Noreen's Choice

by Ann Gimpel

  She lay on her back and listened to the comforting sounds of animals breathing. Though she closed her eyes, sleep eluded her. Justin’s words ran through her mind in an unwelcome loop and then played again. She shuddered. The man was obviously deranged. It was a stroke of fortune his brand of madness didn’t extend to harming women.

  She’d played dumb, but Noreen knew about shifters. Nearly everybody did. Fringe elements, they mostly kept to themselves and didn’t bother people, for all Justin thought they were so dangerous. She wondered if his story about losing so many of his men could possibly be true. If it was, maybe shifters were more of a threat than she’d been led to believe.

  Her eyes felt hot and gritty, and her mind ran in sluggish circles. She needed at least a day to rest and regroup before she tried to find work. In her present state, no one in their right mind would hire her to so much as dig ditches or wash clothes. She tried to firm up her plans for the following day but couldn’t come up with anything solid. Daylight was seeping around the chinks in the old barn’s planks when sleep finally took her.

  * * * *

  “Woman! What are you doing in my barn?”

  Noreen’s eyes snapped open to broad daylight. She sprang to a sit. “I-I’m sorry. It was late when I got into town. I needed a place to sleep. Everywhere was closed. I’ll be on my way.”

  “You damn betcha you will. And right now. Round here, we don’t bother with the law, we take care of things ourselves. Shoo. Shoo.” The farmer, black hair flying around his face and dark eyes narrowed, flapped his hands at her. One curved around the stock of a shotgun.

  Muscles tense, Noreen bit back a shriek and edged toward the ladder. “P-please don’t shoot me. I’m trying to leave, but I need the ladder.”

  “Mmph. It’d serve you right if I made you jump,” he grunted, but then backed down to give her access.

  She hurried down the ladder’s rungs and out of the barn into what had to be afternoon light. Noreen shook her head in dismay. How was it possible she’d slept so long? She’d meant to be up and gone hours ago. It might have been her imagination, but the farmer’s glare burned into her back as she hastened off his property.

  Safe on the far side of the street—and grateful the farmer hadn’t taken a shot at her—Noreen glanced down at herself and groaned. Her clothes were a mass of wrinkles and peppered with straw to boot. Her hair had come loose from its pins; it hung around her in straw-studded tangles.

  She put another fifty yards between herself and the irate farmer before she started picking pieces of animal feed out of her clothes, beginning with her cloak. The day wasn’t too cold, so she took it off to pluck debris out of the back. It wasn’t easy. Each piece of straw pulled some of the wool out of its weave. Deep in lamenting the sorry state of what had once been a fine, woolen cloak, she didn’t notice the late model Ford until it rolled to a stop in front of her.

  A tall woman with long, black hair and striking green eyes pushed the driver’s door open, hopped from behind the wheel, and walked over to her. “Hi.” She held out a hand. “I’m Alice. Feel free to tell me to piss up a rope, but if I’m any judge of things, it looks like you could use some help.”

  Chapter 3

  Noreen just stared at the other woman, unsure quite what to do. She looked past Alice and saw three men in the car. Suspicions flared that Alice, if that was really her name, was bait to sucker her into some dubious scheme. Noreen shook her head. “I’m quite okay. It was kind of you to stop, but—”

  “Bullshit,” Alice said succinctly. “The boys told me to drive on past, but we women have that sixth sense thing.” She winked broadly. “Anyway, my instincts were practically screaming that you needed help. You can chase me off, but I won’t go easily.”

  “The reason I look so bad is I slept in a farmer’s barn last night,” Noreen began but bit off the next words. No reason to tell Alice her life story. None at all. In fact, she didn’t understand why she’d said anything.

  A tall, lanky man with the most striking facial bone structure she’d ever seen and shoulder-length, red-gold hair got out of the passenger side of the car, followed by another man with red hair that fell halfway to his waist. The back door opened and a third man with dark hair drawn back into a braid and kind, dark eyes got out too.

