by Olivia Gayle
“Here we go again.” Nearby a stunned Abby, Meredith just sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against the wood railing. “Wonder if he realizes, or even cares, how few of his clothes I still have.”
Abby couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. For the second time in what felt like only a day, the world spun, then faded as her body hit the rocky Arctic soil beside the cabin.
Chapter 6
“Soiree? Where did you even learn French anyway?”
Damon snagged another steak. “What’s French?”
Meredith grumbled under her breath, either forgetting or not caring that everyone in the room could still hear what she was saying. Logan, however, didn’t care in the slightest. He just stared at the other shifter as the man dug into his fourth venison steak.
“Okay, so maybe I should have mentioned he comes around sometimes.” The vegetables Meredith was chopping seemed to be getting the brunt of her frustration. “He showed up not long after you left the last time, I think drawn to the scent of another shifter. To be honest though, I didn’t think it was relevant, and had it low on my list of conversation topics. You know, after our eventual discussion about why you’ve been away for more than a decade.”
Logan winced at the last loud chop but didn’t look to see if the older woman had cut through the thick block of wood she used as a cutting board. He kept his eyes on Damon, who seemed perfectly at ease being the center of attention, grabbing yet another bloody steak and dragging it onto his plate.
“Hey! I need some of that to last me, dumbass.”
There was a small thump in the tiny bedroom and Logan ignored the bickering, tuning in with all his senses to his mate’s movements. He was reasonably sure she wouldn’t try to escape through the window; there was nowhere to run, and they’d done nothing to make her mistrust them.
Well, maybe the Shifting thing. Logan would have preferred to ease her into that.
“I’ll bring you another one,” Damon said between bites. “Chill out.”
“Chill…?” Meredith put her hands on her hips. “When I first met you twelve years ago, you could barely string two words together. Now I can’t get you to shut up.”
Damon shrugged, giving her a smug grin. “You’re not the only human in my territory. I’m sociable, what can I say?”
Logan pulled his gaze away from the door to study the two others in the room. Meredith smelled of annoyance and confusion, sentiments which Logan shared. “Where did you learn to speak?”
“Look at that. He talks.” Damon eyed Logan’s half-eaten steak. “You going to finish that?”
Logan didn’t answer except to cross his arms and stare. After a moment, Damon’s lips tightened and he looked down. “What,” he muttered, “a wolf can’t socialize with humans?”
“Not a mowgli.” Logan pinned the werewolf with his gaze. “You don’t understand humans enough to interact without arousing suspicion.”
“Have you met people around these parts? Anyone ‘strange’ fits in well with the human population.” He looked between Meredith and Logan, then slowly rose to his feet in what might have been a provoking gesture to Logan’s bear if he hadn’t kept his shoulders hunched. “So I was born to wolves, that doesn’t make me any different than you.” Damon’s eyes met Logan’s. “I watched them for years, learned their habits, before I ever ventured in. I wore clothes, stayed on two legs, learned to understand words. For years, I stayed silent with them, practicing words with myself and then with people within my territory.”
“Our law dictates…”
A low growl no human could make rolled out of Damon’s throat. “I broke none of your laws,” he spat, taking a threatening step toward Logan. “I understood them, agreed with and abided by them. Smell the truth on me if you must: I never broke with your laws.”
Logan didn’t move, but an answering rumble grew in his chest. Fur rippled along his arms, his body bulging and growing. “Were I still an enforcer…”
“But you’re not anymore.” This came from Meredith behind him. “You gave that up to live up here in the frozen wastes like the rest of us.”
It wasn’t the woman’s words, but the small gasp from the other corner of the small cabin, that broke Logan’s attention from the wolf. His mate was standing in the doorway to the bedroom, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. Fear and confusion emanated from her in waves, and Logan knew if he took a step toward her she’d bolt like a deer.
“Okay, that’s it. All the testosterone, out of the building.”
