My Estranged Lover (Middlemarch Shifters Book 5)

by Shelley Munro

  “Is it safe for me?”

  “Emily comes here, if that’s any help,” Gavin said. “When Marsh marked you, he added feline enzymes to your blood. Now that you have those, you fall into the strange category, and we don’t want humans studying your blood.”

  “I thought I’d received the pertinent information,” she said with a glance at Marsh.

  “Sorry,” he said, his gaze watchful. Cautious. “It’s been crazy since we moved to Glenshee.”

  “But not boring,” she said.

  The anxiety cleared from his expression. “No, never boring.”

  “You can ring me any time,” Gavin said. “Preferably not at two in the morning, but during the day.” He took care of the shot and placed a bright green plaster over the spot.

  Caroline noticed he had a selection of bright colors, and he saw her interest.

  “I like color,” he said. “I have to wear conservative clothes so I don’t attract attention, but you should see my underwear.”

  “That’s true,” Marsh said with a snort. “Have you not noticed the animals of Middlemarch sport bright collars and brands?”

  “I hadn’t, but I’ll be looking now. Thanks, Gavin. How much do we owe you?”

  Marsh took care of the payment, and Caroline waited until he’d finished. It was so good to have money again, to see the pride in which Marsh paid their medical charges. Small things, but they made her happy too.

  * * * * *

  “You must be exhausted,” Emily said as she ushered them into the house.

  “I’m hungry,” Isabella announced.

  “You’re always hungry,” Caroline said. “If I ate half the food you eat, I’d be the size of a bus.”

  “A very sexy bus,” Marsh said and he kissed her, a quick press of lips that sent a zip through her body. Ricky wriggled and Marsh set him on the floor.

  “I’m off to the café, but I’ve left food for you.” She smiled as Ricky yawned, displaying a set of sharp teeth. “I’ll show you your rooms. Ricky, do you want to see your room?”

  He made a sound halfway between a grunt and a yowl and hobbled after Emily.

  “I want to pick him up,” Caroline said after she had settled Ricky and returned to the kitchen.

  “He needs to exercise,” Leo said. “He’ll get the hang of the cast.”

  “When are we going to see your parents?” Caroline asked.

  “I need sleep first,” Marsh said. “I want a clear head when we visit them.”

  “Let me know when and you can borrow a vehicle,” Leo said.

  Caroline glanced at Marsh. “This afternoon? If we leave it any longer, gossip will get to them before we can drop by at the farm.”

  “Gavin won’t talk and neither will we,” Isabella said. “I didn’t see any vehicles, so I doubt anyone saw us.”

  “Isabella would know,” Emily said. “She notices everything. I’ll see you later. Help yourself to food and call me at the café if you need anything.”

  Caroline hugged Emily, tears of appreciation blurring her vision. “Thank you.” She was so lucky she’d met the Mitchells. Every one of them.

  Isabella and Leo left too with instructions to ring them when they were ready to drive to visit Marsh’s parents.

  Caroline poured them another cup of coffee, then she and Marsh cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes.

  “I’m ready for bed.” Marsh tugged her from the kitchen and down the passage to their allocated bedroom. He turned to her a sexy glint in his green eyes. “Are you too tired to make love?”

  “I could do that.” Caroline kept her tone airy, making Marsh grin.

  “Good. Two reasons why we shouldn’t go to sleep straightaway. I want you and if we make love, our scents will combine more. It’s good for my parents to know that we’re mates in all ways.”

  “Eew!” Caroline wrinkled her nose.

  “Forget my parents,” Marsh ordered. “We’re the important ones. Our family.”

  “Yes.”

  Their gazes met and suddenly they were both flinging off their clothes.

  “Wait,” Caroline said. “We’d better check on Ricky.”

  “I’ll go,” Marsh said, and he slipped from the bedroom, not bothering to grab any clothes to screen his nakedness.

  A sin to cover that backside. Caroline smiled and picked up their clothes, laying them over the back of a chair. She liked the way they looked mixed together.