  All the men were impossibly good-looking. The one with hair like an autumn sunset stepped forward and draped his arm around Alice. He held out a hand; Noreen found herself shaking it. “I’m Jed Starnes.” He beamed at her. “Alice is my wife. Bron,” he pointed at the dark-haired man, “and Terin,” he gestured toward the redhead, “are my business associates and long-term friends.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Noreen stammered, remembering that once she’d had access to manners.

  Jed eyed her appraisingly. “I can see where this would look a little suspicious. After all, a car with three strangers doesn’t just roll up and come to a stop in front of you every day. I tried to talk Alice out of it, but,” he shrugged engagingly, “she does have a mind of her own.”

  Alice snorted. “Get used to it because it’s going to stay that way.” She wriggled from beneath Jed’s embrace and stood directly in front of Noreen. “What’s your name?”

  “Uh, Mary.”

  Alice frowned. Dark brows drawing together, she bent close. “That’s not quite right. You don’t have anything to fear from us. But we can’t help you if you won’t tell us the truth.”

  Noreen didn’t remember asking for help; she opened her mouth to say as much but snapped it shut. It was disconcerting to realize she wanted to trust this group of people. They had an entirely different feel from Justin.

  “I have a suggestion.” Jed’s voice held a persuasive undercurrent that was impossible to ignore. “We’re on our way to visit family. I have cousins not far from here—less than ten miles. How about if you ride with us? You can tell us whatever you’re comfortable sharing, and we’ll drop you back in town by early evening if you’d like.”

  “She doesn’t have anywhere to stay,” Alice cut in. “If she did, she wouldn’t have slept in someone’s barn.”

  “Is that right?” Jed’s blue eyes radiated concern.

  Noreen tried to drop her gaze, but she couldn’t look away. It was as if he’d mesmerized her. “I just got into town in the middle of the night. Never had a chance to hunt for lodging.”

  “So I was right,” Alice crowed. Her smile was infectious; Noreen grinned back in spite of her reservations, which were dissipating rapidly. “You do need us. Told you.” She jabbed Jed in the side with an elbow before returning her attention to Noreen. “Come on, honey. We’ll have to pile a few groceries in your lap, but I’m sure we can make room.”

  Noreen shifted from foot to foot. It wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to be. Maybe fate had intervened to point her in the right direction. “Your cousins. Do you suppose they might have work for me?”

  Jed quirked a brow. “They’re confirmed bachelors. I’m nearly positive their house could qualify as a Federal disaster area.”

  “Let’s sort all that out as we drive.” Alice strode back to the car, tugged one of its back doors open, and set to work rearranging a massive pile of groceries. Noreen smelled fresh fruit and bread; it made her mouth water, and she remembered she’d barely eaten anything the previous day. “Come on.” Alice crooked two fingers behind her back. “You’re tall like me, but skinny. I think you’ll fit.”

  Noreen levered herself into the back seat and sank against a padded bench. It was real leather and smelled wonderful. She pulled some of the food items into her lap to make room for one of the men on the other side of the groceries. The redhead, Terin, climbed into the back seat with her, juggling bags of food. “Help yourself if you’re hungry,” he said and pulled out a fresh peach.

  “Where’d you get peaches at this time of year?” Noreen gaped at the fruit in amazement.

  “We live in California. Brought lots of fruit with us. It wasn’t ripe when we left home, but it is now
. Want one?” He dangled a peach in front of her.

  She was just biting into the succulent fruit when the front two car doors slammed shut and the car moved onto the roadway with Jed behind the wheel. Alice sat next to him, with Bron on her other side. “You be careful.” Alice waggled a finger at Jed. “Don’t hurt my car.”

  “I’ll do my best, sweetheart.”

  Alice, Jed, and the other two men erupted in laughter, and Noreen understood it must be a standing joke. She tried to hold onto qualms about getting into this car with four strangers, but her sixth sense told her she was safe—truly safe.

  “We wouldn’t hurt you.” Terin broke off a heel of bread and handed it to her.

  “It’s almost as if you can read my mind,” she said around a mouthful of peach.

