“You’re going to tell Audrey where to find me and there’s a lot of sharp machinery in your shop that she could use to dismember my body. She might decide that’s a better idea.” Seth crossed his arms over his chest. “Your phone call…your shop…that makes you responsible.”
“You’re the one who skipped school. That means you’re responsible, not me. You played, now you have to pay the piper.” Forrest shook his head as he grinned.
Seth frowned. “What the heck does that mean? Pay the piper? Why would I want to pay the piper?”
“Really? You don’t know what that means?” A surprised look spread across Forrest’s face.
Seth shook his head.
Forrest rolled his eyes. “What are they teaching in schools these days?”
“No clue.” Seth shrugged his shoulders. “I try not to pay much attention.”
“Let me guess. Your report cards are another problem, aren’t they?” Forrest felt like throwing his hands into the air. Maybe he should give his Aunt Audrey a medal for putting up with the kid.
Seth’s face slowly turned red. “It’s not my fault the stuff they teach is boring. If they taught things I was interested in, I would make better grades.”
Forrest just shook his head. He remembered a time when he thought school was boring too. Maybe it was just a kid thing.
Seth looked away. He kicked a couple of rocks that happened to be in front of him. “I’m afraid Audrey won’t understand what’s happening to me.” He looked at Forrest. “What if she can’t handle my being different. I can’t lose her. She’s the only mom I’ve known.” Seth turned, but not before Forrest caught the glimmer of tears in the boy’s eyes.
Forrest sighed. Seth wasn’t worried about what his aunt would say about him skipping school. He was worried his aunt wouldn’t accept him being a shifter. “If she loves you, you don’t have anything to worry about. She will accept you as you are.”
“Are you sure?” Seth’s voice was filled with hope.
“I’m sure.” Forrest hoped he was right about Seth’s aunt. But he knew from experience just how bad humans could react to the thought of shifters. Most couldn’t handle the idea that a person could turn into an animal. He prayed she would not be one of them. “Let’s get to the shop, get you a t-shirt, and then we’ll call your aunt together. After that, I’ll take you home.”
“Will you stay while I tell her about what I am?”
Forrest nodded. The sour scent of fear drifted through the air. “I’ll help you tell her, that way if she has any questions, she can ask me.”
Seth smiled. “Thanks. I’m worried she is going to freak out because I’m a freak.”
Forrest rolled his eyes. “Would you quit calling yourself a freak? Neither of us are freaks, so stop calling yourself one.”
Seth shrugged. “If the label fits, then we need to own it.”
“Whatever! Let’s get to the shop before my brothers send out a search party for me.” Forrest gestured to the path in front of them.
“Would they really do that?” Seth’s eyes widened.
“Yeah they would. I’m the youngest and sometimes they forget I’m an adult too.” Forrest smiled. He knew his brothers loved him, even when they picked on him. He hoped Seth’s aunt would understand and love him after she found out he was a shifter.
CHAPTER TWO
Audrey Thomas ran a hand through her overly curly hair. “Thank you. If you see him, please let me know.” She tapped END on the screen of her smartphone. The frown lines etched in her forehead deepened. Her bottom lip quivered.
She was worried, angry, and frightened.
What if someone had kidnapped him?
What if he was lying somewhere hurt or worse?
She glanced at the clock.
Three hours and twenty-three minutes.
Three hours and twenty-three…no twenty-seven minutes since the school principal had called to inform her about Seth skipping class. The principal didn’t even wait to see if Seth was missing the whole afternoon.
As soon as the first afternoon class reported Seth absent, the horrible man called and told her in a gleeful tone about how serious this infraction was and about the trouble Seth was in for breaking the rules. But when Audrey asked the man what he was doing to find Seth, since Seth was only in eighth grade and under the principal’s supervision when he went missing, the principal became extremely defensive. Audrey told the man he had better be doing something to help find Seth instead of calling to threaten punishment.
