by Reina Torres
No, her shop wasn’t for high end clothing that Locke’s mother obviously favored, but it wasn’t a dump either. Clean and cozy, the clothes she made and sold weren’t about fashion but function and fit. She wanted woman to feel comfortable and show themselves off in the best manner possible.
It might not appeal to this… this woman. But it wasn’t meant to.
Not everything was meant for everyone, that’s why things were special.
True had told her the same thing over and over through the years and Katherine had been just starting to believe it, but people like… other people made it difficult.
“Hello?” Ellen Asher took a step in her direction and snapped her fingers. “Hello? Are you awake?”
Oh please, oh please, let this be a nightmare!
“Yes, ma’am. I don’t know what else to say. He’s not here and I don’t know where he is.”
“Then you can’t be the person I need to speak to.” Ellen took a few steps toward a display and stopped to look back at her. “You should call someone, hmm?”
The dismissive wave didn’t change a thing for Katherine. She was still standing in place completely confounded.
It was impossible to believe that someone as amazing as Locke had come from-
“Why aren’t you calling?”
It was crazy to admit it, but at least the answer she was going to give her was the truth. “I don’t have a phone number for him.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” She waved her hand near her cheek as if she was trying to cool herself from the heat.
That wasn’t so bad, but it was the relief on the other woman’s face that was difficult to look at. Katherine could only describe it as the relief that she would feel if she stepped in something, only to realize a moment later that it wasn’t dog poop.
Yeah, that was hard to see.
“For a moment there I thought the two of you…” Ellen Asher couldn’t even say it. She shuddered visibly and sighed in relief. “That’s a complication I don’t need.”
Okay. That was it.
Sure, sure, people had said worse to her in the past. True’s pseudo family included. But that was in the past and she had a different mindset now. Or at least she was trying to hold onto one.
Nodding her head, Katherine walked across the shop toward the front door. When she reached it, she sucked in a fortifying breath and pulled open the door. The bells above the door didn’t make their sweet peal of sound. No, this time they created a tinny clash of sounds like a whole drawer of silverware upended on the floor.
“Ma’am, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you to leave.”
Whoa, that didn’t feel good at all. Her stomach wasn’t just tied up in knots, it was turned upside down. Bile crept up to the back of her tongue, souring the moment even more.
To say that Ellen Asher didn’t like hearing the words was a vast understatement. Apparently, she could dismiss anyone else, but it wasn’t allowed to happen to her.
“Excuse me? What did you just say?”
Time to double down, Katherine told herself. What else could she do?
“I asked you to leave.”
Part of her heart winced at the very sound of the words, but something else inside of her told her to lift her chin and look the woman in the eye.
Okay, so she didn’t quite look the woman in the eye, but Katherine looked over her shoulder and pretended to meet her gaze.
Maybe the woman wouldn’t know.
“How rude!”
Maybe she didn’t even care if Katherine met her gaze or not.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I-”
When or how it happened, Katherine would never truly understand.
One moment, she was holding herself together and the next moment she was literally swept off of her feet.
The sharp pang of pain at the back of her head came from the wall.
The sudden lack of air in her lungs darkened the edges of her vision. Panic followed and Katherine raised her hands, swiping at the air and trying to find a way to free herself.
Ellen looked down at her from her superior height. “Don’t scratch, little girl. If you cause a rip, I’ll take it out of your hide.”
If Ellen had screamed the warning, she couldn’t have been more terrifying. Somehow the soft whispered threat with its punctuated syllables had a more chilling effect.
Katherine wasn’t going to argue. Couldn’t really.
All she could do was try to lengthen her legs and find solid ground, but even that wasn’t something she could count on. Her vision was nearly gray, and her mind was slowly shutting down.
The face that loomed above her own wasn’t elegant anymore. It was drawn as if the skin was too tight for the face beneath it. The shape of her eyes had lengthened, glowed amber in contrast with the fangs that were suddenly visible under her lip.
In the handful of times that she’d seen Locke shift, she’d never seen him keep his human face in the same way.
She made one last grab for the fingers locked around her neck, but she had little hope of making Ellen release her.
A tear managed to squeeze its way out and slid down over her cheek.
If only she could be like that tear, Katherine wondered, could she escape then?
Fuck.
The instant he’d heard Kimberly from the front desk say the word mother, Locke had taken off at a run. He didn’t even bother shucking off his clothes before he shifted.
At least he’d managed to make it outside the resort lobby before he made a dive for the hedges surrounding the property and come out the other side a streak of golden hide and sandy mane. He moved through yards and over fences. He pounced over cars and skidded across asphalt.
There was only one thought in his head and a driving need in his heart.
Katherine.
He needed to get to Katherine.
Locke had no idea why his mother was in Mystic. As far as he knew, she had no idea where he was living. Nor did she care to know.
And he was happy with that.