  “He’s sound asleep. I’ll leave the door ajar. He’ll come and find us if he needs something.”

  “As long as he doesn’t walk in on us in the middle—”

  Marsh lifted her off her feet and swung her onto the bed. “I’ll hear him, especially with the cast. Any other objections to getting busy?”

  “Not a one.”

  Marsh joined her on the bed and claimed her mouth as if he meant business. She melted into his embrace, savoring his easy strength and the hard muscles rubbing against her breasts. Just a touch—his touch—pushed her into need. His fingers strummed over her mark, and she moaned, the sound trapped between their lips.

  Caroline clung to him, kissing his mouth, his neck. She bit his marking site, and he froze, his groan of pleasure one of the sexiest things she’d ever heard.

  She bit a fraction harder and broke the skin. The coppery taste of blood should have repelled her, yet strangely, it didn’t.

  Marsh groaned again, and she released her grip. “Lick it,” he said in a thick voice.

  Her tongue lashed out, and he parted her legs. He positioned himself and pushed inside her, filling her with a single thrust.

  His mouth fastened over her mark as he thrust. As always, his touch pushed her hard and high. She kissed the spot where she’d bitten him and his strokes quickened. Up. Up. Up. Her orgasm was quick and powerful, a release of tension. An expression of their love.

  He climaxed not long after her, his big body shuddering.

  “I love you, Caroline. So much.” Marsh’s voice shimmered with emotion.

  She cupped his face and stared deep into his sexy eyes. “I love you too. I am so glad we’ve worked out our problems.”

  Marsh kissed her lips and laughed. “Now we have an entirely new set.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’ll face them together.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything earlier.”

  “You should have,” she agreed. “But you were trying to do the right thing. I should have done things differently too. Talked about our problems instead of hiding my head in the sand.”

  “We’ve both learned. Grown.” Marsh yawned. “I’m tired.”

  “Me too.”

  “Maybe if we sleep long enough we can put off my parents until tomorrow.”

  Caroline laughed. “No more hiding, remember?”

  “Yes, kitten.”

  She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was late afternoon when they set out to visit Marsh’s parents.

  “I’m nervous,” Caroline confessed, glancing across at Marsh.

  “Me too,” he admitted. “But mostly I feel ashamed.”

  Her brows knit together as she struggled to understand. “About what?”

  “The way I let them dictate my behavior. I should have trusted my gut from the start.”

  “We both made mistakes,” Caroline said. “The main thing is that we’ve corrected them and we know where we’re heading now.”

  “To face off with my parents?”

  “No, silly. With our relationship. I am happy. I enjoy living and working at the station. The kids enjoy it too.”

  “I like working for Cam. The other men work hard and make me feel like part of the team. There’s no pettiness or rivalry or any of that shit.”

  She smiled, her happiness bleeding into a visual portrayal of a smile. “So, we’re on the same page. About everything.”

  Marsh reached for her hand and squeezed. “Yes.”

  “Your neck,” she
blurted, noticing the faint raised scar, a match for hers.

  His expression held pleasure as he lifted her fingers to the mark. His skin radiated warmth beneath her fingers. “I was wondering how long it would take you to notice.”

  “I did that?”

  “You did.” Lazy satisfaction coated his voice. “That doesn’t happen with most human-feline pairings. It means we’re meant to be together. True mates.”

  “Really?” Amazement. Delight. Desire. The differing emotions struck her like gunfire. Love. How had she ever thought she could walk away from this amazing man? Her mate.

  “Really.” He slowed Leo’s SUV, then stopped behind a bus, which blocked the road.

  Caroline craned her neck, watched a group of women—teenagers—pile off the bus. “What are they doing?”

  “This must be the padlock fence everyone is discussing.”

  “Um…that doesn’t look like a padlock.”

  “No.” Marsh barked out a laugh. “It’s not. Should I dare you to—”

  “No, you should not. Bras are expensive and we can’t afford to replace mine,” she said in a prim voice.

  “But we will be able to afford sexy lingerie,” he said, his gaze on the increasing number of bras attached to the fence.

