by Sky Winters
“Fine,” I said. “But I’ll pay you back somehow.”
“Pay me back by coming to breakfast looking proper,” Alex said with a grin. “Make Eustis put his foot in his mouth. He’s an asshole, I’d love to see it.”
I grinned.
“He reminds me of someone from where I used to live,” I said, making my way to Alex’s closet. I picked out a couple of outfits, feeling lowly the whole time.
“Sorry to hear that,” Alex said with a laugh. He went to a dresser on the far side of the room and rummaged through it. He came back to me holding a pair of pajama pants and a soft white t-shirt. “Why don’t you go get some rest now? Working for Paul can be a bit grueling. You’ll need your energy.”
“Thanks,” I said, surprised by how easy it was becoming for me to talk to Alex. He was very laid back, and I couldn’t get over the depth of his blue eyes. He seemed nothing like Jake. Actually, he was the kind of guy Jake would tease mercilessly. As far as Jake was concerned, there was no excuse to show weakness. And kindness, in his eyes, was a weakness.
“It’s no problem,” Alex said. “See you in the morning.”
He grinned, and I noticed he had a dimple on his left cheek. Why was he so attractive? I was probably just vulnerable after being betrayed by my first love.
Alex closed the door behind me with a soft click and I made my way back to my bedroom. It would be nicer than I could imagine to get these clothes off.
“Decker!”
Alex’s voice startled me from down the hallway. “I forgot to tell you. There’s a laundry chute in the bathroom of your room; throw it down there and someone will throw your clothes in the wash and return them to you.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks.”
Alex grinned at me and then disappeared.
Chapter 7
“Rise and shine, Mr. Decker!”
Penelope’s voice was followed by loud banging. I groaned and looked at the clock. It was 6:00 in the morning. I sighed loudly. I had hardly gotten any sleep. I was haunted by the memory of Jake’s betrayal, and hadn’t been able to get the sickening image of him hanging all over Walker out of my head.
“Breakfast is on the table, get it while it’s hot.”
I sat up feeling like death itself. At least this time I wouldn’t have to go downstairs and face everybody in the same filthy outfit. Alex really had made the night before go by a lot easier. I don’t know what I would have done if I had been forced to keep the clothes that I had been shamed in in my bedroom all night. The scent of Jake and Walker lingering on my clothes would have driven me insane.
“Morning, Decker,” Miss Abby said in her deep southern lilt. She smiled at me. I stared at her, questions welling in my head. Before I had a chance to ask anything else though, the dining room was bustling with activity. “Good mornin’ everyone!”
Everybody mumbled a greeting to Miss Abby and arranged themselves around the table.
“Eustis, I believe you had something you wanted to say to this young man,” Miss Abby said, her voice genial but her eyes staring sternly at him. Eustis looked sheepishly down at the table and then cleared his throat.
“Sorry, Mr. Decker.”
His face was red, and I almost laughed. I could see who the alpha was around here.
“You didn’t know,” I said. “It is rude to come to a meal so filthy.”
Soft chuckles filled the room, and Miss Abby cleared her throat.
“Thank you, Eustis. Now, let’s get this day started proper.”
The seating arrangement was the same as it had been the night before, and I snuck a glance at Alex. He returned my look, a shy smile creasing his face. I couldn’t help but fight the warmth that flooded my chest. He seemed like such a sweet person. It was a nice change. Jake was always putting me, and everybody else, down. Then he would get mad and tell us not to get bent out of shape if he went too far. How could I not have seen that he and Walker were more suited for each other all along?
“So what are your plans, Mr. Decker?” the elderly man with round spectacles asked. “How long do you think you’ll be staying?”
“I’m not sure, sir,” I said. I wished everybody would stop asking me about the future. I had barely gotten out of the worst day of my life so far.
“Call me Mr. Lewis. This is my wife, Mrs. Lewis.”
“Nice to meet you, sir. Ma’am.”