  Terin shook his head. “I was just trying to put you at your ease. Alice is the warmest, most compassionate woman I’ve ever met. You’re lucky she noticed you.”

  “I heard my name.” Alice twisted around so she could look into the back seat. “Speaking of names, what’s yours? And if you say Mary again, I’ll be very disappointed.”

  “Noreen.”

  “That’s a good start.” Alice nodded. “Noreen what?”

  “Galen.”

  “Want to tell us why we found you by the side of the road picking straw out of your clothes?”

  Noreen was shocked by how easily the words poured out of her. She even told them she had no family to turn to and that her only friends were in the cult.

  “See.” Alice smiled warmly. “That wasn’t so hard. We’ll make sure you’re safe before we leave, won’t we, Jed?”

  He caught Noreen’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “Of course we will. How’d you get from Red Deer to Rocky Mountain House? Someone must have given you a ride.”

  Noreen rolled her eyes. “I forgot about Justin. What a strange, creepy guy.”

  “Tell us,” Terin cut off a piece of cheese and gave her more bread to put it on.

  She did. The information seemed to upset the group far more than anything else she’d said. Their merry smiles faded; a pall hung over the inside of the overstuffed car. “What’s wrong?” she asked at length. “Do you know him?”

  “Not directly,” Jed said.

  “But we know his kind,” Bron snapped from the front seat.

  “They’re trouble,” Terin muttered.

  Noreen’s heart sank. “So I’m lucky he didn’t drag me off and rape me, huh?”

  “He wouldn’t have done that,” Jed said slowly. “He was telling you the truth about there not being any women in his life.”

  “How could you possibly know that?” Noreen battled confusion. Although it wasn’t possible, it seemed everyone in the car knew Justin far better than she.

  “How about if we talk about something else?” Alice suggested a shade too brightly. “Like finding a job for Noreen.”

  “We could bring her back to California,” Terin said. “The cult would never find her there.”

  “Isn’t California where Garden of Eden started?” Noreen asked. She didn’t want to dive from the frying pan into an even hotter fire.

  “Yes, but they can’t even keep track of their own members, let alone a runaway from Canada,” Jed said. “Hold up, we’re nearly to where we’re going. I need to concentrate. It’s been a while since I was here last, and these forest roads all look alike to me.”

  * * * *

  Les sat in a wicker chair on the cabin’s broad front porch catching the last of the day’s sun. It dropped beneath the canopy of the trees long before it actually set. He scented the air and leaped to his feet. “They’re almost here,” he called.

  Karl loped around the house, nose twitching. “Excellent! Can’t wait to meet Alice…” His voice trailed off, and he shoved his nose skyward. “I smell two women.”

  Les walked closer to the rutted, dirt road that led from the cabin to the main roadway. “Funny so do I. And that second one…” He inhaled deeply.

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Karl cautioned. “She smells like mate material to me, too, but I’m thinking it’s because we haven’t been around any women for so long—other than the ones mated to our pack brothers.”

  Les’ heart thudded in anticipation. His groin tingled, cock suddenly hard against the front of his trousers. “No. It’s more than that. I get our supplies from town every month or two. I’m around women then. None of them smells like this one. I tell you, she may be who we’ve been waiting for.” A bittersweet pang filled his heart, and Les knew he’d given up on ever finding a mate for himself and Karl. Wolf clan shifters formed small family groups of two or three males. Once human women had vied for their attentions, but that was before Hunters had practically driven them underground.

  A car engine rumbled not far off. “Well.” Karl grinned. “We’re about to find out. For God’s sake, don’t scare her off.”

  “Me?” Les snickered. “You’re the one with a perpetual hard-on. I hear you jacking off every morning.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s only because you do it first, and the smell of sex gets me hot.”

  “Ssh.” Les waved a hand at Karl. “We’ll alienate her before she even gets out of the car.”

  “Speaking of cars, wow! Wonder when Jed bought that?” Karl eyed the cream-colored Ford Cabriolet as it rolled to a stop in front of them. “Thing’s so low to the ground, I’m amazed he got it back here without breaking an axle.”