  Caroline shook her head and grinned as the women laughed and cackled like cartoon hyenas, clutching each other as they piled back onto the bus. Finally, the bus driver moved off, no longer halting their progress.

  “I heard a rumor that the Feline council doesn’t approve of the lingerie decorating their fence,” Marsh said as they drove past.

  “Who is on the council? Are you allowed to tell me?”

  “You’re one of us now,” Marsh said and told her.

  Caroline pictured the women and wrinkled her nose. “I can’t see Agnes Paisley and Valerie McClintock approving of young women displaying their underwear. I used to see them at school functions. They scared me.”

  “They scare me too. Saber mentioned they have someone clear the fence most weeks.” He glanced at his watch as he pulled into the driveway. “I don’t know if Dad will be at home.”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s your mother I need to speak with.” She squared her shoulders and willed away her nerves. This wouldn’t be easy. She knew that, but she also realized she had to do this for peace of mind. She’d let her in-laws walk all over her. No longer. She was with Marsh for the long haul, and they needed to give her respect. Marsh deserved their respect too since he’d put up with a load of crap from his parents.

  “Looks as if Dad is at home,” Marsh said in surprise.

  “It’s best if we speak with them both at the same time.”

  He halted the vehicle and switched off the ignition. Marsh squeezed her knee and smiled in encouragement. “We’ll give them a united front.”

  “Yes.” Caroline climbed from the car and wiped her palms on her denim skirt. Her in-laws would smell her fear. Too bad.

  The front door to the house opened and her mother-in-law stood in the doorway.

  Her lips twisted. “Well, look what the cat dragged home.”

  Marsh watched Caroline lift her chin and stare down his mother.

  “Is Charles at home?” Caroline asked, her voice cool.

  Surprise flashed across his mother’s face, and that didn’t happen often. “Yes, he came home to get more staples. They’d run out. He’s having something to eat before he heads out again.”

  “Good. Marsh and I would like to speak with you both.”

  “If you think we’re going—”

  “Mum,” Marsh said, slipping his hand around Caroline’s waist. She trembled, and that pissed him off. “Where is he? In the kitchen?”

  “In the dining room.”

  Marsh ushered Caroline toward the dining room.

  “If you’ve come back to ask for your job,” his father said.

  “We had to bring Ricky to see Gavin,” Marsh said, keeping his voice even.

  “You told her,” his mother said.

  “I’m Marsh’s wife.” Caroline focused on his parents. “Why shouldn’t he tell me?”

  “Don’t mean nothing,” Charles said and returned to his meal.

  “I’m his mate.” Caroline stood tall, and Marsh was proud of her.

  Dawn snorted. “You don’t know what you mean.”

  Caroline tugged aside the collar of her blouse to display her mark. “I am Marsh’s mate.”

  “She’s a human,” Charles spat, tossing down his knife and fork. They clattered on the plate and splattered tomato sauce over the cream tablecloth.

  “Caroline is my chosen mate.” Marsh’s tone hit strident.

  “We came to tell you I am aware of the feline community. Marsh and I are mates. There was something else,” she said. “Ricky shifted to feline. He—”

  “Rubbish,” Dawn said. “Why would you tell us such lies?”

  Marsh scowled at his mother, wondering if they’d ever loved him. Their behavior was inexcusable. “It’s true, and there is no need to be rude to Caroline.”

  “She’s a human,” Charles scoffed.

  “I am Marsh’s mate and mother to your grandchildren. Feline children, of which one has shifted already.” She stomped over to the phone that sat on the far end of the table and carried it back to thrust at his mother. “Ring Gavin. Ask him if you won’t believe me.”

  “We are true mates, Mother,” Marsh said and shoved aside the collar he’d arranged to hide his mark. He took satisfaction in the way his mother’s mouth gaped. “Which isn’t the case with you and Dad.”

  “You’re James and Ricky’s grandparents, and I know you love them, no matter what you think of me,” Caroline said. “I thought you should know about Ricky. He has a broken leg.”

  “A broken leg?” Dawn frowned at the mark on his neck.