Audrey sighed. More than once Seth complained the principal was constantly watching him for anything he did wrong. Audrey told Seth he was just imagining it, but now she wasn’t so sure. She was going to have to have a talk with the principal and the superintendent. But that would have to wait. At that moment the principal and whatever agenda he had was the least of her worries.
Seth was missing.
She had no idea why or even where he was or even a clue as to where to start looking for him. Audrey just knew she had to find him before something happened to him just like…
No! She wasn’t going there. This wasn’t a repeat of what happened to her sister and brother-in-law.
She was going to find Seth.
She had to find him, and when she did, he would be okay.
Audrey looked at her smartphone. She had called and texted Seth but so far he hadn’t answered her. She kept telling herself he was just ignoring her for some reason; that it was just his first streak of teenage rebellion.
She closed her eyes.
Audrey had no idea who else she could call. She had already spoken to everyone she could think of, at least all of the friends she knew Seth hung out with afterschool and on weekends.
None of their parents had seen him.
What if he had fallen in with a bad crowd? Audrey shook her head. No, that wasn’t possible, she told herself. She would have seen some sort of signs. Right?
Bad grades weren’t a sign. At least, not when it came to Seth
He earned bad grades not because he wasn’t smart. He got bad grades because he was bored. Seth was very smart, but he was also a typical immature teenager which gave a lot of people the wrong impression.
Her eyes flew open. Seth had become quiet and a bit secretive the past month, but Audrey had chalked it up to him being a typical teenager. She rolled her eyes. She really needed a manual on how to raise teenagers.
Audrey frowned.
Was it possible Daniel had been wrong about his son? If Daniel was wrong, what was she going to do? How was she going to be able to help Seth when she had no clue what he was going through?
Audrey looked around the living room. Her chin started quivering. She bit her bottom lip hoping to stop the trembling. She felt the burn of unshed tears building in her eyes. Audrey blinked her eyes several times hoping to keep back the tears threatening to fall.
“Seth, where are you?” she whispered. The house felt empty. She knew it was silly and that it was caused by her worry. “How can I help you if you don’t talk to me? How can I help you if you’re not here?” She asked even though she knew there was no one in the house to hear her.
Blinking wasn’t working. Audrey tossed the phone onto the couch and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. Why would Seth skip school? Why would he ignore my texts and phone calls? These questions and others rolled through her mind, fueling her worry.
Audrey reached for one of the soft peppermints scattered across the coffee table. Without a thought about what she was doing, she unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. She dropped the clear plastic wrapper onto the growing pile on the corner of the table.
Picking up her phone, she stared at the screen as she munched on the soft candy. Audrey reached for another peppermint. Before she was completely finished with the first peppermint, she popped the new one into her mouth and crunched down on it.
Audrey sighed. She was out of options. She was going to have to call the sheriff for help.
As she made her decision, the phone jangle and vibrated at the same time. Startled, Audrey almost dropped it. She looked at the caller ID. Relief flooded through her. She tapped ANSWER. “Seth, where are you? I’ve been so worried about you.” The words rushed out of her mouth before she even had the phone up to her ear.
“Is this Audrey Thomas?” asked a deep, rich male voice.
Audrey’s hand flew to her mouth. “Who is this? Where is Seth?” Fear rolled through her and into her voice, causing it to shake.
“Is this Audrey Thomas?” asked the man again.
Audrey swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. “Yes, I’m Audrey Thomas,” she said.
“I’m Forrest Durant of Durant Customs. Seth is here at the shop.” He leaned on the door frame of office as he glanced over to where Seth was at the front desk. “In fact, it looks like he’s sweet talked my office manager into feeding him.” Forrest chuckled as he watched Ivy hand the boy a bottled water and opened one of the boxes of assorted pastries she had picked up to go with their lunch earlier.
“Seth is always eating. Is he okay? How did he end up at your shop? Why are you calling me on his cell phone instead of Seth?” Some of the fear left her voice.
