Blind Acceptance

by Missy Martine

  Turning, David moved back to their mate. The bear lay down beside her when he found her breathing.

  She turned her head. “David, is that you?” she whispered. She groaned when he bent over and licked her cheek. “Don’t do that if you don’t have a towel you can give me. Where’s my father? I’m afraid to get up unless he’s gone.” David laid a paw on her back and pressed down gently. “Okay, I get it. You want me to stay here. Can you do something about the rope around my wrists?”

  He raised a paw and neatly sliced through the rope, careful not to damage his mate’s skin.

  “Thank you, David. Where’s Eric?”

  David looked over at his brother and lumbered to his feet. He made his way over to the wolf and sniffed. Eric was alive, but looked to have a broken leg. He’s gonna be really pissed when he wakes up. He’ll heal after he shifts a few times, but it’s gonna hurt. He heard the door on the shed creek open and turned to watch Robert stick his head out.

  “What’s the matter with you, bear? You haven’t even taken a bite out of her. Aren’t you hungry?”

  David growled and turned to look at Eric when he whined. He needed to shift and wouldn’t as long as Robert could see him. The shed had no windows, so David moved toward it, growling and standing on his hind legs. From his ten foot height, he showed off his razor sharp teeth and watched Laynee’s father slam the door. Moving quickly, he went back to Eric and nudged his side.

  After a weak growl, the air shimmered, and Eric shifted. He looked up at David and gave him a thumbs-up. “Is our mate, okay?”

  David nodded his massive head and turned back toward the shed. He placed himself in front of the door and let out a steady growl.

  * * * *

  Eric chuckled and shifted again. After the second time, he felt much better. His bone was healed, just really tender. Slowly, he made his way over to Laynee. He let his arm move over her back. “Are you hurt, love?”

  “Just a couple of bruises and a split lip. What about you?”

  “I’m okay now. Had a little problem with my leg, but we heal when we shift, so I’m all better now.”

  “Where’s David and my father?”

  David’s bear has your father trapped in the shed on your grandfather’s property. He can’t get out, and there aren’t any windows, so we’re safe for now.”

  “What are we gonna do with him?” she asked.

  Eric snorted. “My first inclination is to let David’s bear do away with him, but there would be too many questions we couldn’t answer. Did he tell you why they took you?”

  “He’s worried about what I told you about getting lost in the woods. When I told him you already knew, he flipped out and hit me. That was right before I heard the growling.”

  Eric sighed. “I think I should get dressed and call the police. David can hold him until right before they get here, and then shift. He can be arrested for what he’s done today, and then they can have time to investigate his other sins. Either way, he’ll be out of your hair for good.”

  Laynee shook her head. “He had help, Eric. Jeremy helped him try and kill me in the woods, and he hired two men to bring me here today. I don’t know who they were, so they’ll get away scot free.”

  Eric kissed her head. “Don’t you worry, love. We’ll find everyone that had a hand in this and make sure they get what they deserve.”

  She sniffed. “Okay, I trust you.”

  “You stay here, love. You’ll be safe with the bear. I’ll get dressed and be back before you know it.” Eric stood back, shifted to his wolf, and took off for the house.

  * * * *

  Laynee sniffed and then slowly made it to her feet. Her cheek throbbed, and her lip felt swollen. She listened carefully and could hear the whooshing of panting breaths. “David?” A slight growling to her left had her turning and making her way slowly toward the sound with her arms outstretched in front of her.

  When she met a wall of soft fur, she stopped and threw her arms around the bear’s neck. His fur was silky, with an earthy smell, and his neck so large her arms did not go all the way around it. His body vibrated like a cat purring as he pressed his head to her cheek.

  “I wanted to see your bear, but not like this.” She jumped when her father pounded on the door from inside the shed.

  “I can hear you, Laynee. Let me out of here, and we’ll forget all about this. You got lucky if the bear went away. How have you got me locked in? Damn it, open this door right now.”