Meredith’s words broke the tension. His mate looked away, and Logan felt a wrenching pain in his heart. “I…”
“No no, that order most especially includes you, boyo.” The older woman grabbed a small blue bag from off the counter and tossed it to him. Logan caught it automatically, then stared at it in confusion.
“That’s got razors and soap, everything a human man needs to make himself presentable to polite society. Now get out, shoo, and quit stinking up my house.”
Still Logan didn’t move, looking between the small pack in his hands, his mate, and the woman whose house he helped to build. Beneath the wrinkles that hadn’t been there when last he saw the woman, her jaw was set in stone, and even ten years hadn’t made him forget the steel she had in her spine. Her next move would be to grab the shotgun hanging above the kitchen sink, and he knew from personal experience she wouldn’t hesitate to use it on any of them.
He almost smiled at that memory. Almost.
Until he looked at his mate and saw the fear there. Then any ounce of humor he might have had fled.
“Let’s go,” he said, voice gruff, as he headed to the door. Damon followed behind, quiet now, as they left the two women alone in the small shack.
* * *
Abby was standing at the window, watching the two walk away. Logan didn’t change into a bear, just marched himself into the forest and soon disappeared from her gaze. Damon however immediately shifted into his black wolf and darted in a different direction, leaving the pile of clothes behind him.
Her heart skipped a beat just watching it again. Was she ever going to get used to that?
“This is really real, isn’t it?”
Behind Abby, the other woman harrumphed a laugh. “I’ve had acid trips less freaky than this, but I understand the confusion.”
The non-sequitur drew Abby from her thoughts. She looked at the older woman, than looked away, wincing. “I’m sorry for calling you crazy.”
“Bah, I’ve been called worse.” Meredith tilted her head towards the kitchen. “I’ve got some steaks left if your hungry. I hope you’re not one of those vegetarians, we’re fairly lean on resources up here and for now, meat’s it.”
Abby tried to smile, even got her lips to twitch, but couldn’t quite get it right. She sat down on the couch, staring at the far wall. “I’m not all that hungry, but thanks.”
Meredith just grunted, but didn’t say anything more. Abby heard her bustling around in the kitchen for a bit, then the other woman came back into the small living room and took a seat across from her guest. She opened her mouth to speak, then paused before finally asking in a soft voice, “What’s it like?”
A surprised laugh bubbled out of Abby. “I can smell everything, hear everything. Even touching things is different, as though I can feel more with my skin too.” She looked again at Meredith. “What am I?”
Meredith snorted. "Everything I know about their society could fit on a half sheet of paper, so I got no specifics. But those two are the only Shifters I know, so I can only tell you about them.”
“I’ll take anything you’ve got.”
The older woman eyed Abby for a moment, then shrugged. “Your boy Logan showed up here maybe fifteen years ago. I was out hunting and found huge bear tracks near my cabin. A bear that big will go after cattle and horses if it’s hungry enough so I kept a weather eye out for anything else. Always had a big gun on me when I went out in case our paths crossed.”
“
How did you meet?”
Meredith’s mouth turned up in a wry grin. “It actually took a while. Your boy is good at hiding and laying low when he wants to be.”
Abby shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “He’s not…”
Mine.
The possessive rush that went through Abby’s body was startling. She glanced again at the window, then away, frowning. It felt weird analyzing those feelings, so she focused on the other woman’s story.
“He probably lived in my area for a year and a half before I even glimpsed him.” Meredith grabbed a bag of jerky and sat down on a nearby stool. Her eyes had a faraway look, and a tiny smile played out over her features. “Even when I went hunting him a couple times, he was damned good at making himself scarce, and I’m more than a decent tracker. But sometimes I can be too focused for my own good.
“It was on one of these hunts that I ran into a hungry grizzly bear. I startled it while on horseback; my old mare Dixie spooked and threw me before bolting. I had my gun strapped to the saddle, and only my .45 pistol on me. Running wasn’t an option, and the pistol had come out of my holster when I’d hit the ground. The bear charged me while I was looking for it, and I knew I was a goner. Then your boy shows up.”