“I found him in the woods behind the shop. He’s not hurt. His cellphone was almost dead, so I hooked it up to a charger here at the shop. I thought using his phone would be better than having a strange number show up on yours.”
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for finding him and making sure he’s safe.”
“Are you okay?” asked Forrest. The woman’s voice was smooth like a rich wildflower honey. It made him want to cradle her in his arms. He felt his bear stir and push toward the surface. The fact his bear was showing interest in this woman just from the sound of her voice completely surprised him.
“I’ve been so worried about Seth, and I’m so relieved that you found him. If you will give me your address, I will drive right over and pick up Seth,” said Audrey. She felt as if a huge weight had just been lifted off of her chest. She took a deep breath and let it out. The tears she had been trying to hold back rolled down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry. Everything’s fine.” The sound of Audrey crying tugged his heartstrings. His bear pushed closer to the surface. Forrest gave the animal a mental shove and told it to settle down.
His bear snarled at him.
Forrest’s eyes widened. He and his bear argued because the animal was so stubborn, but it had never snarled at him before. This was a first.
Audrey sniffed and rubbed her nose. “How did you know I was crying?” Something about his voice made her feel safe and cared for. It didn’t hurt that his voice was extremely sexy.
“Your sniffles gave you away.” Forrest smiled. “You don’t need to be driving.”
“But I need to pick up Seth. Besides, you’ve done enough already. I don’t want to impose on you anymore than we already have.”
“You stay where you are. You shouldn’t be driving while you’re crying. You’re at home, right?”
Audrey nodded and then realized he couldn’t see her. “I’m at home,” she said.
“Good. As soon as Seth is finished with his snack, I’ll drive him home,” said Forrest.
“That’s kind of you, but I don’t want to impose on you anymore than we already have,” said Audrey.
“You’re not imposing on me.” Forrest glanced at Seth. Ben was now leaning against Ivy’s desk, and Seth was laughing at something Ben had said. “I’ll drive Seth home in a little bit.”
“Are you sure…” Audrey paused. “Are you sure it won’t be an inconvenience?” She honestly hated depending on anyone.
“I’m positive.”
“Thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I really mean it. Do you want the address?”
“You’re welcome but I haven’t really done anything that anyone else couldn’t have done,” said Forrest. “I’ll get Seth to give me directions.”
“Well, thank you anyway. I’ll see you in a little while.” Audrey ended the call. She stared at the phone. What’s wrong with me? She shook her head and put the phone on the couch next to her. She was relieved Seth was safe and would be home soon, but something about Forrest’s rich deep voice had awakened her body in ways she had only read about in the romance novels she has stashed in the top drawer of her nightstand.
Audrey grabbed another soft peppermint. She popped it into her mouth as soon as it was unwrapped. She needed to focus all of her attention on Seth. He had never skipped school before and she wanted to make sure it never happened again.
And Forrest Durant is bringing him home.
Audrey rolled her eyes. There was no way he would be interested in her. She had too much extra padding on her curves. Men were only interested in padded curvy women in fiction books. Real life was completely different. In real life they wanted thin beautiful women, not over-stuffed, motherly types.
She was afraid to hope.
It was easier to deal with the disappointment now than after she saw the repulsion in Forrest’s eyes.
Audrey sighed. Maybe one day she would meet someone who would love her like her brother-in-law had loved her twin sister, but at her age she was beginning to think it wasn’t meant for her to find that kind of love. The dream of children was fading with each passing year. Seth would be her only child and realistically he wasn’t even hers. She was wondering if that ship had already sailed.
She grabbed another soft peppermint. Audrey looked at the pile of empty wrappers. Maybe part of her problem was her addiction to the soft peppermints. It seemed like she could never stop with one or two like a normal person. Audrey unwrapped the peppermint candy and plopped the sugary treat into her mouth. She picked up all of the empty wrappers and took them to the trashcan in the kitchen.