  David lowered his head and rubbed it against her stomach. His tongue came out and raked up her arm.

  Laynee giggled. “I’d rather take a shower in the house if you don’t mind.” She let her fingers trail through the fur on his back and sighed. “I wish I could see you. I’ll bet you’re beautiful.” The bear snorted and nudged her with his big head again. She gripped his neck tighter when she heard footsteps coming closer.

  “It’s me, Laynee.”

  She sighed when she heard Eric’s voice.

  “Here are some clothes, David. The police should be here any minute.”

  He’d no sooner said that than Laynee heard sirens. She released the bear’s neck and felt him move away. Eric took his place in front of the door. “Laynee, your father is gonna be telling them stories about wolves and bears, and you’re gonna have to let them think he’s crazy.”

  “He is crazy, Eric. He tried to kill his only daughter. You don’t get much crazier than that.” She felt a fluctuation in the air.

  “Just take deep breaths, mate,” David said. “We’ll get through this and soon be on our way home.”

  Laynee looked up when she heard the sounds of a car pulling up.

  Eric leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Okay, love. It’s showtime!”

  Epilogue

  Remus shook his head as Maddie hovered over David, Eric, and their mate. They’d only been back a week, and she still hadn’t let them out of her sight. Kitania, Ethan, and Latan were away on vacation, and Maddie felt driven to fill in for the missing parents.

  They were lucky. A friend of his on the National Council had pulled some strings and got a copy of the police report. Robert Conners had gone on and on about being attacked by a wolf and bear on his father-in-law’s estate in St. Paul. Of course, they hadn’t believed a word he’d said. They’d written it up as a kidnapping-assault with David and Eric being her rescuers. The boys gave their statements to the police and then were free to go. Mr. Conners and his associate, Mr. Poole, were up to their necks in trouble. Once he realized he was going down for kidnapping and embezzling, Mr. Conners had offered up Mr. Poole for extortion and accessory to the kidnapping since he’d hired the men who did the actual work. It would be some time before either of them saw the light of day.

  Eric had kept his promise to Laynee, and he and David had tracked down the two gentlemen that Conners paid to kidnap his daughter. They were easy to find since they were best friends with the gentlemen already in jail for the original break-in.

  Remus moved to the table with his tea and took a seat. “So you’ve definitely decided to settle here, on our mountain?”

  David nodded and ran his hand across Laynee’s head. “Yes, sir. We’re gonna build a house here and buy a building down in Takoda to start up another adventure outfit.”

  Maddie sat down next to Remus and rested her hand on his thigh. “Sounds like a wonderful plan. Do you know what kind of house you want, Laynee?”

  “Not really. I have a list of dos and don’ts, but nothing concrete.”

  “Why don’t you talk to Michael? I’ll bet he’d be happy to help. Especially since you’re building right here on the mountain.”

  “Who’s Michael?” asked Laynee.

  “He’s my brother, and he’s a fine architect. He’s designed all the new houses on this mountain for the last twenty years.”

  “He’s really good, Laynee,” said David. “His specialty is blending the new with the environment so it doesn’t look out of place.”

&nbs
p; “Sounds good to me. Maybe we could call him on Monday and make an appointment. Does he have an office here?”

  Maddie nodded. “Yes, he owns a building down in Takoda and works out of it when he’s around. He spends a lot of time on-site once the construction starts.”

  Remus looked up when his son walked into the room. “Laynee, I don’t think you’ve met my son, Victor. Victor, this is David and Eric’s mate, Laynee.” He was impressed when the young woman stood and held out her hand.

  Victor moved forward and clasped it briefly. “It’s a great pleasure to see you again, Laynee. I’m delighted to have a new cousin.”

  Remus frowned. “You’ve already met?”

  Laynee laughed, the sound musical and dainty. “It’s great to see you again, too. Yeah, we met at your little shindig when you were counting heads.”

