by K L King
Throughout his life, he had purposely, and painfully, kept all women at arms’ length because of his family history. He never wanted to be the cause of the terror he remembered in his mother’s eyes. So while he was curiously attracted to the curvy baker, he refused to let Iris end up like his mother. He could befriend and even protect the newcomer, but he couldn’t give in to the deeper feelings he thought he might have for her.
At the beginning of his last shift at the station, Heath had called him into his office and tried to make him see that he wasn’t his father. Deke had tried to “yes” him to put an end to the difficult conversation, but Heath then pulled out the big guns. He threatened to tell his parents, now their parents, about Deacon’s repeated nightmares if he backed out of his “not-date” with Iris. Deacon was surprised that Heath knew about his plans with Iris. May must have told him how interested he was in the newcomer. If he thought talking about these sensitive issues with Heath was mortifying, it would be magnified by a factor of 10 if he had to discuss his personal demons with his former alpha and the kind human who had become his second mother. Deacon hated bringing up his past, especially with Ted. The former alpha had been consumed with guilt over his failure to protect Julie and Deacon; they were his responsibility, and he believed he had failed them. Thank God for Annie, his wife. She had helped Ted deal with those feelings of guilt and failure years ago before they consumed him as well. Deacon owed so much to all the Jensens. He couldn’t stomach the thought of disappointing them so he agreed to Heath’s demands.
He was going to meet Iris in the parking lot of the Palmer Trail at about 1PM. He had a little time to rest before he had to get ready. He set his phone alarm to wake him up at nine in the morning. Five hours should be enough sleep. He was almost out cold before his head hit the pillow.
Chapter 14
Tuesday went by in an excited blur. Iris took Riley with her to the shop since he was acting a little strange that morning. He didn’t seem sick, but he did seem a little jittery. He had trailed her around the cottage like a shadow that morning, even following her into the bathroom while she took her shower. The dog was well-behaved in Tessa’s office with Iris taking him out several times to stretch his legs and do his business.
Tessa’s Treats was crowded as usual during the early morning hours. In spite of herself, Iris was so anxious about her “not date” with Deacon that she had to use her meditation exercises to focus on the task at hand—the baking. Today was the day she brought out her strawberry shortcake donuts. As it neared autumn, she would start to bring out the fall flavors like caramel apple crunch and pumpkin latte, so she wanted to impress the customers with a few more summer varieties while she could.
She loved coming up with unusual varieties. She couldn’t wait until the holiday season when she planned to bring out her candy cane crunch filled donuts. Her mouth started watering as she thought of the fluffy, whipped mint cream filling and the pink buttercream frosting with sprinkles of crushed candy canes that she had first made last winter. She had brought them to a women and children’s shelter in Providence last Christmas Eve and had received handmade cards from several children as thanks.
“Iris, there is someone here who would like to have a word with you,” Tessa’s tinkling voice chimed from the kitchen door.
“OK. Be right there.” She left her worktop, took off her hairnet, and peered into the mirror near the kitchen door to fix her loose French braid. It was no use, she thought as she tried to tidy up her hair. Iris dusted powdered sugar off her apron front as she strode into the public area of the bake shop.
As she passed through the door, she couldn’t help the gasp that came to her or the heat that rose to her cheeks as she took in her visitor. Deacon was at the counter dressed in jeans and a dusty blue T-shirt that made his eyes pop. The shirt was tight across his broad shoulders. The short sleeves showed off the black tattoos covering his arms. Iris’s mouth started to water. I just want to lick those arms… She shook her head to clear those thoughts from her mind. She never acted like this. Oh, my God! Get a grip. She schooled a “customer service smile” onto her face.
“Good morning,” she said as calmly as she could to Deacon. “Did you finally come in to try some donuts?”
“Yes, ma’am. This is the only way I can get them. May never saves me any at the station. You’d think she would help her own brother out.” He chuckled. “So, what does the chef recommend?” The small smile that now covered his face made him even more handsome.
“I think you might like one chocolate Nutella-filled and one of my newest creations, a strawberry shortcake.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“And here’s some coffee, because who can have donuts without my fine brew?” Tessa brought over two cups on a tray. “Iris, I think it’s time for your break.” She gestured over to a table in the corner with a quick nod of her head.
“Thanks, Tess.” She took off her apron and followed Deacon to a quiet corner table set for two.
Deacon pulled out one of the chairs for Iris and then sat across from her. “I hear you girls had a nice time last night.”
“Yeah. I like May a lot. She’s a lot of fun. She’s got so much energy. Sadie’s really great too, very kind. I haven’t been out like that in a long time.”
“Well, I’m glad then. May’s fun for a lot of people except her older brothers. It’s hard to keep her safe when she is someone who likes to have a lot of fun. She has no fear, never did, not even when she was a pu—kid.”
“I’m glad I got to meet her. I didn’t have a lot of friends back in Providence because of my anxiety and my family. When people found out who I was related to, they immediately assumed I was a rich snob. They didn’t know I didn’t want anything to do with my family’s money. As soon as I could get a job and save my own money, I did. People here seem a lot friendlier in general, too.”