When Kimberly said she’d sent his mother to Calico, the only feeling he’d had was panic.
There was nothing maternal about Ellen Asher. The woman should never have been a parent or allowed any interaction with children, shifter or otherwise.
He couldn’t imagine that she’d changed much, even with the years stretching between them.
For years all she had done was try to control him, control his brother.
If she was looking for him, no matter what the reason, it wasn’t going to end well.
The car in front of Calico wasn’t familiar to him, but it was pretentious enough to belong to his mother. He leapt over the hood and came to a quick stop before the door. All he could see was Katherine’s pale, lifeless complexion, and his mother’s hand around her neck. Blind panic made him want to go through the door, but they were too close.
He had to believe that she was alive, or that she could be saved, but the door was an obstacle he couldn’t go through.
So, he went around.
The front window which Wren had painted with graceful leaves along the edges for decoration suffered the most and glass imploded into the store.
Separating his mother from Katherine was too delicate an action to perform as a lion. He lacked the dexterity to put a hand from Katherine’s throat with a massive paw. Locke ignored the pain lancing through the soles of his bare feet suffered cuts.
Maybe he shocked his mother by his sudden appearance. Or maybe it was as simple as she didn’t initially recognize him, but he used her momentary hesitation to pull her away from Katherine. He heard the snap and crack of bones as he bent them back and away from Katherine’s neck. He didn’t care the damage he was creating. His focus was on his mate.
And the world could have fallen down around his ears, but the one thing he was going to do was make sure that she survived.
Locke leaned down over her body and held his ear over her mouth. He couldn’t feel a thing. His head
to her chest brought some hope. Her heartbeat drummed inside of her chest, but there was no movement of breath.
He couldn’t sit there and wait for help. He needed to get it himself.
Locke picked her up in his arms, holding her as gently as he could, but also as close as he could manage. There wasn’t a moment he wasted for the woman screaming at him, railing against his treatment of her.
He turned his back and left, rushing two doors down on the boarded walkway to the General Store. Wren’s frightened face appeared in the window of her gallery and by the shuffle of sound behind him, Locke knew that she was following him.
Good.
He could use her support.
He could use any support at all.
The door opened up ahead of him and Harry Huang held it open with a nod. “Go inside! Go inside. Georgia is waiting.”
He’d been in the backroom of the store, but that was years ago when he was still reeling and struggling to find his way in the world. He’d been stupid and dangerous. Foolish enough to think that he could be indestructible.
Georgia had put him together enough that his preternatural healing ability could do the rest. He’d been lucky to have her open her door to him, a stranger just arrived in town.
When he went through the door, he avoided meeting Georgia’s eyes. He knew he’d see gentler emotions in them. He could handle that when he knew that Katherine was going to be okay. Until then, he needed to hold onto his rage.
And his fear.
Letting it go would only make him fall prey to despair and Katherine needed a man who would fight for her. He could do that, but only like this.
He set Katherine down on the table and struggled to hear the words that streamed from Georgia’s mouth. Harry was there and helped his mate how he could. That left Locke standing beside her, clasping one of her hands in his, murmuring to her.
Begging. Begging for just a breath. A look. Anything.
He heard the sharp, sympathetic hiss of Georgia’s voice. “Aiya! Look at the damage!”
“So much. Almost too much for a woman her size.” Harry shook his head and whispered softly. “For a human.”
It was Georgia’s answer to her husband that caught Locke’s attention.
“She’s more than that.” She tapped him on the shoulder. “Bring me my needles.”
Katherine felt like she’d been plowed under by a snowplow. Or maybe it was one of those ice-slug things.
Zamboni.
She smiled. Zamboni. It even sounds big.
True’s laughter echoed through her mind. Enough dirty thoughts, sweetheart. Now wake up before Locke loses his mind.
Locke!
She came awake with a gasp, drawing air into her lungs a little too fast. To repay her for the affront, her lungs pushed it back out again and she turned to the side, coughing.
Hands. So many hands.
But they offered help. Holding. Steadying. Soothing.
True. Georgia. Wren.
Their presence gentled her panic. Their energy lent her some strength.
And when Katherine regained control, breathing carefully again, those hands released her into the embrace of her mate.
And yes, that was how she thought of him.
How could she not?
As she fought to survive, her first and last thoughts were about Locke. How much she wanted to be with him. How much she wanted to love him.
There was so much more to the life ahead of her that she clawed her way back from the edge of death, for him.
Being back in his arms, feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath somehow made it easier for her to breathe through the pain. The soft, soothing touch of his hands on her back, the tender exploration of the back of her head eased the ache and chased away some of the noise in her head.
“I’ve never been so scared.”
It took her a moment to realize that he’d spoken the words, but she would have said the words herself if she could.
“Don’t speak, baby. Georgia said you’re going to be sore for a while.”
Katherine opened her mouth to talk before remembering that she wasn’t supposed to. Instead, her hands touched his cheeks and drew him closer to her.
