Ray of Sunshine

by Becca Van

  “I know.” Sage frowned. “That’s the strange part. I’m not even craving it or having withdrawals.”

  “Thank your lucky stars,” Elsa replied.

  Jaimie nodded. “You are lucky. I’ve seen pregnant women with really bad headaches because of coffee withdrawal.” She gazed at each of the women. “So what’s going on?”

  The smile faded from Elsa’s face. “Some little shit smashed holes into the gazebo after spray-painting it with graffiti.”

  “Why didn’t you all hear it?” Jaimie asked. “Or should I say your men? They’re supposed to have super hearing or something aren’t they?”

  Sage snorted and giggled. “They do most of the time, but none of us stay here overnight. We head on to our own homes. The guests know that they’re allowed to help themselves to snacks and drinks if they’re hungry or thirsty”

  “What if there’s an emergency?” Jaimie asked.

  “Our contact numbers are programmed into the phone here as well as at the reception desk.” Elsa pointed to the phone on the wall.

  “And you trust your guests not to ruin the house?” Jaimie was shocked that Elsa didn’t have an employee staying at the bed-and-breakfast overnight. Some people just couldn’t be trusted to be left alone.

  Elsa sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m with you, but my mates won’t hear of me or one of them staying overnight. They don’t want to be away from me and while I worry about the guests and this place, I don’t want to be away from them either. I’ve been advertising for a manager but so far no luck.”

  “No one’s applied?” Sage frowned.

  “Oh, they have.” Elsa waved her hand in the air. “However, none of the applicants were suitable.”

  “Do any of the other women know someone looking for a fresh start?” Sage asked, but before Elsa could answer, she held up her hand. “No, I know, none of us have got any family.”

  “We don’t need any family,” Jaimie said, trying to blink the tears from her eyes. “We have our mates and each other.”

  Sage sniffed as she wiped at her eyes. “Why’d you have to go and say something so sweet? Damn pregnancy hormones.”

  “Oh shit!” Jaimie covered her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at Sage’s baby bump.

  “What?” Elsa asked.

  “What’s wrong?” Sage asked at the same time.

  “We haven’t used anything?”

  “Anything?” Elsa quirked a brow.

  “Any contraception.” Jaimie couldn’t believe she hadn’t even thought about going on the pill or asking her guys to use a condom. For all she knew, she could have conceived and was growing a baby already. While she loved that thought, she wasn’t sure she was quite ready to start a family, and yet when she’d seen Daire holding baby Rose, her ovaries had kicked in and started to do a happy dance. The yearning to have a baby of her own had been so strong, she’d wanted to jump her mates’ bones then and there.

  “Have you made love to your men since they’ve claimed you?” Sage asked.

  “Uh…no.” Jaimie’s face was so hot she knew it had to be bright red.

  “Then you’re not pregnant,” Elsa said.

  “How do you know that?”

  “Do you want to explain or should I?” Elsa asked.

  “You can.” Sage leaned her hip against the counter.

  “A shifter can’t get his mate pregnant until the bond is fully in place and their woman is ovulating,” Elsa explained.

  Jaimie pondered over that statement. “So if I’d been ovulating when they’d completed the mate bond, I’d be pregnant now.”

  “Definitely.” Sage smiled. “Shifters have some damn potent swimmers.” She took a deep breath and continued on. “I’d never had a regular cycle because apparently I had a low ova count. When that bastard tried to rape me and stabbed me, the doctor treating me had to remove my right ovary. It was too damaged to save. Anyway, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to have kids, but my guys had no trouble at all. They think their shifter DNA mixing with my own helped heal me, or something like that.” Sage sniffed and wiped the two tears that had leaked from her eyes off her face. “I don’t care how or why. I’m just glad my gynecologist was wrong. I can’t wait to hold this little guy in my arms.”

  “You’re having a boy?” Elsa asked excitedly.