Abby leaned forward, enthralled by the story, as Meredith continued. “That bear form of his must weigh close to a ton, and he just smacks right into that poor grizzly bear like a freight train. Knocked them both down a ravine into some brush and the fight’s on. I’m not keen on being the prize to this fight though so I get my gun and hightail it out of there following the direction Dixie had gone. Can’t find my blasted horse that’s got all my supplies, and of course it starts getting dark and cold.
“All I’ve got is the pack on my back with some food, a tarp, and a thin down sleeping bag. I didn’t feel like making camp with that bear still out there, but started setting it up anyway.” She laughed. “Then, wouldn’t you know, it starts raining. I can’t get a proper fire going, I’m freezing my ass off, and of course that’s when your boy shows up again. Nearly scared the piss outta me, no joke, when that big furry head of his appears in the low light. Probably would have shot him if I’d had my gun in my hand.”
“What did he do?”
“Nothing.” Meredith huffed a laugh. “Stands just inside the light, staring at me the whole time. I get my .45 aimed at his head, but he’s so freaking big I’m afraid that’ll just piss him off. He just stays there for a minute or two, then begins shuffling his feet and gesturing with his paw. I don’t know what the hell he’s doing - bears don’t usually try communicating, you know - so I don’t let off with my aim. He’s getting frustrated, I’m getting more nervous, and I can just feel the cold seeping in. So I start talking, tell him to go away, because there’s no way I’m trusting any bear out in these parts not to eat me.
“About the time that gun’s getting too heavy for me to hold upright any longer, he gives a great huff and Shifts down into a human man. A very naked human male.”
Abby sucked in a breath. “How’d you react?”
Meredith grinned suddenly. “I shot him.”
“What?”
The older woman just gave a deep laugh. “Barely grazed him, but my first reaction was to pull that trigger. Then…” She angled a glance at Abby. “Let’s just say you’re not the first one to faint at the sight of these boys changing.”
No doubt. “And you guys have been friends since then?”
“Not sure ‘friends’ would sum things up.” Meredith look down at the floor. “He stayed here for over four years helping me out around the homestead. There was always meat in the chill box, mended fences and a strong back to fix anything else that might need it. Dixie never took to him, but the other animals didn’t mind his presence. Sometimes he went on long walkabouts, but always came back, probably because I didn’t ask too many questions about his past. Most folks up this way are running from something, and it ain’t polite to dig too deep.” She glanced at Abby. “And since I know you’d never ask, yes there were some bedroom sports in that time.”
That possessiveness reared its ugly head again. Abby looked down at her hands, startled to see her nails had made half-moon indentations to her palm from clenching her fists. “That’s nice,” she managed, swallowing back the angry protests that he’s mine, he’s mine bitch.
Some of her real thoughts must have shown on her face because Meredith laughed. Abby flushed, looking away as the other lady stood back up and headed back into the tiny kitchen area. For her own peace of mind, Abby decided to change the subject. “Why was he up here? What are his people like?”
Meredith lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “All I know is that Logan himself was pressured to do some things that almost broke him, and made him come all the way up here to get away."
“What happened to him?”
The other woman blew out a breath. “Haven't you been listening at all? I don't know. Your mate and I never had that kind of relationship.” She threw several pots into the old ceramic sink, the sound clanging around the tiny kitchen. Abby winced at the sound but kept her mouth shut, taking the wet dish and toweling it off silently.
After a moment of frenetic washing however, Meredith sighed, leaning against the edge of the countertop and staring out the window. “For a few years,” she said in a soft voice, “I was content with the relationship we had. Then, about four years in, I started wanting more.” Her short laugh lacked humor. “I made the mistake one night of saying I loved him. To be fair, I’d had a bit to drink, and the things that man can do…” She trailed off, peering out the window. “The next morning I discovered he’d gone again, only this time he’d left behind everything. Including me, it seemed.”