  Remus laughed. “I should have remembered.”

  “We’ve been talking about Michael designing a house for them here on the mountain,” Maddie said.

  Victor nodded and took a seat at the table. “I happen to know he keeps a file of finished houses that can be altered slightly to fit someone’s needs. If one of those works for you, we could get to work on your house by the end of next week.” He turned to Remus. “I meant to tell you that we finished the Harris home way ahead of schedule and we’re not booked for the next month. If they have plans, we could have them in their new home before winter sets in.”

  David grinned and put his arm around Laynee’s shoulder. “That sounds great.”

  “Where are you staying now?” Victor asked.

  “In the guest cottage Remus keeps near the river.”

  Victor nodded. “It’s a good temporary place. It has everything you need. Will you be able to help on the house, or do you have to be at your place in Glacier?”

  David shook his head. “No, we’re going to be free for a few months. We promoted our assistant to manager and hired two new guides for Shifting Adventures, and they’re doing pretty good. We plan on opening a branch here, but we didn’t want to get too many irons in the fire at the same time. After we get in a house, we’ll be concentrating on the business.”

  Eric reached for his glass of tea. “We are gonna be looking for a building to buy down in Takoda so we have a place ready to start the business when we are.”

  “Then this just might be your lucky day. I happen to know of a building that just came on the market. It’s just down the street from Michael’s place, and as far as I know, it doesn’t need much work. The guy that owns it is moving back east to be with an ailing parent. It’s two stories, with a freight elevator in the back.”

  David’s mouth dropped open. “Somebody put in a freight elevator in a small, two-story building?”

  “Yeah, it was an antique store, and he had rooms of furniture set up on the second floor. Some of the pieces were pretty big.”

  Eric grinned. “Sounds perfect if the price is right.”

  Victor cleared his throat. “What’s your budget, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Well, we…ow!” David frowned down at Laynee.

  Remus snickered when she elbowed him in the stomach.

  “We have an open budget. I just sold all my property in Minnesota, and combined with my other inheritance, I don’t think there’s a building we couldn’t afford. The guys have been reluctant to accept my money, but if they expect me to be a part of this relationship, they have to accept we’re equal partners.”

  Maddie laughed and clapped her hands. “Well said, Laynee. I’m gonna like having you around.”

  “That reminds me,” Remus said. “The boys told me you were a teacher at your school in Oregon.”

  “Yes, I taught the younger children.”

  Maddie looked up at Remus and then over to Laynee. “I’m not trying to be rude, but what did you teach them?”

  Laynee smiled. “You’re not being rude, it’s a legitimate question. I taught them to read Braille and basic everyday things like getting dressed without help, navigating the building using their canes. Pretty much how to survive in a sightless world and how to accept graciously living in a world with little blind acceptance.”

  Remus picked up his cup. “Our daughter, Eloise, teaches the preschool and first grade children here on the mountain. When we announced you were joining the pack, she asked all kinds of questions about you and wanted to know if you’d be interested in working at the school with her. She could use some help with the preschool pups.”

  Laynee’s face lit up, and she leaned forward in her chair. “Oh, Remus, I’d love that. I’ve missed working with the children. It would give me great purpose in life to be back teaching.” She lowered her head and then raised it again. “Are you sure she understands that I’m blind and can only teach them so much?”

  “She knows you’re blind, and she told me that it would be a wonderful, new perspective to give her young charges considering they, too, are different in this world.”

  Remus watched David and Eric to see if they objected to her teaching and was pleased to see total acceptance on their faces. “I’ll let her know that you’ll be with her in the classroom in the fall.”

  “It would help greatly if I could visit it several times before then to map out the room in my mind so I can get around easily.”

  Maddie nodded. “Not a problem. I’ll take you over there a few times next week while the guys are out buying their building.”

  Remus cleared his throat. “Laynee, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

  “What is it, Remus?”