“Well, I’m glad they were idiots in Providence.” At Iris’s frown, Deacon continued, “Otherwise you might still be there.”
She stared at him in surprise.
His face was red. “I mean, Tessa would be in trouble if you hadn’t moved here. She keeps going on about what a help you’ve been.”
His face went blank as he devoured his first donut. Iris wondered what was going on with him.
He groaned. “These are really good. They taste so different than what you usually find in donut shops.”
Iris smiled brightly. “Thank you.”
“You’re still OK with meeting at the trailhead at one?” It was eleven thirty at this point.
“Yep, I’m almost done here. I’ll be ready. I’m going to bring water in my backpack. Should I bring anything else?”
He bit into his second donut. “Nope, we won’t be out for more than a few hours. That should be fine…that is, if you still want to go”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Iris was confused.
“I’m not sure it’s a great idea. There’s been some reports of some large animals in the area. It may not be the safest right now.”
“I’m confused. I thought the trail was pretty safe.”
“It usually is, but recently…” He stared at the table as he continued to eat. “Wow, I finally understand why May never shared her donuts with me. You’re some kind of donut genius.”
“Thanks, but explain about the trail. What’s going on? What large animals? I mean if you don’t want to go, that’s fine. I’ll bring some pepper spray and Riley. We’ll be fine.” She stood up to leave the table.
“No, I’m going.” His voice was loud, commanding. She sat back down. “If you really want to go, I’m coming with you. I meant it, too.”
“Meant what?” Iris was so confused.
He quickly polished off the strawberry shortcake and drained his coffee. “The donuts, they’re great. I’ll see you in a little bit.” Deacon exited the bakery without giving her a glance.
Iris stared at the front door. He looked tense and was acting strange. What the hell? At first, h
e had seemed happy to see her, but then became agitated. Whatever, she thought miserably. He probably only insists on going with her out of some obligation to Tessa. I don’t need to have a babysitter. He should’ve just said no.
She was pissed off now. What she originally thought would be an invigorating, yet relaxing, exploration of the hiking trails around her new hometown, now had the potential to be an uncomfortable situation with a man who had seemingly been forced to accompany her. She sighed deeply. I know. May gave me his phone number on our girl’s night out. I’ll just text him not to bother. That should do it. It was a coward’s way out, but she didn’t want to hang out with someone because of a sense of duty or pity. Not anymore.
*
Iris pulled her jeep into the parking lot at the start of the trail a little before one o’clock and scanned the area. About a half an hour after Deacon had left the bakery, she had texted him. Deacon, this is Iris. I think Tessa may have overstepped some boundaries in asking you to go on the hike I had planned. I’m fine going by myself. It’s no big deal.
She had received no response. So, good, he must have gotten the message. She shut off the engine, stuffed her keys in her pocket, and was hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders when the rumbling of a large vehicle stopped her in her tracks.
She turned slowly and saw Deacon’s shiny beast of a pickup coming up the drive. Shit, maybe I texted the wrong number, she thought, glancing down at her phone.
As he came toward her with a small pack on his shoulders, he said, “Nope, I got your message, but I told you I would come, and I keep my word.”
“Well, at the shop, you didn’t seem like you wanted to come. That’s totally fine. I’ll be OK. Like I said before, I don’t need a babysitter or a bodyguard. I’ll be OK by myself,” Iris said, angrily turning her back on Deacon and storming up to the head of the trail.
A hand touched her arm causing her to jump. Deacon was standing at her side with a pained expression on his face. “Sorry. Look,” he said quietly, “I do want to be here. I grew up running around these trails. It’s a great time. I just… I haven’t been sleeping very well. Sorry if I gave off weird vibes before. It has nothing to do with you.”
Iris searched his face. He seemed sincere. After a few moments, she conceded. “OK…as long as you’re sure.” She glanced at him warily.
Deacon smiled at her in return. “I am. Let’s go.” He held out his arm for her to proceed. “After you.”
Palmer Park consisted of close to eight miles of trails of moderate difficulty. While dogs were allowed, Riley had seemed a little out of sorts the past couple of days so Iris was relieved when Tessa had volunteered to keep an eye on him. The skies were a clear blue, and puffy white clouds dotted the sky. The trails were well marked and without much traffic. They had been maneuvering along the well-worn paths in relative silence for the past hour and a half. Every now and then, Deacon would point out a specific flower or tree. He explained that his foster mother, Annie, was really into flowers and had enlisted him to help her with her garden soon after they took him in.
“It was our thing, the garden.” A smile brightened his face as he spoke of Annie.
“Was? Does she not work on it anymore?” Iris asked as they maneuvered through a denser area of trees.
“No—I mean yes,” he stuttered. “She still works on it, but I don’t have much free time to help her anymore. I’ve been working on fixing up my own house. For the past couple of years, whenever I get some free time, I’ve been working on the house or the yard. Trying to make it real nice for a m—” He stopped talking and immediately focused his attention on the dense forest to their left. Deep green, towering pines covered the land to that side.