“I’m sorry,” Abby murmured, but Meredith just snorted.
“Bah. You probably weren’t even out of grade school yet.” Meredith gave her a frown, then heaved a sigh. “I came up here to get away from the drama love incites. Despite how rough this is, I like my life and this place I’ve carved out. Anyway, look at me now: old and grey compared to him, clinging to this frozen piece of land and his clothes as if…” She trailed off. “Maybe he did me a favor.”
There was nothing Abby could say to the pain in that statement. Any show of sympathy would be construed as pity and, while Abby couldn't claim to know the older woman well, she was pretty sure she could guess Meredith's reaction. So she stayed silent, staring outside the window, hoping that by the time the man everyone called her mate came back, she’d have things figured out.
Chapter 7
“I need to find my bike.”
The sun was starting to set on the horizon, the sky turning more orange, but Abby knew better. She’d been this far north to realize that day and night weren’t like they were down at home. This particular sunset would last hours, and she was tired of waiting.
“Oh, by all means, please go.”
Abby tilted a narrow look at Meredith but the older woman was too busy unloading the trailer full of wood they’d chopped that afternoon. They’d settled into a work relationship for a while, but it was fairly obvious that the northern woman didn’t like Abby. She wasn’t sure whether it was because Meredith preferred to be alone or just had a bone to pick over Logan, but Abby didn’t care. She started toward the small road leading away from the cabin, stopped, then groaned and turned back around. “Look, I know you don’t like me…”
“It’s not that I don’t like you.” Meredith threw the last piece of wood onto the pile and sighed. “I’m not used to having people here. My life is simple, and I liked it that way. And Logan…” She pursed her lips, looking away. “He made it clear that he was never mine, but it’s hard seeing…”
She trailed off, her eyes going wide at something behind Abby. Whirling around, Abby saw a stranger standing at the top of the drive, watching them curiously.
No, not a stranger. The smell was familiar, but this was not the man who’d left the cabin hours earlier. This man was…
Mine.
“Damn. Okay, maybe I hate you a tiny bit that you get that.”
Meredith’s words barely penetrated Abby’s brain as she stared at the man coming towards them. He walked like Logan, smelled (that sense still startled her, but she couldn’t deny it) like Logan, but this man was, was…
Damn.
He was carrying his shirt over one shoulder, which looked to be newly washed. The tattoo on his arm mesmerized her, as did the sculpted chest and shoulders she couldn’t take her eyes off. But it was his face… Gone was the lumberjack beard and the shaggy hair that made him look like a mountain man.
She didn’t even realize she’d been unconsciously moving forward until she had to crane her head up to look at him. He stared down at her placidly, his face not betraying any emotion, but a heady scent rose off his body. It did things to Abby’s insides, making them alternately clench and go all wet in…
“Oh, please tell me you won’t start fornicating in my front yard.”
Abby whirled around at Meredith’s words with a snarl, but that died when she heard the low chuckle from the man behind her. “We’ll be out of sight if anything happens.”
Meredith harrumphed. “Good. Now I’ve got work to do, if you could take your little,” she waved a hand feebly toward Logan, still not taking her eyes off his body, “show somewhere else, I’d appreciate it.”
Inexplicably, Abby wanted to tear the older woman a new one for daring to even look at what was hers. She took a step back toward the cabin, only to have a hand on her shoulder stop her movement. That touch seemed to startle some sense into her fogged brain, and only then did she realize what she’d been thinking about doing to the woman.
Abby felt sick.
“You want to see where I found you?” Logan’s voice was soft, the hand on her shoulder gentle.
She turned stricken eyes up to Logan. “I wanted to kill her,” she whispered, still appalled at the thoughts going through her head, but Logan shook his head and nudged her gently with one elbow.