by Martha Woods
“Hey, kid.”
The wolf huffed and growled. Michael never appreciated being called kid. Liam chuckled and continued toward the cabin. He mentally prepared himself to take in the sight of his ill mother who was visibly withering away, and to deal with his father’s lecture on family duties.
The door opened before he reached the porch. A broad shouldered man, almost the same height as him, stared at him with cool disdain. Green eyes much like his own narrowed. “What brings you by?”
Liam sighed and pushed past his brother. “I’m here to see Father, Lucas. Where is he?” He didn’t have time for his younger brother’s pettiness.
“What are you here to see him about? What, have you decided to take on your responsibilities?”
The resentment in his brother’s tone normally would have hurt, but not tonight. There were more important matters to deal with than his fractured relationship with his immature sibling. If there was indeed a hunter in town, they were all in danger.
“How about you mind your business and get out of my way before I have to kick your ass, Lucas?” A growl rumbled deep in his chest and his eyes glowed yellowed, as he tried to hold on to his temper.
Lucas sneered and stood down. He knew without a doubt that Liam could easily take him down. He watched with something akin to hatred in his eyes as Liam passed him and exited the living room. When he entered the kitchen, he stopped.
“Mom, what the hell are you doing?” He rushed toward her, taking the cup she held in her hand. “You should be lying down.”
“Liam, my darling. I didn’t know you were stopping by tonight. What a pleasant surprise.” She swatted at his hands while he gently pushed her toward a chair. “Stop fussing, I’m not dead yet,” she said with a chuckle.
His jaw clenched. “Please don’t joke about your death, Mom.”
Leah sighed. “I was just getting some water, dear. I was going to go right back to bed.”
Liam studied his mother’s pale features. She looked like a slight breeze would topple her over. “Couldn’t Dad have gotten it for you? Or Lucas or Michael?”
He was tempted to pick her up and take her home with him, where he could hire a private nurse; where she could get better care. The middle of the woods amongst a pack of wolves was no place for a woman suffering from stage five brain cancer. He had offered many times to take her away, but she insisted that her place was here with her husband and her pack.
Swallowing a curse, he poured the water into the glass and placed it in her hand. She smiled up at him and took a few sips. “Oh, my sweet boy, you were always so gentle and caring growing up -”
“And those qualities will have to go when he takes on leadership of this pack.”
Liam stiffened at the sound of the gruff voice. It was the voice that had reprimanded him many times for not being a true wolf. His father, Isaac, stood in the doorway. He was a towering figure with cold green eyes staring at Liam. There was a time when he was intimidated by the old man. Now that he was older and just as imposing as his father, he regarded him with indifference.
“Good night to you too, Dad.”
“Stop treating your mother like a child. The exercise will do her good.”
Liam shoved down the urge to throttle his ignorant parent. Isaac had always detested weakness and Leah needing assistance in her ill state was considered weak. His wolf snarled inside of him as his anger mounted. Taking several deep breaths, he reminded himself that he wasn’t there to fight with anyone.
“There’s a hunter in town,” he blurted out. There, he said it. Now he could leave.
“What?” Isaac straightened, his eyes flashing with menace.
“You heard me, Dad. So I suggest you reign in the pack until he or she skips town. I just came to issue the warning.”
“How do you know this?” Isaac growled.
“Oh, you know. The hunter tried to kill me with an arrow made of pure silver, that’s all,” Liam murmured sarcastically.
Leah gasped and Liam immediately cursed his insensitivity. He should have taken the conversation outside. “I’m fine, Mom. It was no big deal.”
Isaac was silent as he contemplated what he’d just heard. Liam took the opportunity to escape. He took his mother’s hand. “Come on, Mom. Let me help you to bed before I go.”
Liam held on to a frail Leah as she climbed into bed. He stared down at her with a frown. “Come and stay with me.” He knew what she would say but he had to try again. Maybe, by some miracle, she would see reason and accept.
Leah smiled and rubbed his much larger hand gently. “You know I can’t leave your father, Liam. He would see me leaving as a betrayal.”
“Just like he saw me leaving as a betrayal.”
She averted her gaze, taking on an aura of despair. “Why did you leave, Liam? You are his oldest son. You knew you were next in line to lead out pack.”
Liam gritted his teeth. He’d never quite explained to his mother his reason for leaving because he knew she wouldn’t understand his need for freedom and independence.
“Why I left no long matters, Mom. Years have passed and I’m back now.”
“But you refuse to take your place as alpha.”
“I didn’t come back to be accepted back into the pack, much less lead it. I came back for you.” When he’d gotten that phone call from his father two months ago, he hadn’t hesitated to come back home. If his mother only had months to live, he would put aside his pride and resentment of pack life and run home. “I came because you asked me to.”
“Yes, my dear Liam, so you could fix your relationship with your father and Lucas and so you could look out for my baby, Michael. I wanted us all to be together again… a happy family.”