  “Hey there, boss.” Les tugged the driver’s door open and held out a hand to Jed, who gripped it warmly before getting out. Terin and Bron piled out their respective doors, and the men thumped backs and shook hands.

  “Alice,” Jed called. “What are you waiting for, sweetheart? My cousins have heard a lot about you. They want to meet you.”

  “Coming.”

  Les watched a broad-shouldered woman as tall as himself emerge from the car. Waist-length dark hair swirled around her, and green, cat eyes slanted in an arresting face. He strode to her, took her hand, and pressed it to his lips. “Welcome to the pack, sister.”

  “So old world.” She grinned at him. “Hey, Jed. You could borrow a manner or two from your kin.”

  Karl loped over and, grabbing her hand from Les, he kissed it too. “Not to be outdone,” he announced with a flourish that would have done the Count of Monte Cristo proud.

  “You are such a ham.” Les rolled his eyes. He turned toward the car. “Who’s your friend?” he asked Alice, trying for an even tone that didn’t betray his hope—or his arousal.

  “Maybe I’ll let Noreen tell you about herself.” Alice’s green eyes danced mischievously. “She’s feeling a little shy. All you men can feel a bit overwhelming. She said something about letting you get your hellos out of the way.”

  “Can I help with making her more comfortable?” Les asked, and then realized Karl was already over at the car bending so he could peer inside. “Never mind.” He raced to Karl’s side and almost stopped breathing. The woman sitting in the back seat with food piled around her was exquisite. Blonde hair hung to her waist. A pair of inquisitive sky-blue eyes peered up at him. High cheekbones, a well-formed chin, and full lips that looked imminently kissable hit Les with all the subtlety of a runaway freight.

  “She’s our mate!” Karl cried in their telepathic speech.

  “Yes, but she has to agree. Remember the rules. We need to take this slow,” Les cautioned. He was having a hell of a time. He didn’t want to take anything slow. What he wanted was to sweep Noreen into his arms and crush her against him, right before he covered those lush lips with his own. Scenes of sharing her long, lean body with Karl bombarded him until he couldn’t think.

  “Hi.” Her gaze moved from him to Karl and back. “I was just waiting until everyone was done catching up.” She shrugged self-consciously. “I wouldn’t want to horn in on your family time.”

  “Welcome.” Karl extended a hand. “Do you need help getting out?” He pulled the car door open.

&
nbsp; Les kicked himself for not asking first.

  “No, silly. I’m not crippled.” Noreen moved the groceries in her lap to the car’s seat, swung her legs out, and stood. She wore a long, black cloak that obscured whatever she had under it. Still, Les saw the swell of high, firm breasts and a rounded ass. “Here.” She turned back to the car. “Let me help get all this food inside.”

  “We can all do that.” Alice trotted up from somewhere.

  Les didn’t feel capable of anything except staring at Noreen. He was surprised to find himself heading for the cabin with a full load of groceries and wondered who’d heaped them into his arms.

  The next half hour passed in a blur. Noreen had rubbed up against him so many times as they’d passed one another with armloads of foodstuffs that his groin ached and his mind felt like mush. She’d been aroused too. He’d smelled it. With her heat had come blushes and excuses and way too many, “I’m sorries,” and “excuse mes,” for his taste. Karl had drawn her aside at one point and tried to wrap his arms around her, but she’d slithered away.

  “That’s all of it,” Jed said, hooking his arms through Les’ and Karl’s. “Alice escorted Noreen outside for a little, um, chat. We’re going to stay in here and come up with something passable for supper while the ladies talk.”

  “Shit! I didn’t realize she’d left.” Karl tugged against Jed’s hold. “Let go of me. Les and I have to talk to her.”

  Bron stepped close and shook his head. “Alice is really good at this. She can explain things better than you can. Especially the shape you two are in.” He shot a meaningful glance at the belled-out crotches of their pants.

  “Yes, she got a whole lot more of our magic than I expected she would,” Jed cut in. “She’s found mates for three family groups in just the short time she’s been with us. Damn if I know how she sniffs the women out, but it’s why she stopped when she saw Noreen today.”