  “An accident,” Marsh said. “It’s a clean break, and Gavin says it will heal.”

  “Where are you living?” Charles asked.

  Marsh knew what his father was asking but pretended to misunderstand. “We’re staying with Saber and Emily.”

  “Another human,” his father spat.

  “Also happy and mates,” Caroline said with a sweet smile. “Your prejudice is showing.”

  “That’s enough,” Marsh said.

  Caroline placed her hand on his shoulder just as he was about to tell his parents exactly what he thought. “Marsh and I are happy. Our marriage is strong and our sons are enjoying their new home. Ricky and James would like to keep in contact, but neither Marsh nor I will put up with you spouting poison in their ears about humans. I have no idea why you hate me so much or why you’re so horrible to your son. We have no intention of allowing you to spread your prejudices to our sons. It’s up to you how this goes. You behave with decency and treat me as part of the family or you have no contact with your grandchildren.”

  “That’s blackmail,” Dawn said with a gasp. “You can’t do this. I’ll appeal to the council.”

  “You’re not fit to bring up our grandchildren,” Charles snapped.

  “You appeal to the council,” Marsh said, angry at his parents. He’d tried so hard over the years, put up with their rudeness, their lack of affection, their slights to his mate. Hell, he’d even gone along with their edict, and that had almost destroyed his marriage. “The council will side with us.”

  “You will only look stupid. We’re good parents,” Caroline added.

  His parents wouldn’t change. “Let’s go.” He propelled Caroline from the house.

  “I thought we could work things out.” Caroline glanced at him. “I’ve made things worse.”

  “We did the right thing,” Marsh said, twining their fingers together. “Don’t worry, kitten. This is on my parents. We have done nothing wrong.”

  “But—”

  He pressed his fingers over her lips. “No, enough. Guilt kept me persisting, but it’s time. If they want to cling to their bitterness, let them. We don’t have to dance to
their tune any longer. We’ve moved on and so should they. Okay?”

  “You’re right,” she conceded when he moved his fingers. “What should we do for the rest of the afternoon?”

  “Let’s go for a coffee, then I have another idea of a way to fill in time.”

  “But Leo is looking after Ricky.”

  “He told me to take my time. He said he owed you because you’d helped Isabella.”

  “Me?”

  “Something about helping her find a new direction.”

  “Oh.” Caroline climbed into the vehicle. “Isabella is changing my life by investing in material and selling the things I make at the craft fair.”

  Marsh grinned. “If it earns us free babysitting, I’m in favor.”

  “I suggested she hold martial arts classes for the kids and self-defense classes for the adults.”

  Marsh started the SUV and backed up.

  “Marsh.”

  He glanced at her then saw his mother running toward them. His father came outside and stopped just outside the doorway. He wound down his window.

  “Marsh, I’m sorry. You’re right. We want to see our grandchildren. Are…are you staying in Middlemarch?”

  “No, we’re leaving as soon as we’re sure Ricky is okay. Probably tomorrow.”

  “Can we see the children?”

  “James isn’t with us. He stayed at Glenshee Station.”

  “You’re working for Cam Sinclair?”

  “Yes,” Marsh said.

  “Can I see Ricky?”

  Caroline leaned toward Marsh so she could see Dawn. “Ring us at Saber’s. We’ll arrange a time for you to visit before we leave. He’ll be excited to see you.”

  “Thank you, Caroline. I-I appreciate that.” His mother sounded subdued. She nodded and retreated to join her husband.

  Marsh navigated the driveway and pulled out onto the main road. “That was well done of you.”

  “The boys love them. Your parents are good with them. They’ll come ’round and accept me one day.”

  And maybe pigs would fly over Glenshee and perform acrobatics for all to see. “Maybe,” he said.

  When they arrived at the café, they joined Emily and Saber for a late lunch. Saber left to meet Felix, and Emily to cook a birthday cake while he and Caroline had a second cup of coffee. Once they’d finished, Marsh went to see Tomasine who was working the counter. He purchased a cupcake for Ricky and spotted something else. Ah.