Mrs. Lewis nodded in acknowledgement and went back to her meal.
“As I was saying,” Mr. Lewis continued. “About your plans.”
“Leave the boy alone,” the heavy man said. I felt a surge of relief.
“That’s enough, gentlemen,” Miss Abby said. “Roger, I appreciate your concern for Mr. Decker. And Mr. Lewis, please do us all a favor and mind your business.”
Mr. Lewis nodded graciously, and everybody got back to eating. I was relieved to find that breakfast was a lot more comfortable than supper had been. I was beginning to enjoy listening to the banter. They all had their own sense of humor, and it was nice to be around so much activity. It kept my mind off of the mutiny. But only a bit. It was still lurking behind my every thought. I was surprised the darkness inside of me wasn’t rolling off in waves.
“Hey Decker, are you ready to get going?” Alex asked.
“Oh, sure.”
I had almost forgotten that Alex had offered to take me out. I could barely hold my head up long enough to comprehend what was happening. Jake and Walker had really taken a toll on me. I wished I could feel anything but this depressing blackness. Anger, rage…something powerful. Not this vulnerable, weak depression. It wasn’t in my nature. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. Maybe I really wasn’t cut out to be an alpha after all.
“How did you sleep?” Alex asked as we strolled to the dirt lot where several beat up cars and trucks were parked. He led me to a light blue truck and got inside.
“I kind of didn’t,” I sighed, ducking into the passenger’s seat.
“I had a feeling,” Alex said. “We don’t have to go see Paul today. Like I said, he works us hard.”
I glanced at Alex, who was wearing a black t-shirt. It was tight around his muscular biceps. I could definitely tell that he was a hard worker. If I wasn’t so depressed I might have been attracted to him.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. I held his gaze a little longer than I meant to, and he averted my eyes and focused on the road ahead of us.
“All right, man,” he said. “It’s your call.”
“No, let’s go.”
I was firm, and Alex smiled; a tiny gesture that electrified me. I was immediately repulsed by myself though. There was no way I was ready to move on. Jake had been everything to me.
“All right,” Alex said, his soft voice breaking into my thoughts. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 8
We were quiet until Alex pulled into a long dirt driveway. We were heading even deeper into the marshes, into a property that was almost so far out of town that it might as well have been its own island. Alex parked and got out.
“Paul!”
A huge, brawny man with dark brown eyes and a bald head appeared from behind the dingy shack where I was sure he lived.
“What?”
“I brought someone I’d like you to meet.”
“I’ll be damned,” Paul said, bounding toward us with impressive speed. “You look just like Krane!”
I proffered my hand. “He was my father.”
“Aw man, Alex. You should have given me more notice than this, man!” Paul reached out and seized my shoulders, pulling me into a strong hug. I could tell he meant no harm, but it was still off-putting.
“All right, big guy,” I said, pulling away and patting his broad chest. “That’s enough.”
“Sorry, man. It’s just I last saw you when you were like 3 years old. Used to come out here with your folks all the time.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember much of that. Just scents sometimes…little memories.”
“I underst
and. So you here just to say hey, or…?”
“I thought maybe you could put us to work for a while,” Alex said, glancing at me. He could probably tell I was uncomfortable. “Miss Abby’s putting him up like she did for me.”
“Ah, tough break,” Paul said, shaking his head. I thought it was odd. Everyone acted like they knew exactly what was going on with me. But how could they? My mother had always told me that my father lived in the Bayou because it was a normal place full of normal people. But I was beginning to get a feeling that there was more to it than that.
“What do you think?” Alex asked.
“Of course! Anything for Krane’s kid, man. I mean, you’re awesome too, Alex, your mom was just…she was a classy lady. But Krane was like a brother to me. Hey man, I’m sorry about what happened to your dad. That was unbelievable.”