“What’s going on?” she whispered, moving closer to him.
Deacon remained still as a statue. His entire body had tensed up, freaking Iris out. His gaze had not wavered from whatever had grabbed his attention. He was like an arrow that had been drawn taut against a bow, ready to fly toward some distant target.
Iris tried to see what he was staring at, straining her eyes at the area that had captured his interest. Focus, breathe deeply, think of the woods and look. Really see. The words just popped into her mind as if someone was instructing her. She took three deep, relaxing breaths and opened her senses. She focused all of her attention of her sight. The rest of the forest shrank away, and her eyes narrowed onto her targets. Iris jerked back a step. She could see them now, three large light brown cats stalking back and forth.
“Shit! There’re lions out there,” she whisper-yelled to Deacon. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him toward her. “There are three of them. We have to get out of here.” Somehow— she didn’t know how—she could hear them hissing and growling as well. She could tell they were pissed at something. She tried to focus harder. Was it her? They were pissed off at her? That didn’t make any sense. How could she tell what wild animals were thinking or feeling? The beasts were prowling back and forth as if they were planning something.
“Shhh,” he hissed at her. “Keep still. We’re not going to run anywhere. Those are cougars. They’re predators. If we run, they will hunt us.”
A tremble raced through her body. “What do we do? Do you have your gun?” she whispered, stepping even closer to him.
“No, I don’t need a gun.” He turned to her briefly.
Iris recoiled. “Your eyes!” His eyes were yellow.
He grabbed her by her shoulders and brought his head down to her face. He said quietly, but not unkindly, “Iris, I need you to do everything I say. I don’t have time to explain everything to you right here.”
She flinched.
Deacon sighed and then blurted out, “Fuck. We’ll be OK. Just stay close to me. We’re going to continue on our way. They’re just watching us, trying to fuck with us.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him.
Iris numbly followed Deacon as he moved quickly through the trails still holding her hand firmly. She didn’t understand any of this. How could the cougars be fucking with them? Why were Deacon’s eyes yellow? How were they going to defend themselves without a gun? They continued up the trail, deeper and deeper into the dense forest. About twenty minutes later, Iris could see the sunlight shining through a clearing. As Iris stepped around Deacon’s now stationary figure, she gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
Chapter 15
Deacon agreed. The view from the top of the trail was gorgeous. Deep green trees covered the land for miles around. The clear blue waters of Grey Lake glistened in the sunlight. Deacon took in the beauty around him and nodded. “It really is.” He walked over to a large rock and leaned back against it.
Iris shook her head as if trying to clear her mind. She walked over and stood in front of Deacon with her hands fisted on her hips. “Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?” she demanded, looking pissed as all get out.
He stared down at her and smiled.
“You think this is funny?” she hissed.
He tried to school his features into the most serious face he could make. It was hard since she was so cute. She was like a pissed-off puppy. “No, I don’t think this is funny. Not at all.” As he peered back at her irate face, his smile returned.
“Aah! You do. You think this is funny. I’m leaving.” Iris huffed at him, threw her hands in the air in exasperation, and then started back down the trail.
Deacon grabbed her arm as she moved by him. “I’m sorry. It’s just…you look very pretty out here in the wilderness. Please just come back. Sit.” He gestured to the rock that he had been leaning against.
“You’ll tell me what’s going on?” Iris countered and then squeaked when he lifted her by the waist and sat her on the rock.
“I’ll tell you what I can.” He leaned back next to her. “What is your first question?”
She turned to her side to face him and grabbed his head with both hands, surprising the hell out of him. He stilled. It was hard to concentrate with both of her soft
hands on his skin.
“Why are those cougars tracking us? You said they were watching us, but they’re tracking us, right?”
It was so freaking difficult to focus with all of her attention on him. A zip of energy thrummed through his core. He shuddered avoiding her gaze.
“No, look me in the eye. I need to know what’s happening. I need the truth. Please.”
“Those cougars aren’t normal. I mean, they aren’t like animals you would normally find in nature or the zoo. They’re special.” Deacon paused and glanced at Iris to gauge her reaction. She was listening intently. She wasn’t freaking out. She nodded, so he continued. “I wasn’t supposed to talk to you about this yet. I was told by my alpha to wait until you were ready, but things have gotten complicated since you punched one of them.”
“What do you mean? I didn’t punch any cougar, and what’s an alpha?” Iris asked in an increasingly panicked voice, still grasping his head in her hands.
“Remember those guys who were harassing you at the hardware store? You remember hitting one of them, right?” Deacon asked, pulling her hands from his head and holding them both in his.
“Yes, those jerks got arrested. What do they have to do with anything? Are the cougars their pets? Did they train them?”
Deacon gripped her hands tighter and said in a calm voice, “This is going to be hard to believe, but I want you to try to listen to what I’m going to tell you.”
Iris nodded.
“Those cougars aren’t their pets. They are the cougars. They are shifters.”
“Who’s a cougar? What’s a shifter?”
“They are people that can change into animals, people that are both human and animal.”