stay.
Before Archer could say anything, Gage shot up from his seat. “How about we go into town and get your things.”
She scowled at him, but it lasted only a fraction of a second before she pulled it back and nodded. Her eyes slipped to Archer, the brooding beast of a man in the corner, before she got out of her seat and followed Gage.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Archer called after them.
Gage wasn’t sure who he was talking to, Kaylee or him, and so he ignored his brother’s warning. He tossed Kaylee a pair of boots that looked like they might fit a woman. He wasn’t sure if they belonged to Joanna, Archer’s mate and Alpha of what was left of the Bart pack, or Ashe, the half shifter who’d been looking after their father. He didn’t care. It would protect Kaylee’s feet for the time being.
It wasn’t until they were getting into his car that she spoke again. “Why do I feel scared around him?”
Gage turned the key in the ignition. “It’s because your coyote recognizes Archer as the bigger, scarier animal.”
“My… coyote?”
He cast a sidelong glance. She was clearly wary of what he was trying to tell her. “Yeah, it’s the animal of the guy who bit you. It’s what you’re stuck with for the rest of your long life.”
“Uhuh.” Kaylee nodded and looked out her window.
“Things will get easier as time goes on. If you want,” Gage hesitated. His chest tightened, and the words seemed caught. She was just going to leave. He couldn’t allow himself to get attached to her. Yet, he said it anyway. “If you want, I could help you learn to control the shift and your animal.”
“Uh, maybe. We’ll see.”
The car filled with her scent. Gage glanced in her direction every so often, mesmerized by the bright colors of her arms or the way her hair cascaded over one shoulder. Silence spread between them, stretching like a cat. It was clear she didn’t want to talk about her coyote anymore.
“So, what do you do for a living?” Gage ventured.
She smiled. It was small, but it lit up her eyes and warmed her cheeks. “I’m a tattoo artist. Well, I was. My shop was… well let’s just say I don’t work there anymore.”
“But that doesn’t stop you from being an artist,” Gage said.
She considered his words before shrugging. He wanted to reach out and grab her hand, to give it a squeeze to show her was there for her. But, he knew he meant little to her and the gesture would mean just as much.
“What made you want to tattoo?” He wanted to hear her voice, just a little more before they entered downtown Stonefall.
“My dad,” she confessed. “He was covered head to toe in them. He was in the military, I can’t remember which branch, but he would always come home with something new from his travels. I fell in love with the images. He got to carry art everywhere. He carried his story on his skin.
“He wasn’t too happy when I told him I wanted to become a tattoo artist, but as it turned out, I was good at it. Not only that, it made me happy. Seeing both reassured him that I was on the right path before he passed away.”
Gage heard the dip in her voice, the sorrow it carried. He couldn’t imagine being sad for the passing of one’s father, but he sounded like a different man than Sampson Vancourt. Sampson did everything in his power to create soldiers, not sons.
“Sounds like he truly loved you.”
Kaylee nodded. “He did. I’m just sad I didn’t have the time to share my art with him. I was still an apprentice when he died.”
The bed and breakfast appeared far sooner than Gage would have liked. He wanted to linger in
the car with her a little longer, but as soon as she saw the house, she shoved her door open and leapt out.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said, walking backwards. “But you don’t have to help me anymore. I’m just going to go sleep this crazy experience off. Everything will be fine in the morning.”
He jumped out and caught up with her. “You can’t be serious. Are you high?”
She raised a brow and nodded. “Most likely. It’s the only thing I can think of to explain everything that’s happened in the past few days.”
She didn’t understand. That, or, she refused to believe. Gage didn’t know what it was like to enter the world of shifters from a human point of view. He’d been born into it, believing in magic and the mystery of the universe since he could walk.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stay here alone.”
“Oh no,” Kaylee’s voice lowered, a touch of a warning in it. “I don’t think that’s necessary. If I still feel off in the morning, I’ll go to the hospital. Thanks for everything, but you really don’t have to do anything more.”
“Kaylee. You can’t be serious. You can’t tell me you don’t remember how I taught you to walk on four legs.”
A face appeared in the front window of the bed and breakfast, scowling at their conversation. Gage offered a small wave and a wide smile, ready to let the old woman believe he and Kaylee had a very open relationship. Kaylee frowned. She shook her head and began stomping toward the house.
Gage followed, determined to make her understand. At the door, she spun on him. Her eyes burned, gold slipping into dark eyes.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Protecting you from yourself, clearly.”
She shook her head. “You’re nuts. I never should have let you help me. If you don’t leave me alone, I’m going to call the police.”
His jaw dropped. Challenge accepted, he thought. “Is that how you feel? Alright.” He let a smile split his lips. She was in for a surprise.
Gage spun away from her and hopped down the bed and breakfast’s steps. Just as she slipped into the house, he tossed her a wink.
“You’re leaving?” Brows knotting together, she shook her head.
“It’s clear you don’t believe me. I’ll give you a day or so. Come find me when you see what I’m trying to lay down.”
Little did she know, as she was climbing back toward her room, that he wasn’t going back to his car. Instead, he slipped around the back of the house.
Chapter Four
Kaylee had settled back into her room, trying her damnedest to sleep off the rest of whatever it was that was in her system, when she heard a cry of alarm. Startled, she rolled out of bed and raced to the window to peer outside. Gage’s car still sat on the curb, but there was no sign of him anywhere. With her luck, he was sleeping on a couch in the lobby.
He was insufferable, but she’d been pleasantly surprised when he agreed to let her stay at the bed and breakfast. She’d thought he might throw her over his shoulder and run back to the house, but he’d left. Well, he left her alone. She had no idea where he’d gone after leaving his car.
