by Marilu Mann
He moved uncomfortably under that blue gaze. Happily married females terrified him. They always thought he’d be better off mated too. He wondered if his brother was. Did he have nieces or nephews? Again he shoved that away.
What the hell was his problem? He hadn’t thought of his family or former Packs for a while. And for damn sure they weren’t thinking about him. He’d been on his own until becoming part of this Pack and he was okay with that.
“Gareth, look at you. You’re a natural with Koda. You were with Talia too. You need young of your own. You need a mate. Micah told me…”
She held up a hand when he snarled involuntarily. “Hush. I know. He told me more about your reason for not being around women. Not all women are bitches, Gareth. I mean, you don’t think I’m a bitch do you?”
He had to laugh. She had turned her head to one side to cut huge doe eyes at him. “Stop that. You know I can’t resist the power of the Olivia gaze.”
Sighing, he carefully laid the boy on the rug again. Leaning back, he let the warmth of the fire soothe him for a moment. He just needed to gather his thoughts.
“It’s not that I don’t want a mate. I do. I mean, I look at you and Micah. You are so right for each other. But Olivia, I’m damaged goods. Look at me.”
She snarled at him. Actually freaking snarled at him. He instinctively bared his throat, turning his head to the side and looking down. She sighed.
“Sorry. That’s becoming a habit. Hormones.” She shrugged as she laughed a bit. “Micah told me I nearly made him go belly up the other night. What I’m saying is you aren’t damaged goods. You think you are but your scarring isn’t that bad once someone knows you. Yeah, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It is tough to see at first. Especially when you hide it the way you do. It’s a shock then.”
She surprised him by moving to sit beside him on the floor. He leaned into her. That was one thing she and Micah never denied him—the comfort of Pack. She stroked his hair once.
“We just want you to be completely happy, Gareth. It’s hard knowing you aren’t. That’s all. Just think about it?”
She moved to her feet as the front door burst open. Talia danced with impatience. “Are you done? I wanted to see if I could check on Nala. Has she had her puppies yet?”
After settling Koda back into the sling and giving Gareth a kiss on the cheek Olivia took her stepdaughter by the hand. “Let’s go see. Remember, your father and I haven’t decided if the puppy will stay here or at the lodge.”
That set off a litany of reasons why the puppy should stay with her—in her bed even. He grinned as she listed various heroic dogs from fiction as reasons her puppy should be with her. He agreed that she needed the dog near. He knew, with her gifts of empathy and special senses, that Talia would always need a pet of some sort to help ground her. He hadn’t really mentioned that to Micah or Olivia though.
Talia reminded him a lot of his sister and his niece. They’d been strong empaths too. Yet another reason it made no sense to him that his sister hadn’t left her abusive husband before he’d had a chance to kill her and their kids. Some things just didn’t make any fucking sense.
When the threesome left he felt just a bit of warmth leave with them. Now he missed being around others. It hadn’t been that way before. When Micah was mostly gone and working as a bounty hunter Gareth hadn’t missed him so much. That was when Gareth had been running with the wild wolves. In Pack situations that was taboo. Since he wasn’t doing that anymore he supposed he’d gotten used to being alone except for formal Pack Gatherings.
He skipped a majority of the informal Gatherings even though he should attend. But as long as one of the seconds attended, it was all good. Gareth’s preferences were well-known in the Pack council. His scarred face still made him unwelcome to many.
Micah had pushed for him to attend more often but Gareth only went to the formal ones Micah oversaw if he could help it. He knew it seemed cowardly but he really got tired of delivering repeated beatdowns to some of the hardheaded males. Micah had seen reason only after Gareth had snapped the foreleg of one of his attackers.
Shaking his head at the memory, Gareth reminded himself that he’d been tired that night. He hadn’t maintained his temper. That particular male hadn’t come back after him though. He felt a slightly guilty satisfaction. Of course not all hated him. Some had tried to befriend him but it was hard to go against the desires of an entire Pack. Now, however, he was expected to be at the formal Gatherings in his capacity as second and because of his loyalty to Micah.
