by Susan Bliler
“Cream and sugar?”
“No sugar, just five teaspoons of the cinnamon creamer from the fridge.”
He winced. “Damn you like it sweet.”
“Just like me,” she returned.
“Hey!” Vance, stretched with a big yawn as he made his way to the table, plucking at Emma’s coat before helping her out of it. “Maybe that’s why you taste so good to vamps. You’re sweet like your coffee.”
Her playful mood suddenly vanished and she heard Hayes growl at Vance as he placed her cup of coffee in front of her while shooting daggers at the younger shifter.
“Sorry,” Vance muttered. “Didn’t mean to bring up bad shit.”
“It’s alright,” she leaned over and shoulder bumped him. “Not your fault I’m so stinking delicious.”
…and Hayes was back to snarling in the kitchen as he pulled out several pans from the cupboard and a dozen eggs from the fridge.
“He always so growly,” she whisper asked Vance who nodded.
“Heard that,” Hayes responds without turning around. “How do you want your eggs, Em?”
Shock tore through her. “Wait! You heard that? How could you hear that? You had the water running and were way over there and I was whispering.”
Vance eyed her coffee cup and licked his lips. “Shifter hearing. It’s great.”
And Emma stilled because now she’s certain that Hayes heard every word she said to Ruby and that felt intrusive. “Did you…”
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know, but when Hayes turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest—spatula in hand—as he leaned back against the counter, she knew he had.
“I tried to stay back and give you as much privacy as I could without leaving you alone out there. Sorry.” Then he turned back around and started cooking again.
Indignation flared, but what could she say or do? It was done now and he was right. He was only trying to stick close to protect her.
A knock at the door drew her attention. Hayes and Vance didn’t even blink, as if they were expecting visitors.
The door opened and Jaxon, Aden, Bay, and another female entered.
“Morning,” Jaxon greeted with a smile.
“Hungry?” Hayes asked.
“No, thanks. Already ate.” Jaxon stepped into Emma’s small kitchen while Bay took a seat on her couch.
Aden made a show of stopping to flash a toothy smile at Emma. “Morning, lovely.”
Emma wanted to roll her eyes at the flirt, but didn’t when a small dark skinned woman with a beautiful shaved head entered to stand beside Jaxon, drawing her attention.
“Emma,” Jaxon began. “This is Udara. Udara, Emma.”
“Oh!” She was the woman who’d been sleeping on the couch yesterday. Emma’s brow furrowed. Now that she thought about it, maybe Udara being asleep had something to do with the healing she’d performed. “Hi,” she made to get up but now her damn legs weren’t working at all.” She looked down at them in confusion then looked back up. “Sorry…body’s a little off this morning.”
“I know,” Udara gave her a sad smile. “I came by to heal you again this morning. One more time should do the trick.”
Jaxon made a frustrated sound deep in his throat, but Udara turned and smiled up at him, silencing the sound.
“You got me?” she asked, beaming up at the Alpha.
He jerked his head down in a tight nod. “You know I do.”
“Good,” she winked at him then turned to gesture Emma toward the bedroom. “Shall we?”
Emma looked from Jaxon and Udara to Hayes who was watching her carefully. He nodded and if he thought it was okay, then it was okay. She shrugged, “Okay.”
“Let me,” Vance offered and he didn’t wait for Emma to respond before he lifted her from the bench, earning himself another dirty look and snarl from Hayes.
He carried her into the bedroom and placed her on the edge of the bed.
“That’s good,” Udara directed. “Close the door behind you, please, Vance.”
He did and then the two women were alone.
“Do I just lie down like I was last time,” Emma asked feeling uncomfortable.
“Nope.” Udara paced to the opposite side of the bed and lay down at Emma’s hip. “I don’t always pass out from a healing, only with the most severe cases that require more of my energy. You took it all last night and judging by your inability to stand this morning, I’d say you could use another full power up.”
“Okay,” Emma licked her lips nervously, “What do I do.”