“Mom -”
Liam grunted and closed his mouth. He was about to tell her that they had never been a happy family. The dysfunction had nearly driven him insane. Seeing his father’s treatment of his mother had bothered him, not to mention how he treated his children. There had been no gentleness, no display of love, no real parenting on his part. Isaac had children out of duty, to procreate and strength the pack, and that was what he expected of all the males. Females were seen as nothing more than breeding machines. He wanted no part of such a ridiculous and archaic government. Unfortunately, most wolf shifters refused to let go of the old ways.
“I’m going to go, Mom.” Yes, it was best if he left before his father or brother decided to start trouble. He didn’t want Leah to see him fight with any of them. He bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
“And you’ll think about taking over?”
She looked up at him with hope in her eyes and he didn’t have the heart to tell her no. “Sure, Mom. I’ll think about it.”
She smiled. “You’re such a good boy.”
He gave her a slight smile. Yeah, that’s me. A good boy. He was seriously contemplating doing something that he was against just to make his mother happy.
Chapter 5
Skylar paced outside of Liam’s bedroom, waiting for him to come out. It was still quite early, earlier than he usually started working. But the suspense was killing her. Her one week had been up yesterday and he hadn’t said a word about her employment status. Was he waiting on her to ask him? Should she even be the one to enquire or wait for him to say something?
“I’m going crazy,” she hissed.
Maybe it was unprofessional of her to be waiting outside of his bedroom. She paused. Yes, it was totally unprofessional. She ran agitated fingers through her hair and let out a breath. She refused to let him see how desperate she was for the job so she decided on going back downstairs.
Skylar forced out a smile for Farah’s benefit when she walked into the kitchen. The older woman chuckled under her breath and shook her head. Skylar’s eyes narrowed. “Good morning, Farah. And what is so funny?”
“You, child.” She snorted and opened the oven, letting out the delicious scent of fresh biscuits.
Sky
lar’s mouth watered and her stomach growled. She had been so anxious she hadn’t bothered to get anything to eat before heading upstairs. She watched with hungry eyes as Farah placed the baking pan on the huge island. “What did I do?”
“I saw you run up the stairs earlier and you were mumbling to yourself. For a second I thought, just maybe, hanging around Mr. Conway drove you to insanity. But then I remembered that your one week trial is up.”
Skylar snickered. “His constant silence is maddening, isn’t it? But that isn’t what’s killing me. It’s the waiting. I mean, shouldn’t he have said something yesterday?”
“Relax, Sky. I’m sure you’ve got the job.”
Her eyes widened and she jumped up, gasping. “How do you know? Have you heard something?”
“No, she hasn’t.”
Skylar whipped around and immediately flushed. “Mr. Conway - Liam, hi, good morning. Should I have brought your coffee up? I can make you a cup now.”
“Please, calm down. You look like you’re ready to jump out of your skin. Are you always so energetic in the morning?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
Liam smirked. “I heard your little feet rapidly pacing in front of my bedroom not so long ago.”
Skylar pursed her lips, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’m not a creepy weirdo, I promise.”
“I know. You’re just anxiously waiting for me to tell you that you’ve got the job so you can breathe easy.”
“Yes, I mean I thought you would have said something -” She stopped when she realized his smug expression and Farah beaming. “Wait, I got the job?” Letting out a delighted squeal, she threw a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, too loud. Thank you so much. I would hug you right now but that would be inappropriate.”
Liam let out a laugh and then seemed surprised himself. He cleared his throat. “You’ve been great so far, very efficient, and you work magic with numbers.”
Wearing a broad smile, she held out a hand. When he enveloped her hand with his, her breath hitched. She didn’t have much physical contact with him, but the few slight brushes here and there always cause a catastrophic reaction on her inside.
She ignored her galloping heart and the tingling warmth that spread up her entire arm and said, “Thank you again, sir.”
Liam swallowed, glancing down at their entwined hands. “You deserve it. And this is yours.” He released her hand and handed her an envelope.
Skylar glanced at him with knitted brows before looking inside. “Oh, no, you don’t have to pay me. I haven’t worked a month yet.”
“I thought I should pay you for the trial period, or you can just think of it as an advance. I figured I would pay you in cash this time around. And you haven’t had a day off, so take today.”
“Okay, thanks.” She stared up at him, not sure what to say next and he stared back. Luckily, Farah interrupted the awkward silence.
“See? I told you.”
Skylar’s gaze jumped to her and she pranced toward the woman who had become a friend in just a matter of days. Throwing her arms around Farah, she said, “You’re stuck with me now.”
Farah rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, no, now I’ll have to suffer through you chatting my ears off every day.” She pinched Skylar’s cheek and returned to preparing breakfast.
Skylar took a deep breath and let it out. Things were coming together. She had a great job, a generous employer, and a new friend. She didn’t feel so alone anymore. Sure, she had her father, but he wasn’t much in the way of company. Glancing at Farah, she grinned. At least now she had someone to talk to. And with her salary, she would pay off her mother’s medical bills sooner than expected.
“Are you alright, Sky?”
She blinked and glanced at Liam. “Huh? Oh, yes, I’m fine. I think I’m going to go into town and celebrate.”