He went willingly and when they touched, forehead to forehead and nose to nose, she could smell the scent of his skin, the tears that welled up in his eyes.
She could smell fear and panic as well. That could have been from either of them, but the way it hung in the air made her think it was Locke. His worry. His suffering.
Katherine turned her cheek until she could lean on his, enjoying the strength of his arms around her.
How? She let the word fall between them, echoing in the silence. How did you know?
He shook his head. “We’ll talk about that later, baby. I just need to know you’re okay before I go and kill my mother.”
Her hand fell to his forearm and she dug her fingers into his muscled flesh.
No. She shook her head. No. You can’t!
“Yes, I can.” He leaned into her and pressed a kiss too achingly soft that she was sure it was just a dream. “I’m going to find out what possessed her to hurt you like that. Not that there’s any excuse.”
Katherine took one of his hands in hers and squeezed tightly. She’s your mother.
“She’s never been any kind of a mother, Kitten. Not to me anyway.”
Heavy footfalls traveled through the floorboards and Locke picked her up in his arms, holding her gently against his chest as Aaron Winter paused in the doorway.
Katherine saw the worry in Aaron’s face, and it didn’t change much when he saw her.
Worried that she was causing him pain, Katherine lifted her hands to block the others from seeing her neck.
Locke placed a kiss on her forehead. “He’s already seen the damage, Baby. You don’t have to hide if from him.”
“Or from any of us.” Georgia moved closer and set a comforting hand on Katherine’s back. “We’re here for you, Katherine.”
The support they expressed eased her pain a great deal.
“I’m so glad Locke got here in time.” Aaron’s roughened voice sounded very much like the growl of a bear. She hadn’t seen him in his animal’s form, but True had told her that it was quite a sight to see the massive Polar Bear, especially in the snow. His next words were for her mate and Katherine found herself holding her breath for just a moment. “We have your- We have Ellen in the private conference room at the resort. Xavier is keeping an eye on her for you.”
Katherine felt Locke tense against her, and she set her hand on his chest, trying to offer her support. “Let’s go.”
“I can see her later. You should…” She felt the weight of his concern in the strength of his gaze and the heavy throb of his heart against his ribs. “Your shop. The window.”
She heard the sorrow in his voice and almost smiled. “Whatever happened can be fixed.” Her voice scratched painfully in her throat. She should have let it rest like he’d told her to, but she couldn’t stand to see him worry. “You should see her and talk. I’ll go with,” she had to mouth the last word, you.
That was the extent of her voice for the near future and honestly, she was almost glad for it. The pain was excruciating.
She could tell that Locke was likely to fight her about her suggestion, but it was True who came to her rescue.
“Let her go with you, Locke. It’s times like this that family matters.”
Katherine saw the flicker of anger in his eyes and knew that he was thinking about Ellen. About the women he said was his mother.
Unable to speak, Katherine tapped his chest so that he would look down into her eyes. When he did, she pointed between the two of them, his heart and hers. Family.
He nodded and lifted her in his arms to press a kiss on her lips. “Yes, we’re family.”
Eight
Ellen Asher looked different than the last time he’d seen her. Of course, it had been years since that day. And Locke ha
d looked at her then through the eyes of a son whose heart was breaking in a thousand pieces.
Looking at her now, all he could see was a woman on the verge of death.
A murderer.
Locke felt Katherine squeeze his hand in support and he felt some of the anger in him bleed out. It was Katherine who helped even out his temper and keep his focus on the conversation ahead.
“You told Aaron you wanted to talk to me.”
She straightened her back into a regal posture that he was all too familiar with. “I told him I wanted to explain.”
Again, he felt Katherine’s reassuring presence at his side.
“Then explain.”
Ellen’s cold assessing look turned to his mate. “When she leaves.”
For a split second, he wanted Katherine to go so he could tear into Ellen in a half a dozen painful ways.
Instead, he drew Katherine closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, lending her his strength as she did for him. “Katherine stays. She’s my mate.”
Ellen drew herself up and stared at Katherine as she scoffed. “You didn’t mark her.”
“The mark isn’t the only thing that binds us together.”
“If you haven’t already made the mistake there’s still a chance to fix it.”
The cold tone in her voice sent a chill through Locke. “Don’t make the mistake of threatening her. If it comes to it, I’d kill you to protect her.”
For the first time since their unfortunate reunion, Locke thought he saw a bit of fear in her eyes.
“You should know why I came here in the first place, Lochlan.”
He bristled at the sound of his given name. “Locke. People call me Locke.”
“Commonplace,” she grumbled.
“I don’t care what you have to say.” He shook his head. “Just tell us why you’re here so we can forget you ever came here in the first place.”
“You’ll do no such thing, Lochlan. You’re coming back home with me.”
“I am home.” He spit out the words harder than he’d intended. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”