“Just relax.” Udara scooted herself closer to Emma on the bed. “Turn to face me. I need to put my hands on the upper part of your chest.”
That had Emma fisting the front of her shirt and leaning back. “What? Why?”
“I need skin to skin contact for it to work, and it works best just above people’s hearts. Don’t worry,” Udara giggled, “I’m not trying to perv out or anything.”
Still, that was awful close to…
“Listen,” Udara began more seriously, her voice going to a near whisper. “When I heal someone it’s like a mini-reel of all their most serious injuries and illnesses plays through my head. Kind of like my power is shuffling through to see if there’s anything lingering in that the person that I can fix. It’s okay, Emma. Your secrets are safe with me.”
Emma swallowed hard and knew she paled. Shit, she knows!
Chapter 10
In the kitchen, Jaxon paced to where Hayes was frying eggs and sausage at the stove. He snagged a piece of sausage off the plate and bit into it, grinning at Hayes.
“What?” the Beta growled.
Jaxon kept right on smiling and chewing. “So, wanna tell me what’s got you so growly and snarly this morning?”
“Didn’t sleep last night. Stood guard.”
Jaxon was already shaking his head though. “No, that ain’t it. You wanted to rip Vance’s head off when he carried Emma to her room.” He narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer. “I think you like the human.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Hayes protested. “You know I hate humans.” He flipped his eggs and started jabbing at the sausages still sizzling in the pan. “I hate everything about ‘em. I despise their smell, their weakness, their putrid diseases. Everything about ‘em just puts me off, so the day I look at Emma with anything but disdain will be the day I fucking…” he turned to frown at Jaxon, but his words clogged in his throat.
Emma was standing near the end of table, empty coffee cup in hand like she was coming in for a refill. Her lips were slightly parted and there was no denying the hurt in her eyes. She looked wounded by Hayes’ words, but when she blinked, the emotion vanished.
“Emma,” Jaxon began.
“Hey,” she set her coffee cup down on the table and backed up a step. “Vance you tell Udara I said thanks for everything when she wakes up.”
“Uhhh,” Vance looked dumbly from her to Jaxon. “Sure?”
Emma waved toward the stove, “When you guys are finished just go ahead and head out. I’ll clean this up when I get back.”
“Emma,” Hayes growled, but she jerked angry eyes to him.
“No. You guys go ahead and eat then head home. This…” she swallowed hard as if the words were bitter in her mouth. “This putrid human can take things from here.” Then she was turning and hurrying out the door.
“Fuck!” Jaxon let his head fall back as his shoulders slumped. “Well that was fucking unbearable.” He turned his head to shoot an accusing look at Hayes.
“Nice work, assholes,” Bay shot up from the couch. She was the only one who could get away with talking that way to Jaxon because she was his older sister. She pointed a finger at Hayes when he set down his spatula and made a move toward the door. “You stay, buster! You’ve done enough!” Bay hurried out the door.
God damn it! And now Hayes felt like shit and he deserved to. He’d been popping off for Jaxon because he wasn’t sure what in the hell was going on with
how he and his wolf were feeling about Emma. Protective? Sure. But that made sense right? She’d just come to him to get permission from his Alpha and he’d turned her away, which resulted her in near death. It made sense he felt obligated to protect her now. Right? It didn’t change the fact that she was still human. It didn’t change the fact that he hated humans. Right?
So why was his gut all twisted with regret at the hurt he’d seen in her eyes, and why was his wolf pacing and snarling at him to go after her and make shit right?
***
Emma plodded down the stairs of her cabin and made a beeline for the hill. She heard the door open and close and wasn’t surprised. She knew they didn’t want her leaving the cabin unescorted. Too bad.
“Hey, Emma! Wait up.”
It had to be Bay chasing after her because she’d watched Udara’s eyes flutter closed with unconsciousness after she’d healed Emma a second time.