He glanced around his place, taking in how sparse it was for creature comfort. Didn’t even really qualify as a bachelor pad. Checking his fridge, he realized he needed to make a run into town. Might as well stop by the Fox place to see what he’d signed up for. She hadn’t called but he knew the furnace, and probably a few other things, needed work. Mentally kicking himself for not checking on them sooner, he headed out to the truck with his toolbox in hand.
Harmony glanced around the living room. In the week since they’d moved in she hadn’t really stopped trying to settle them both in. She’d only just finished unpacking after the movers had delivered all the stuff she’d had in storage. While the cabin certainly wasn’t large it was bigger than their last apartment where she and Rain had to share a bedroom. At least this one had two functional bedrooms complete with beds. Smiling, she looked at Rain. The teenager had changed her mind about which room she wanted…again.
“You got to choose your room first.” She looked at her daughter again. “You okay? I know this isn’t what you wanted. But you picked that one so, no, I won’t swap with you now. Aunt Willow certainly wasn’t lying about gathering up a few things for us.”
“Yeah. It’s okay. I know it’s because Dad was an asshole again. I just…I just wish it were closer to my friends. I don’t know anyone here.” Rain leaned against the doorjamb. “I like that quilt. The green one with all the leaves on it. I can keep that room. It just gets cold sometimes.”
Harmony watched Rain turn away. Whoever said war was hell hadn’t tried to raise a teenage daughter alone. She felt a bit helpless. What were the right words to say? Sighing, she moved into the hallway to collapse the last of the cardboard boxes. At least that had gone well. She’d really wanted the bedroom farthest back with its quiet serenity enhanced by a beautiful blue quilt that featured a series of interlocking rings.
She knew it was the wedding ring pattern. Guess Aunt Willow hadn’t given up on her finding a true mate. What her aunt seemed to forget was that no shifter wanted a mate he couldn’t run with.
She desperately needed a nap. Coming back had been harder than she’d expected. Hearing that there had been a Full Moon Gathering the same night they’d arrived had been hardest of all. Stupid really, because she should have remembered the Pack always came together once a month.
The normal pull of the Moon Call affected her. She couldn’t Change but it still tugged at her. She supposed it was all the shifter energy that had made this last full moon so hard. She could have sworn her bones were popping under her skin that night. Hearing the howls of the Pack had made that night worse. It had taken all of her control not to fall to the floor screaming from the itching, crawling sensations on her skin. Sighing, she forced her thoughts away from that time. She just wanted a quick thirty minute nap. Before she could stretch out she caught the sound of an engine coming toward the house.
Grumbling softly, Harmony moved to the front door. When she recognized the truck paused at the top of the drive she stepped out to wave the driver in. Her belly did a slow roll. She was surprisingly pleased to see Gareth. Chiding herself, she tamped down on her hormones. His piney scent reached her as he got out of the truck. It made her happier than she supposed it should.
“Hey. Come on in. We’re just moving bags and boxes out of rooms. Finally got most of them unpacked. Please, no comments about what not-so-speedy unpackers we are. Did you want to take a look around to see what needs fixing? I kn
ow Rain said her room gets cold.” She went for what she hoped was a casual, breezy tone though she felt as if she was babbling.
“Yeah, hope it’s okay. I was on my way into town anyway so thought I’d stop by here first, in case I need to pick up anything at the hardware store or something.”
She wondered why he didn’t look at her. God, was she that abhorrent to him? She took a deep breath. That didn’t mean she couldn’t be hospitable.
“No, that’s great. Come on in. Aunt Willow sent over some homemade soup, do you want to join us for lunch? She sent over more than we’ll ever eat alone.”
When he did glance at her it was as if she had three heads. She bit her lip, hoping he didn’t think she was coming on to him. “You don’t have to if you’re not hungry, I just thought…”
“No. Thanks. I appreciate it and I’m always up for a bowl of Willow’s soup.”
“Good, that’s good then.” She led the way into the cabin and through it to the small but ruthlessly cleaned kitchen. He followed, not close enough to make her nervous but close enough that she could smell him. His scent of fresh-cut pine wasn’t overwhelming like some caustic cleaner, but…clean, comforting, and home.