She went back to the living room and picked up the half empty bag. There was no sense advertising her issues with peppermint, not that she expected Forrest Durant to come inside when he dropped off Seth. But it would be nice, and it would give her something to daydream about when she was alone in her bed at night.
CHAPTER THREE
Forrest knocked on the front door of the small bungalow style home. It wasn’t fancy and in some places it was showing the wear and tear that inevitably came with age but other than that, it looked well maintained. The outside of the house had a warm and inviting feel about it. The porch swing begged for someone to sit in it.
“You don’t have to knock. I’ve got my key. I can unlock the door and we can just go inside.” Seth pulled a set of keys out of a pocket on the side of his backpack. “See,” he said as he held up the key. Seth unlocked the front door and pushed it open. “Welcome to my home.” He stepped aside and gestured for Forrest to enter.
“You really should have knocked and waited for your aunt to open the door.” Forrest shook his head.
“Why?” asked Seth.
“Because I’m a stranger and you just invited me into your aunt’s home without her knowledge. It’s not right for me to enter without her permission.”
“So it’s another adult thing.” Seth rolled his eyes. “Why do adults make everything so complicated. The world would be a better place without all of the complications. Simple is so much better, and it makes more sense.
“Because we just love driving teenagers crazy. It’s an unwritten rule we have to follow.” Forrest grinned. “But honestly, you have to think about your aunt’s safety first. You are physically stronger than she is, and you will grow stronger. All females are precious and need to be cared for.
Seth groaned but nodded. “I get what you’re saying. It’s our job to protect the females. But the part about driving teens crazy wasn’t funny. Why do adults think they’re comedians?” Not waiting for an answer, he walked into the house.
“Because we have to deal with kids skipping classes instead of staying in school and learning what they’re supposed to be learning.” Audrey
stood a few feet from the front door with her arms crossed over her ample chest.
“Aunt Audrey, this is Forrest Durant.” Seth gestured to Forrest. “Forrest, this is Audrey Thomas, my aunt.” He looked at Forrest and nodded his head toward his aunt.
Audrey raised her eyebrows as she tapped her foot. “Are you two going to come inside or are you going to stand there with the door open air conditioning the entire outside. It’s definitely hot enough out there to need it, but I don’t feel like paying for the electricity to cool the whole town or the entire state.” She stared at the man standing behind Seth. He wasn’t just handsome; he was yummy gorgeous. He could easily be a cover model on a romance book. He was definitely the stuff fantasies were made of, and she had a feeling she would be seeing him in her fantasies for a long time.
As much as she wanted to continue staring at him, she had to focus on the problem child. Hopefully it would give her a chance to get her rebellious body and thoughts under control before she did something stupid like, oh maybe, drag Forrest to her bedroom. She shook her head. No man had ever made her have thoughts like that within seconds of meeting him. Who was she kidding. Not one man had ever made her feel this way. She never had such an intense and instant attraction to any man before.
Seth looked from Audrey to Forrest. He noticed they were staring at each other as if there wasn’t anyone else in the room. He smiled to himself. “Maybe I should just go to my room so you two can talk.” He started to walk past Audrey.
“Oh no you don’t.” She grabbed his arm as he tried walking by her. “Seth Andrew Martinez, where do you think you’re going?”
“To my room so you and Forrest can talk to each other alone.” He tried to keep an innocent look on his face.
Forrest closed the door as he walked into the house. He couldn’t do anything but stare at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. She had the most beautiful killer curves he had ever seen. Her over-sized clothes did nothing to hide them. He wanted to pull her into his arms and strip off her clothes so he could explore every inch of her body. His eyes paused on her gorgeous breasts. He almost licked his lips. Forrest wanted to caress and kiss each one. He wanted to stare into her gray eyes as the storms of passion built inside her until all she could do was scream his name as he pounded deep inside her.
Mated Hearts (Durant Brothers Book 1) Page 2