His brows shot up. “That small town doesn’t offer much in the way of celebration.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just so excited right now, I can’t keep still. It’s time I explored the town anyway.”
He nodded. “Will you be alright on your own?”
“I’ve gotten used to being alone.”
Liam gave her a strange look. “Alright.”
“I’ll see you guys later.” Skylar turned and ran to fetch her car keys.
* * *
Cayden pulled the police cruiser over and eyed the woman across the street with interest. He’d been in Boulder Junction for a week now and it was the first he was seeing her. He watched her as she chatted with Mrs. Porter, the librarian and biggest town gossip. When the stranger smiled, her entire face seemed to light up. She was gorgeous, petite, and blonde, with legs that seemed endless in a pair of shorts. He knew he shouldn’t allow anything or anyone to distract him from his mission but he couldn’t help himself. How long had it had been since he’d last gotten the opportunity to simply sit and appreciate a female?
He was just looking. It didn’t hurt to look and appreciate from afar, right? Then he found himself opening the car door as soon as she stepped off and waved at Mrs. Porter. He told himself he was doing his job, he had to check out the new arrival in town to make sure she wasn’t a threat. She could be a shifter, witch, hell a damn fairy for all he knew. The possibilities were endless. Cayden froze before he made it across the street and let out a laugh.
What was he doing? Even if the woman wasn’t human, what would he say to her? Just as he was about to head back to the car, he caught sight of a group of four boys watching the newcomer. He let out a sigh. One week he’d been on the police force and he’d seen one or more of those boys in a jail cell at least twice.
“This police gig is a pain in the ass,” he muttered and marched toward the woman who was bent over the driver’s seat placing her bags inside.
Cayden took the opportunity to admire the view and let out a low whistle. Sending the boys a warning glance, he stopped in front of the woman’s open door. She yelped when she straightened and turned around.
“Hi, I’m sorry to have frightened you.” Her eyes dropped to his badge and then back to his face. Cayden looked into clear, blue eyes and was instantly enthralled.
She smiled. “It’s okay, Officer. I’ll live,” she said, clutching her chest.
The motion drew his attention to her lovely cleavage but he forced his eyes upward. “You had a few admirers so I thought I would come over.” Her gaze followed his to the group of boys who were snickering as they walked away.
“Oh, goodness, they’re just teenagers.”
He grunted. “Don’t be fooled. You want to avoid those four. They’re trouble.”
She frowned. “Thank you, officer…”
“Benet. Cayden Benet.”
“Nice to meet you, Officer Benet.” She stuck out a hand. “I’m Skylar Moore.”
“Welcome to town, Ms. Moore.”
She giggled. “I guess a new face is noticeable in a small town.”
“I’m pretty new here myself, but I would definitely have remembered seeing such a pretty face.” He regretted the words the instant they spilled from his lips. God, what a lame pick up line. But Skylar didn’t seem put off. She blushed and averted her gaze. Maybe he wasn’t so bad at this after all.
“So how long have you been here?” he asked.
“A week.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, me too.”
“What brought you to a small town like Boulder Junction? I’m sure it wasn’t the lively party scene.”
Skylar laughed. “No, that definitely wasn’t it.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Work brought me here, actually.”
He shoved his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels. He wanted to press for information but didn’t want to appear too pushy or desperate. “I see. I guess that job isn’t in town since I haven’t seen you around.”
“Well I work for a recluse who lives in the woods.” He frowned and she laughed. “This is my first time in town. I came to get some ic
e cream to celebrate. Nothing like packing on the calories to celebrate a new job, right? Anyway, I should get going before it gets too dark. I’m not used to the roads yet.”
He couldn’t help smiling because her laugh was infectious. “I hope I see you again soon, Ms. Moore.”
“Please, Sky will do.” She paused. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
He watched her get into her car and start the engine. Do something, do something. “How about we exchange numbers to make sure that happens?” He held his breath.
Skylar studied him for a few seconds before saying, “Sure.”
Cayden let out his held breath and rattled off his number and then took hers. When she drove off, he smiled. There was no rule in the hunter manual that said he couldn’t have a little fun with a pretty woman while he did his job. Plus something she had said stuck with him. Was she serious about working for a recluse who lived in the woods? It could have been a joke but he would still look into it.
Chapter 6
Liam stiffened and held his breath while Skylar fixed his tie. She had taken him by surprise when she walked up to him with a smile and took the piece of silk into her hand. Her proximity made his wolf claw at his insides, trying to get closer to the owner of the sweet smell that made him go wild. Mine, the wolf growled.
No, not yours. Pipe down. Liam fought for control of the beast and won. The beast hiding under the surface had been clawing to come out since laying eyes on Skylar a month ago. It was getting more difficult with each passing day in her presence. He had convinced himself that she was a distraction he didn’t need and had ignored the way being near her made him come alive. He stared at the top of her blonde head with a frown, which he quickly wiped away when she looked up.
“There, perfect.” she beamed.
“Thank you,” he said hoarsely.
“No problem. So are we all set to go?”
“Sure.”
She whirled around and rushed to the door. “I need to get my purse from my room.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks again for the dress.”