She ladled soup into three bowls, the peppery aroma of beef broth, vegetables and meat rising up into the warmth of the kitchen. She added some of the homemade fry bread she and Rain had made after breakfast. It was a skill she thought she’d lost but the recipe somehow stayed in her brain. “Rain? Lunch.”
She didn’t have to raise her voice by much to have it reach to the closer bedroom. She knew Rain had to have heard Gareth come into the house. She looked up as her daughter came into the room, her curiosity evident on her young face.
“Hey.”
“Hey, Rain.”
At least her daughter had some manners, she hadn’t ignored their guest.
“Honey, you remember Gareth from last week, right?”
“Yes, Mom.” Sarcasm. The teenager’s best friend and constant companion. That along with the eye roll that followed was almost too predictable. Setting a pitcher of water on the table, Harmony took her own seat.
“Well, eat up, everyone.” They all dug into the soup. After the first few mouthfuls she looked up at Gareth. His hair swung forward again, hiding the side of his face from her, and she marveled at the different colors that played in the strands. From pale brown to almost white with a slight wave, it was beautiful. When he glanced up she realized she sat there with her spoon halfway to her mouth. Clearing her throat, she set her utensil down to pick up her water.
“So, how long have you lived here, Gareth?” Better. Much more breezy. She forced herself to stay calm.
“Nearly seven years.” His answer seemed abrupt but she didn’t let that stop her.
“And you work at the lodge? For Micah, right?”
“Yes, Micah owns Wild Haven Lodge.” He glanced at her curiously. She gave a nearly imperceptible shake of her head as she slid her eyes toward Rain. She heard the unspoken “and is Alpha of the local Pack,” but didn’t want to have that conversation with Rain right now. It was going to be hard enough without tossing a stranger in the mix.
“So, what exactly do you do there?” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just that I’ve been away for such a long time and I’m trying to catch up.”
“A little of this, a little of that. Something breaks, I fix it. I also take care of the dogs.” He leaned back a bit.
“Dogs?” Rain spoke again for the first time. Harmony noticed she was sopping up the remains of her bowl of soup with a second piece of fry bread.
He nodded as he turned his face slightly toward Rain. “Sled dogs, not pets.”
“What about horses? Are there horses there?” The teen snagged another piece of bread.
“No, but there are plenty of those on the res. Your great-uncle has some that are specially trained.”
Rain paused with the bread halfway to her mouth. “Trained? Trained to do what?”
“Uh, let people who aren’t really good riders on their backs.” He stammered slightly then shot a glance at Harmony. She was well-aware that her uncle had horses who were trained not to shy away from the smell of wolf but she appreciated his attempt at tact.
“I should probably take a look at your furnace. The fireplace would keep the living room and front bedroom pretty warm if the furnace went out but that back bedroom would be a walk-in freezer without the central heat.” He got to his feet, carrying his bowl to the sink before taking off his wool shirt. She felt her eyes widen at the sight of his muscular arms and the tattoo that the sleeve of his t-shirt didn’t cover.
“Wow! Awesome art!” Rain perked right up. She’d been begging for a tattoo since she’d turned fifteen and Harmony had been holding out for her to turn eighteen. Fortunately in most states the law was on her side too. Still, she had to agree with her daughter about Gareth’s tattoo.
He looked at his arm as though he’d completely forgotten about the ink. He pushed his sleeve up so they could see the whole thing. “I’ve had it a long time.”
The artwork covered his entire upper right arm from shoulder almost to his elbow. Two wolves, white fur tinged with silver, shared electric-blue eyes, the same color as his eye. They faced in opposite directions, both with their mouths open as though scenting the air or laughing. A full moon shown behind their heads. She didn’t miss the symbolism. No one who knew anything about shifters could miss that. She wondered if his wolf was white rather than the gray and black wolves she was more used to.
“That’s so cool. I want a tattoo but Mom says I have to wait until I’m eighteen.” Another eye roll but at least the sulkiness had left her voice.