“Thanks,” I said, avoiding his gaze. It was strange to talk about my dad. I had never brought him up to anybody but my mom. Most people would never understand the complexities of losing a parent to another bear shifter, let alone both parents. Although they were separated, they had both been casualties of misplaced aggression. Shifting was dangerous, especially around people who weren’t part of your own pack. It was immediately registered as a threat, and caused many needless fights and even more needless deaths.
My parents had always been of the mindset that a person should be able to shift whenever and wherever they wanted. At first, that was why they had gone to the Bayou so often. They felt like the rich foliage was a great cover for them so they could be themselves without anybody else watching. Unfortunately they weren’t very compatible.
“So what kind of work do you do here?” I asked, anxious to change the subject. It was still hard for me to think about my parents. Although I had been raised to be independent, the wounds that were left from losing them prematurely were always going to be painful.
“Gotta be honest, man, it’s tough stuff. Right now we’re putting a new roof on Ol’ Lady Allestar’s place. After that we have a lot of projects lined up.”
“So construction?”
“Right,” Paul said grinning. “But we work fast. If you don’t keep up, you might as well stay in bed.”
“Got it,” I said. I was exhausted, but I was getting the feeling that spending time with these men was going to be just what I needed. It was time to get to work.
Chapter 9
Paul led us to the area behind the shack where he had been working before we arrived. He was filling a wheelbarrow full of shingles, and had a tool box sitting beside it.
“One of you, grab that toolbox,” Paul said, hoisting the wheelbarrow up. “The other one, go in the shed over there and grab the ladder.”
I was closer to the shed so I ducked inside. It was dark and musty, and the smell stirred something within me. I was suddenly sure I once referred to Paul as my uncle, and felt a wave of grief wash over me.
“So,” Paul said casually as we made our way to Old Lady Allestar’s place, “You do a lot of shifting anymore?”
I looked from Paul to Alex in shock. What a thing to say out in the open! Even if he had known about my father, he had no right outing me in front of Alex. What was he going to think?
“It’s all right, kid!” Paul said, his eyes twinkling. “You’re not alone here.”
“You’re not,” Alex said, removing an amulet from his neck and looking steadily into my eyes. I suddenly caught a strong whiff of bear shifter. I was shocked, and more than that I felt unbelievably stupid. I had been so wrapped up in my own drama and sadness that I had completely missed the fact that this town was crawling with others like myself. I had been worrying about nothing.
“That’s right,” Paul agreed. He also removed an amulet, and my senses were overwhelmed by the scent of two black bear shifters. But something was strange about them. It was clear that they weren’t from the same pack.
“Wait,” I said, pausing mid-step. “What’s going on here?”
Paul sighed heavily, dropping the wheelbarrow and massaging his bald head for a moment. Finally he looked at me and grinned.
“We’re the outcasts.”
Alex pursed his lips, looking down at the ground. Apparently he was still sore about the subject. I felt a strong pang of sympathy for him. Alex looked anguished when his gentle features were drawn in like that.
“You mean…?”
“That’s right, boy. We’re just too hot for the world to handle. So we made this place for ourselves. And other people like you. And you know the weirdest part? It works. Lost and lonesome shifters who have lost everything stumble upon this place like magic. No rhyme or reason. Just follow their instincts and show up in the one place in the world they can be accepted.”
It was hard to take all of this in at once. Did that mean my father had been an outcast?
“Seems you got bit by the bad luck bug,” Paul said pleasantly, lifting his wheelbarrow again and urging us along.
“Something like that,” I muttered.
“Well, I’m not going to ask you what happened. You’re entitled to your privacy. It’s kind of against the code here to go prying into other people’s past.”
That was a relief. “Thanks.”
Paul didn’t acknowledge my gratitude. Instead, he bellowed, “Here we are!”
My heart sank as I looked upon a dilapidated little house that, if it had been within city limits, would have been condemned long ago. A feeble woman was slowly making her way outside, squinting at us from her porch.
“That you, Paulie?”
“That’s right, ma’am. And company. Krane’s boy is here.”