Emma didn’t slow. If anything, she hiked faster. Bay still caught up. Emma felt the shifter’s eyes on her and she clenched her teeth to keep her emotions in check. Hayes’ words had hurt, but she’d be God damned if she was going to start bawling over some jerk who’d made it known from second one that he didn’t care about her.
She and Bay walked beside each other in a companionable silence until the hillside came into view.
“Shit,” Bay breathed looking up and seeing the two crosses. “Look, Hayes didn’t mean what he said.”
“Of course he did. It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. It was wicked fucking rude and way outta line. It’s just he’s got this thing against humans and he’s been that way forever and…”
“I get it,” Emma bit out. “You don’t owe me any apology or explanation and neither does he. Look, I hate grasshoppers. I’m not gonna apologize to ‘em for it. It’s just the way it is.”
“Don’t do that!” Bay gritted out angrily. “Don’t compare yourself to an insect! You’re a person, Emma. A person who’s been through a ton of shit in the past few days and the last thing you need is some bad Beta making you feel like crap about his issues over something you can’t control.”
Bay was right, but Emma wouldn’t agree out loud. Instead she shrugged. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Stand up to him! Tell him to fuck off!”
“I don’t have the energy for that right now.” She motioned toward the two crosses at the bottom of the hill. “I’ve got bigger problems than a Beta with prejudice.”
“I know,” she spoke softly. “And I’m sorry. If anything you’re the one who has the right to hate us. I mean, shifters are the ones who did this to you, shifters took your dog and your livestock.”
“I don’t hate you,” Emma looked at her so she could read the sincerity in her eyes. “I don’t hate anyone. Well…except the jerk who bit me and…” she looked at the crosses.
“I’m sorry all the same, Emma. You didn’t ask for any of this and now your life is all upside down. Hayes’ isn’t helping by making you feel inferior or whatever it is you’re feeling. I just want you to know that we don’t all feel that way. Something happened to Hayes to make him so…so…jaded. He’ll come around.”
“He doesn’t have to.” Emma wrapped her arms around herself and stared down at the crosses. “I doubt I’ll last long enough to get a chance to change his opinion.”
“Don’t do that,” Bay snapped. “They’re not going to get you, Emma. We won’t let that happen.”
“Why?” Emma spun on her, staring up at the slightly taller shifter. “Why would your pack help me? None of you owe me anything.”
Shrugging, Bay looked a little sheepish.
“What?”
“Well,” Bay began. “Jaxon isn’t certain the vampires are actually here for you or your land. He thinks it’s some ruse to get closer to our pack. Vamps and wolf shifters don’t co-habitat. Ever! They can’t claim your land, not when it’s so close to ours without expecting a war. They know we’re there,” she turned to look toward where they’re compound was settled on the opposite side of the valley before dragging her gaze back to Emma. “Look, I wasn’t supposed to say anything, not until Jaxon is sure what’s going on, but you deserve to know.” She grabbed Emma’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re not alone in this Emma. We aren’t going to let anything happen to you, okay?”
Emma didn’t respond until Bay squeezed her hands again. “Okay,” she relented.
Bay’s head jerked toward the cabin and she lifted her chin sniffing the air. She murmured, “Come on, I’ll walk you back. The pack’s heading home.” Releasing Emma’s hands, she took a few steps then turned back, “You coming?”
Emma knew it wasn’t a question so much as it was a ‘follow me back so I can leave’. So she did. Part of her was glad Jaxon and his pack had taken her words about them leaving to heart. Another part, a bigger part, was terrified of being left alone.
Chapter 11
In the yard in front of the cabin, Bay waved her good-bye and left Emma standing alone on her porch. The pack must have already gone because Bay ran and Emma could only imagine that it was to catch up.