“Waiting isn’t such a bad idea. If I’d waited, I wouldn’t have this one.” With that, he turned away and pulled a pair of coveralls out of the toolkit he’d brought in with him.
“Why? It’s a cool design. Would you have gotten something different? How old were you when you got yours?” Harmony heard her daughter’s excitement in the rapid-fire questions.
“Probably, but then again, maybe not. This one was for me and my brother. And we were sixteen. Our uncle was a tattoo artist and this was a birthday gift.”
“Does he have one too? Your brother?” Rain’s head cocked to one side. Harmony suspected she was wondering what it might be like to have a brother.
“Yes, same one but on his left arm. Twins tend to do that kind of thing if they’re into tattoos.”
Harmony could hear the pain in his voice. He so obviously didn’t want to continue this conversation. But she wasn’t sure Rain could detect it. Looking for a way to change the subject, she turned to her daughter.
“You know, Rain, there are a lot of other things you can do to express yourself without permanently marking your body.”
“Mom, not that again, please!” Rain got to her feet, picking up her bowl and carrying it to the sink. She grabbed another piece of fry bread off the stove, tearing it in half savagely, before turning back to her mother. “You’ve already told me I can do what I want with my hair, dress however I want as long as it’s within the school dress code, listen to whatever music I want and blah, blah, blah. It’s not the same. I want a tattoo and as soon as I’m eighteen I’m getting one.”
Gareth gave her a smile as he made his escape toward the back of the house. Harmony felt heat pool in her belly from that man’s grin. Ignoring it, she listened instead to her daughter huff in exasperation.
Well, she’d succeeded in turning attention away from their guest but she didn’t have the energy to have this fight with Rain again. “You raise the money, you can get one when you’re eighteen. But,” she raised a finger at the hopeful lift of her daughter’s head.
“But, I have conditions. You have to find an after-school job to earn the money and the job can’t interfere with your classes in any way. I want your grade point average to be a lot higher than it was last year. If you want to go to college you�
��re going to have to do better in school.”
“Really? You’ll let me get a job? Cool.” Rain pumped her fist in the air.
As usual the girl had heard only what she wanted to hear. Harmony indulged in an eye roll of her own. They wrestled the discussion between them for another fifteen minutes. Harmony gave her daughter credit. The teen could be relentless when she was arguing her point. Just as Rain’s voice was canting into the whine she’d avoided earlier, Harmony sighed.
“Micah sometimes hires high school kids as housekeepers at the lodge. He pays well but you’ll earn it. He insists the rooms be spotless.” Harmony nearly jumped at Gareth’s voice. She hadn’t realized he had moved back to the kitchen. He shrugged when Harmony glanced at him. “It’s a decent job, the hours wouldn’t interfere with her schooling or homework and she’ll definitely earn whatever he pays her.”
“Thanks, Gareth! That rocks. I can definitely do that.” Rain shot her mother a defiant look.
“Really? Do we have to talk about how clean you keep your own room?” She almost laughed then saw the stubborn set of her daughter’s jaw. Yes, this was definitely her child.
Harmony had to be impressed when Rain managed to keep the whine out of her response. “That’s not the same, Mom. I can clean up after other people!”
“I’ll talk to Micah about it when I go to the lodge. You’re staying with Aunt Willow while I do. Don’t forget.” She glanced at the clock. “Speaking of that, Gareth, I’m sorry but we have to go get ready. Is there anything you need to do with the furnace?”
“No, it looks pretty good. I opened the vent in Rain’s room more. That was probably all that was keeping the heat out. I think you’ll be okay but I’ll leave my number in case anything goes wrong with it.”
He paused then said, “I am going into town. Did you need me to pick up anything for you there or do you need a ride to the lodge tonight?”
“No, Pete had my car delivered a few days ago after getting me a complete tune-up and five new tires, so we’ll be fine. Rain, go find my purse.” Shooing her daughter with one hand, she watched as he peeled off the coveralls and rolled them up into a ball. He shrugged back into his wool shirt and picked up his bag.