  “You told me that you could read some people’s auras. Could you not tell that your father and this Jeremy person were up to no good?”

  Laynee sighed. “I’ve always got conflicting readings from my father. I always thought it was because there was so much time between his visits. As for Jeremy, I got no readings at all.” She bit her lip. “It’s almost like a person who’s inherently evil, doesn’t register on my radar.”

  “I hope that means you can read everyone in our family,” Remus said.

  Laynee laughed. “No worries, Alpha. So far, I can read everyone I’ve met in your family.”

  David picked up Laynee’s hand. “See, love. There are places in the world that have blind acceptance.”

  Laynee kissed his hand and smiled. “I’m truly blessed to have found such acceptance from my new family.”

  “I hope that includes us, Miss Laynee.”

  Laynee stood and held out her arms. “Maysie, it’s so good to hear your voice. Is Edward with you?”

  “Yes, little Miss, I’m here.” Edward turned to Remus. “Maysie and I very much appreciate your allowing us to remain with Miss Laynee when she sets up house. We’ve thought of her as a kind of pseudo-granddaughter her entire life.”

  “Mama thought of you that way as well, Edward.” Laynee rubbed at a tear that slid down her cheek. “I listened to all the tapes she made for me and she talks about the two of you often, and encouraged me to think of you as family. I can’t tell you what it has meant to me, being able to listen to her thoughts, and her dreams for my future. She wanted us all to be a real family.”

  Maddie smiled. “We’re happy to have both of you join our family, Edward.”

  Remus watched as Maysie walked over to give Laynee a hug. He snickered silently as he watched Edward studying the boys from the corner of his eye. To say the man had been shocked when he’d seen their animals was an understatement. He’d given his permission for them to tell the older couple about shifters and give them the option of living here with Laynee. They’d jumped at the chance, and he was glad to see it made her so happy. There would be trouble eventually, though. They were staying with him and Maddie until the boys got their home, and already Edward was trying to take over the running of the house. It would be interesting to see who came out on top.

  “Dad, I need a favor.”

  Remus turned to Victor. “What is it, son? Did you come for one of your mom’s home-c
ooked meals?”

  “Begging your pardon, sir.”

  Remus looked up at Edward. “Did you need something, Edward?”

  Edward glanced at Maddie and pursed his lips. “Miss Maddie and I came to an agreement, and she’s letting us cook and clean for the duration of our stay.”

  Remus cut his gaze to Maddie, stifling his laugh when she rolled her eyes. “Well, that’ll be fine, Edward. I look forward to sampling Maysie’s cooking.” He turned back to Victor. “What is it you need, son?”

  “I got a call last night from Zander Temple.”

  Maddie looked up. “The man from the National Council?”

  Victor nodded. “Yes. He’s got a friend in New York that has a daughter that’s having some problems. She was a police officer up there and ended up getting wounded taking down some guys in a drug cartel. During the fight where she was shot, she killed the son of the head honcho. She wasn’t safe, so her father wanted her out of the line of fire. He sent her to his people in Tennessee. She bought herself a little place, but word on the streets is they know where she’s at and they’re planning on making some trouble. He’s got unconfirmed rumors that they’ve got a mole down there just waiting on the perfect opportunity for a little payback.”

  “What does he want from you?” asked Remus.

  “He asked if I knew anybody that might go down there for a couple of weeks and watch over her. Maybe do some snooping and find out who the mole is. He’d consider it a personal favor. He’s caught up in the missing pups and can’t go himself.”

  Remus took a drink of his tea. “I’ll think on it and talk to Koril about who would be the best for the job. Don’t worry, son. I’ll send someone by the first of the week. Get me the details of where and who so I can pass it on.”

  Maddie raised her glass. “Let me formally welcome you to the pack, Laynee, and Maysie, and Edward. And boys, welcome home.”

  A single tear ran down Laynee’s cheek. “Thank you, Maddie. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here. This is the family I’ve always dreamed of.”