  Sage grinned as she shook her head. “I don’t know what we’re having, and I’m not going to find out. I want my baby’s gender to be a surprise.”

  “I’m happy for you, Sage.” Jaimie slid from her stool, hurried around to the other side of the counter, and hugged her new friend.

  “Thanks.” Sage sniffed again as she released Jaimie and giggled. “I can’t believe how emotional pregnancy hormones have made me. Not to mention the weariness and the frequent trips to the bathroom.”

  “But it’s all worth it.” Elsa smiled.

  “Hell yeah, it is.”

  In that moment, Jaimie felt as if she built a strong bond with these two women and anticipated that very soon she’d be able to say the same about the other mated ladies living in Ambrose. She had a feeling the eight of them were going to be very tight, very close. She loved the idea of being able to talk to one or all of them if she had a problem and vice versa. They would all be able to lean on each other.

  Jaimie just hoped that she never let any of them down.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Beckett, his brothers, and the Louis men had just finished repairing the destruction and painting of the gazebo when he lifted his nose in the air. He frowned when he smelled smoke wafting on the breeze. Turning in a circle, he tried to pinpoint where the smell was coming from and gasped when he saw black and gray plumes of smoke billowing into the air not too far away.

  “Fire!” he yelled urgently to his brothers and friends.

  “Fuck,” Gabe snarled. “Whatever is burning looks like it’s taken hold.”

  “We have a fire to the northeast of the bed-and-breakfast. From the looks of it, we’re going to need as many hands as we can to fight the blaze before it spreads too much,” Liam Louis said through the communal shifter link.

  “Everyone move!” Tatum King, the unofficial leader of Ambrose ordered.

  “On it,” a few of the men replied.

  “We’re coming,” a few others said.

  “Damn it!” Preston glanced toward the house as they all ran toward the vehicles. “I don’t want to leave the women alone.”

  “I’ll stay,” Daire said and quickly changed direction as he sprinted toward the house.

  Beckett was glad that his brother would be on hand to protect his mate and the other women. He had a bad feeling about this. Even though winter was almost upon them, autumn and summer had been dry with way less rainfall than usual. Most of the county was on water restrictions because of the drought. The grasses in the surrounding region were as dry as toast and would go up like tinder laced with fuel. If they didn’t stop the fire from spreading, properties were going to be lost and the town would be threatened. While he didn’t really care about material things, he’d prefer not to have to start over from scratch. Ambrose had been a ghost town six years ago. It had taken a lot of blood and sweat to make it what it was today, but what concerned him most was the loss of lives.

  That was something he and the other shifters were determined to prevent.

  * * * *

  Gary hadn’t planned on doing anything on the first day he arrived in Ambrose, but the opportunity which had presented itself was too good to pass up.

  He’d followed Nurse Slut and the three men to the outskirts of town, and when he’d seen them pull into the driveway belonging to a bed-and-breakfast, he hadn’t been able to resist. Thankfully, he’d kept well back, waiting until the truck in front of him had turned corners and was out of his sight before he’d continued on. He’d also taken note of the color, make, model, and license plate which had made it very easy to spot the vehicle as it had parked near the huge house.

  As he�
��d continued driving, he’d taken note of how dry the ground and grass was and his plan had begun to formulate.

  He still wasn’t sure how he was going to get to Nurse Bitch without being seen by other guests, but was hoping whoever had rented rooms out for the night were still out and about sightseeing.

  He’d driven a few miles more before pulling over, and using his car cigarette lighter, he’d put the hot coiled element to the grass. He hadn’t been able to stop laughing with glee when the fire quickly took hold, racing across the open fields.

  Luckily, before he’d set the blaze he’d memorized the roads on his navigational map, and now he was well away from the flames. He’d literally driven around a big block, and when he was close to the bed-and-breakfast, he’d pulled his car over, using the trees lining the road to hide his vehicle from view.