For a moment, she regarded the ugly wallpaper in her room. She could make out every small detail of the paper, each printing flaw. It made her head hurt. The smell of cheap cleaning products and body odor that permeated the room didn’t help, either. She swore it hadn’t smelled this awful last time she’d been in her room.
Looking down at her hands. She remembered seeing paws in their place. Her acid trip of a day had been unexpected. Gage’s words came back to her. Coyote. Using her phone, she looked up what such a creature looked like. It was surprisingly close to her hallucinations. How had he known?
The phone in her hand vibrated. She stared at the number, her fingers growing cold. A shudder raced through her until she tossed the phone away from her. She couldn’t talk to him right now. She couldn’t stomach the sound of his voice or his pathetic excuses for what he did.
She looked out the window once again, for once grateful she was miles away from that asshole. It wasn’t a fresh start, by any means, but as long as she wasn’t going to run into her old business partner, she was happy. Hell, she’d put up with Gage any day over that man. Even if Gage had a few screws loose, he’d already treated her better than her business partner had.
Why had she ever thought it would work out? Kaylee was better off working on her own. It was the only way she would get what she wanted. Partnering with him had only led to the destruction of everything she’d ever wanted. For a moment, she considered never going home. Sure, she’d visit to see her family, but the idea of starting fresh somewhere else was enticing. She’d never have to see his ugly mug again.
Another shout of alarm rose through the floor. Kaylee jumped for the door and raced down the stairs. Inside her mind, she heard the low rumble of a growl.
It’s all in your head, she told herself. It’s just panic making me see and hear things.
There was no man sleeping on the small couch in the lobby. In fact, Gage was nowhere to be found. She shook her head and followed the sounds she’d heard, tracing them to the kitchen at the back of the house.
A group of people loitered in the small space around the back door. Two older women held their hands over their hearts. Another had hers clasped over her mouth, eyes wide. She glanced back at Kaylee before raising a hand to point at the door.
“Shhhh,” the woman said after her hand fell away from her mouth. “Don’t wake it.”
“Has anyone called Animal Control?”
“Do you really think local Animal Control is prepared to deal with that?”
“They should be. Everyone knows those creatures have been around Stonefall for decades.”
Kaylee inched closer. The women’s voices made her ears ache. Their voices rose in a crescendo of panic, increasing the anxiety rising in her chest. What kind of animal in Upstate New York would have them this worked up? It was too dark outside to see properly. She had to shove her way past the group of women and the doorway to see what was out there.
The first thing that hit her was the smell. It was rich and familiar. She wished that Gage would go away. She turned to tell him as much, but didn’t see him anywhere. The angry words in her mouth fell flat for a moment as she searched the dark yard for signs of the burly hunk of a man.
Hunk? She had to admit he was attractive. She shook her head. She didn’t have to admit anything.
A collective gasp behind her brought Kaylee’s attention forward. A hulking shape moved in the darkness. Her eyes struggled to adjust and her heart gave a heavy thump in her chest. The hulking figure became clearer until her eyes could cut through the darkness.
“Holy sh—”
A grizzly bear reared up on its hind legs before her. She could have sworn there was a smile on the beast’s face as it watched her expression morph. Familiarity passed between them, a knowing look like two friends sharing a wink.
The bear lowered, it’s head on level with hers until they were only a hair’s breadth apart. A woman shrieked behind them. Another shouted to call Animal Control. All the while, Kaylee’s heart hovered in her chest, the moment caught between beats as she stared into the animal’s eyes. She knew she should have been terrified, but a single word came to her lips.
“Gage?” she whispered.
That was it. She was losing it. Whatever drug they’d put in her was attacking and eating her brain. Soon, she would become a drooling mess, unable to function, because she could see the hunk of a man’s expressions mimicked on the bear’s face. The spark in the beast’s eyes matched Gage’s so perfectly, there was no mistaking it.
The bear’s head bobbed, and the corners of its mouth curled into something that resembled a smile before moving closer. It rested its head on her shoulder, the side of its head rubbing against hers. Her heart should have jumped out of her chest. Instead, it was almost as if she were hugging her favorite teddy bear. A sense of calm washed over her and s
he found herself smiling against her better judgment.
The bear that she believed to be Gage continued to rub the side of its head against hers, making silly bear noises, before pulling back. He snarled at the ladies waiting in the doorway behind her and turned back to the picnic table he’d been trying to sleep on.
“Can that thing even hold your weight?”
As if on cue, the wood groaned and cracked, sending the hulking bear crashing to the ground. He looked at her with what could only be construed as a pout.
“I hope you can afford to pay for that.” She must have sounded insane, telling a bear to pay for a picnic table. She shook her head. “Alright. You sleep out here. I’ll see you in the morning and then we can talk.”
The bear, Gage, nodded. Exhausted, she turned to head back to her room. The ladies in the doorway gave her strange and terrified looks. Kaylee, all five feet and four inches of her, had just hugged a grizzly bear. From the outside, it must have looked incredulous.
“Don’t worry about him,” she said in passing. “He won’t eat anyone, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a snack. Just throw it at him if you don’t want to get too close.”
She heard the sounds of the women trying to make little noises as they threw food at the bear that’d broken their picnic table. It brought a smile to her lips. There was a moment when Kaylee wondered if she’d imagined it all. Could there be an actual grizzly in the back yard and she’d hallucinated its sentience.
But, as she laid her head down and fell asleep, there were no more cries of horror.
***
Part of Kaylee wondered if she’d dreamt the whole thing. Water sprayed over her face as she replayed the events of the night before. There had been a bear in the bed and breakfast’s backyard, one that looked and acted like Gage Vancourt. She looked down at her hands, remembering the way she’d seen paws. She remembered learning how to walk on four feet.
Gage Page 4