Emma eyed the empty clearing. It was a scary feeling having a house full of shifters and then suddenly being alone. It was a different kind of alone than she was used to because where before she had Ruby and her livestock, now it was just her. The thought send a chill skittering down her spine. She hurried into her cabin and felt a little deflated that it was in fact empty. Turning, she bolted the door and then checked to make sure all the windows were latched. She grabbed her shotgun from where she kept it over the fireplace and loaded it before setting it on the kitchen table. She kept a small twenty-two in her night stand and decided she’d better load that and get it out as well.
Turning toward her room, her heart seized and then stuttered back to life when Hayes stepped out of her room, his hair all disheveled like he’d been fisting it with his hands.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” she breathed a both confused and relieved sound.
When he looked up at her, the typical anger in his eyes was absent. “Emma, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry for things you hate, Hayes. It’s just who you are. I get that.”
“I don’t hate you.”
She huffed a breath, her surprise evaporating as she walked past him, her body brushing against his as she made her way into her room. “That’s not what you said to Jaxon.”
“I never said I hated you.”
“You said you hate humans. You hate everything about us. You hate our smell, our weakness, our putrid…” she let the recitation die off. “I’m human, Hayes. So those things you said, they were about me.” She dug through her night stand and pulled out her pistol then stopped to sniff at her shirt. “What does that even mean anyway, you hate our smell? What do I smell like? Sweat? Stink?”
Honey! To him she smelled like honey and cinnamon and those were two of his favorite scents in the world. “No, Em. You don’t stink.”
“Good.” She clicked the full clip into her pistol and set it on the night stand after making sure the safety was engaged. Turning to him she planted her hands on her hips then stared at him expectantly. “Well?”
Dark brows speared down. “Well what?”
“Well, you apologized. Now go!”
His eyes rounded in incredulity as he growled, “I’m not leaving you here alone!”
“Well, you’re not staying, so…”
God it drove him nuts when she did that. She was always saying “So,” and leaving it open ended like he was a moron who she was helping figure something out. “I’m staying, Emma!”
“Why?” her eyes pinched tight as she frowned. “You hate humans. If he comes back and devours me it’s one less of us disease infested smelly fucks for you to deal with right?”
She’d turned her back but he could tell by how brittle her tone had gotten that she was close to tears, and again, it was his fault.
“Goddamn i
t, Em! It’s just… I’m fucked up okay? It’s not humans, it’s me! I have issues, and it’s got nothing to do with you all! I’m just…fucked!”
She peeked over her shoulder at him and waited.
“Look, I’m not going into it with you, I just wanted to apologize for that shit I said. I didn’t mean it. I mean I did.” He rushed to add, “But not about you.”
“Fine,” she clipped out. “Apology accepted.” But her tone didn’t sound like she was accepting anything. She turned her back on Hayes, attempting to dismiss him as she rechecked her pistol. “Tell Jaxon and Udara thanks for everything.”
He made an exasperated sound. “I’m still not leaving, Emma!”
“Fine,” she clipped. “Do what you like.”
And that was the other thing she was always saying that drove him nuts. Because if he was going to “do what he liked”, it didn’t involve standing here feeling admonished. It included putting his teeth over that mark on her neck and biting down as he drove into her. “Shhhhit!”
“What?” she turned questioning eyes on his sudden outburst.
“Nothing. Wolf shit. Wouldn’t interest you.” He clapped his hands together. “So what’s the plan for today?”
She lifted a sardonic brow. “Well, I’m going into town. I need more ammo, milk, and a few other supplies.” She waved to the cabin. “You’re welcome to stay.”
She tucked the pistol into the waistband of her pants and attempted to leave the room, but Hayes blocked her path, thick arms crossing over his chest as he scowled down at her.
“You know this bossy woman act doesn’t work with me, right?”
Her pink lips pursed out a moment before she crossed her arms over her chest, mocking him. “You do know this bad Beta act doesn’t work on me, right?”
And there they stood frowning at each other for long minutes before Hayes heaved a frustrated breath. “Well, I’m driving!”
Emma snorted, uncrossing her arms to shove past him. “You wish, sucker. My truck, my rules!”