  He was just about to get out and head out on foot, but slunk down in his seat when he heard the roar of a fast-moving vehicle. As he peeked out the side window, he smiled as two trucks sped by. Lowering his window a bit, he tilted his head and listened for more traffic, but other than the slight swishing of tree branches and long grass in the wind, it was quiet.

  Gary pocketed his keys, jumped out of his car, closed and locked the door, and took off at a jog. His pockets were heavy with what he needed to take Nurse Bitch out with, but he didn’t give a shit.

  All that mattered was making that cunt pay for the death of his son.

  * * * *

  Daire sighed with relief when he entered the kitchen to find Jaimie, Sage, and Elsa sitting at the kitchen counter chatting.

  “What’s wrong?” Jaimie asked as soon as she saw him. He should have known she’d realize something was going on. She’d probably felt their concern through the newly created bond link.

  “There’s a fire. The others have gone to put it out.” When Daire glanced at Elsa and Sage, he knew they had to have heard what was going on through the communal link. That had him frowning. Why hadn’t Jaimie been able to hear everything? Was there something wrong with their bonding? He mentally shook his head. No. It sometimes took a few days and even a few weeks for the mated woman’s enhancements to kick in. Each and every person was different.

  “Is there anything we can do?” Jaimie asked as she hugged Daire around the waist. He embraced her back before releasing her. “Do you want me to call 9-1-1?”

  “Everything’s already been taken care of,” Elsa said.

  Jaimie turned toward Elsa. “How do you know that?”

  “You didn’t hear all the men through the communal link?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Come and sit back down, sweet thing, and I’ll explain.” Daire guided Jaimie toward the stools, grasped her waist, and lifted her onto a seat before sitting beside her. “As shifters who are very close friends, we’ve got strong emotional bonds. Tatum King was elected as our unofficial leader of Ambrose, and while he might verbally deny he’s the alpha of this province, he is. Anyway, we’re all able to communicate telepathically with each other. We don’t do it often because when we do everyone can hear, so there’s no such thing as privacy. As our DNA works deeper into your genome, you’re going to get enhanced abilities, as well.”

  “You’ve already told me that.” Jaimie frowned.

  “You’ll be able to hear what’s been said through the communal link and reply using your mind, as well.” Daire couldn’t help smiling when she gaped at him.

  Jaimie gazed at Elsa then Sage. “Is he serious?”

  Sage giggled and Elsa laughed outright before they answered simultaneously. “Yes.”

  “That’s just…” Jaimie shook her head.

  “Weird?” Daire asked, hoping his mate wasn’t freaked out by this latest revelation. He wished he and his brothers had remembered to tell her everything, but since they’d lived with these abilities for a long time, they were second nature to them and they took them for granted. It was difficult to explain everything all at once when they were natural to him, his brothers, and their friends.

  “Oh!” Sage gasped as she rubbed her belly, shifting restlessly from foot to foot before she walked quickly toward the pantry door. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Are you okay, Sage?” Daire asked. He was worried there was something wrong with her and her baby.

  “I’m fine. I just need the bathroom,” she called as she disappeared from view. Daire almost chuckled when he heard her muttering about the baby using her bladder as a football. While he was glad he was able to protect the women, he also wanted to be out where the action was. However, nothing was more important than Jaimie, Elsa, and Sage.

  He just hoped his brothers, cousins, and the other shifters got that grass fire under control fast. If they didn’t, the whole town could go up in smoke.

  * * * *

  When Sage came back from the bathroom, Jaimie, Sage, and Elsa got to work preparing food for everyone. While Jaimie trusted the men would be able to douse the fire quickly, she had a feeling that all the guys were going to very hungry and thirsty by the time they were done.

  She had no idea how many sandwiches they made, but it was a staggering amount. By the time they were finished, Jaimie wondered if there was any food left in the industrial-size fridges for Elsa’s guests.

  “How many people have you got staying here?” Jaimie asked curiously.