The old woman paused for a moment, her face slacking in disbelief. “You don’t mean lil’ Decker?”
“That’s right, ma’am.”
To my surprise, the old woman started crying.
“Well you folks come on in,” she said, turning toward the doorway without bothering to wipe her tears. “I reckon we have some visiting to do.”
Chapter 10
If I thought the little town was antiquated, it was nothing compared to Ol’ Lady Allestar’s place. Going through her doorway was like walking into another century. Alex glanced at me.
“You okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I said. But the truth was, I was shaken. All these people who knew me, or really, who had known my father. Were all of them rogue bear shifters? I had never even dreamed a place like this was possible.
“Sit down boys,” the old woman said. She sank down in a big armchair, and up close I saw that her body was seized with tremors.
“I’m gonna bring out some lemonade,” Paul said, disappearing from the room. “Mrs. Allestar here makes the best in the world.”
“What did those bastards do to you, boy?”
The old woman looked hard at me, and I was shocked by how she cut to the chase. “You aren’t hurt, are you?”
I was hurt. More hurt than anyone could imagine. But she surely meant physical wounds. I had managed to get out in time.
“No, ma’am.”
The old woman’s lips creased into a smile. “Polite boy. Miriam did right by you.”
I frowned and looked down at my hands. My mother had refused to take me to see my father for so many years. And when he did come by, it was in the dead of night, when she could hardly refuse him without making a scene. I had taken to sleeping less and less to make sure I wouldn’t miss him.
“How is Miriam?”
Another dagger twisted in my heart. “Dead.”
“Oh,” the old woman said, more to herself than to me. “I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. No matter how sorry anybody was, it wouldn’t bring my parents back.
“You have a home here, boy,” the old woman said, looking hard at me. “But don’t let that make you complacent. You were born to lead. Don’t you dare give up after one setback. You know where you belong.”
Alex looked from the old woman and back to me inquisitively. Our conversation mu
st have been quite a sight.
“Lemonade!”
The dire look left her face and Mrs. Allestar smiled sweetly. “Thank you, dear boy.”
Paul beamed and sat a tray down on the coffee table in front of us. He hadn’t been exaggerating; it was the best lemonade I had ever had, and stirred another memory from deep within me.
“All right,” Paul said once all our glasses were empty. “Let’s get started.”
Chapter 11
Work went by with surprising speed, and Paul decided to treat us to drinks at the tavern once the roof was finished.
“Did you see Ol’ Lady Allestar’s face when we left?” Paul asked. He seemed delighted by the old woman, and it was no wonder. She treated him like a favored son.
“She was really happy that she won’t have to fish out buckets to catch water anymore,” Alex agreed, smiling broadly.
Although it felt nice to do a good deed, I just couldn’t summon up the ability to smile. The old woman had unlocked questions and memories I would just as soon forget. On top of everything that had happened with Jake the day before, I just couldn’t seem to find any reason to smile.
We drank late into the night, and Paul left first.
“Have some work to do in the mornin’,” he told us apologetically. I was honestly a little relieved to see him go. I was tempted to ask him all he could tell me about my father’s life in the Bayou.
Once we were alone, Alex and I sat at a quiet booth together. He was across from me, and I had a chance to really take him in for the first time. His face was strong, and had a dependable quality that made him seem instantly likeable. His hair was short, and he had a strong neck and broad shoulders. He was strong, and, more compelling, he was a bear shifter.
“Hey, listen,” Alex said, sipping on his beer. “I know Paul said it’s frowned upon to ask people what their stories are. But if you ever want to talk about it…I’m here. I won’t judge you.”
I was surprised by the offer, but more surprised by how quickly after it was given that I felt compelled to spill my guts.
“Thanks,” I said quietly, fighting back the urge to do so. I wasn’t sure how many people in town were shifters, but I was beginning to notice more and more of the mysterious amulets that seemed to disguise the bear’s scent.