  “Right now, none, but we’re getting another influx tomorrow, just before the weekend. Normally, I’d be worried about having no bookings, but honestly, it’s been a godsend, hasn’t it Sage?” Elsa asked.

  “Yeah.” Sage sighed. “We’ve been so busy for months.”

  Jaimie nodded. “Do you guys know who wrecked the gazebo?”

  “No,” Daire answered. “From the scent, we think it was a couple of young boys. What the hell they were doing out and about in the middle of the night is anyone’s guess?”

  “But there aren’t any kids in Ambrose, are there? Except for Rose Holly of course.”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any at the motel. They probably snuck out while their parents were sleeping or otherwise occupied.” Daire shrugged.

  Since he didn’t seem overly concerned, Jaimie pushed the subject from her mind. She got off the stool before heading toward the doorway.

  “Where are you going, sweet thing?” Daire asked distractedly. He was standing by the foldaway glass doors that separated the dining room from the alfresco deck area.

  “Bathroom. I’ll be back in a minute.” Jaimie realized as she hurried toward the reception area that Daire was worried. He didn’t usually ask her where she was going but then he and his brothers had barely left her side since they’d first met. She entered the ladies’ bathroom off to the side of the foyer and washed her hands after using the facilities. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but smile. There was a lightness in her gaze she’d never seen before, a happy sparkle that seemed to glow from within. It was easy for her to see the love she had for her mates in her eyes, and she wondered if her mates knew how much she cared for them.

  Tonight, she planned to tell them what was in her heart and hoped they told her they loved her, too.

  * * * *

  Gary jogged along the tree-lined driveway, making sure to stay out of sight of any windows and doors. There were no other cars parked in the huge carport beside the house, and he expected the guests were still out and about, which would make this so much easier. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt an innocent bystander, but he would if push came to shove. He’d knock anyone out if they got in his way of getting his revenge.

  Instead of climbing onto the deck of the wraparound veranda via the steps, he swung himself up onto the outside of the lowest rail and climbed over before creeping along the porch, making sure to keep his steps light.

  He halted outside the double front doors, peeking into the glass on the side, swallowing down his elated gasp when he saw Nurse Bitch disappearing into a restroom.

&n
bsp; After making sure no one was manning the front desk, and testing the front door handle, he smiled maliciously when it turned. He opened the door, stepped inside and went to close the door behind him, but quickly changed his mind. As soon as he had the slut, he needed to get away fast and didn’t want a closed door to hamper his escape. It was going to be easy to control the cunt as she was about half a foot shorter than he was. Gary was in good shape for his age. He went to the gym regularly to keep his body fit and toned. All that hard work was going to pay off since he was bigger and stronger than Nurse Bitch.

  In another few moments, he would be well on the way to getting the vengeance his deceased son deserved.

  * * * *

  Jaimie was still smiling as she came out of the bathroom. She was so happy, she couldn’t wait to see Daire again, and while she wanted to tell him she loved him and his brother later tonight, she didn’t want him guessing before she actually voiced what was in her heart.

  She paused at the start of the hallway to take a deep breath while trying to will her face into an expressionless mask.

  Just as she thought she had herself and emotions under control, something slammed into the back of her head. Pain exploded into her brain and darkness sucked her down before she could blink, take a breath, or cry out.

  * * * *

  “The fires under control,” Crispin said through the link. “We should be finished up in another hour or two.”

  “Do you know how it started?” Daire asked as he stared out the window. Most of the smoke had diminished, only the occasional whips rose into the air.

  “Not yet,” Beckett answered.

  “Over here!” Zayn Strike called.

  Daire wished he could see what Zayn had found, but he was just glad his brothers and friends were keeping him in the loop.

  “Look,” Zayn said. “See how the wind had pushed the flames away from the road. This is the point of origin.”

  “It looks as if it was deliberate,” Tatum snarled.

  “Yeah. The question is why?” Preston asked.

  “Maybe it was the same kids who got their kicks from damaging the gazebo,” Crispin suggested.