She opened the door and shoved him through. “Petite fleur? I’ll give you petite fleur.” She gave him one final shove and slammed the door.
Gage stood there grinning at the door for a long moment, listening to her mutter and stomp around on the other side. She was a bright, incandescent flame when she was angry. And strong. There is nothing like a strong, sweet-smelling woman.
Whistling, he went to get a comforter and spare pillow from the linen closet. With two unmated males right across from her, and two more just down the hall, he had no intention of sleeping downstairs on the couch. But she didn’t need to know that. Gage was sure none of the guys would say anything. It was just what you did.
He padded back down the hall to his door, listening to her movements inside until he heard her settle and the light under the doorframe went out. Then he made himself a little nest in front of the door and settled down to sleep, feeling more content than he had in quite a while.
***
It was well past midnight when Cray rose naked from the soft quilt Elizabeth had laid on the rug in front of their wood-burning stove. She watched him through slitted eyes as he banked the fire for the night. She lay sprawled, boneless and replete, feeling the pleasant warmth of the fire kiss her skin. Unfortunately only one side of her was toasty warm, the side that faced the fire. On the other side, she felt the chilly prickle of goose flesh where Cray’s warmth had been. But she didn’t think she could move. Ever. Cray was very inventive in front of the fire. Inspired, actually. And he’d clearly meant for this to last them for a while.
He bent and wrapped her gently in the quilt, then lifted her in his arms and carried her to their bed. He placed her down and then tucked the covers all around her. She felt like a baby burrito being put to bed.
He smiled down at her, for once his expression soft and open. Bending down, he kissed her softly on the lips, and then the forehead. His expression changed then, going serious.
“Elizabeth. You have to promise not to leave the territory while I’m gone. Not for any reason.”
She sighed but knew this was something she had to give him. “There goes mani-pedi day.”
“Elizabeth.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “I promise.”
“Not for any reason.”
“I promise, Cray.”
“Good.” He kissed her again, deeply. Straightening, he brushed one finger over her wedding and engagement rings, but didn’t say anything.
She swallowed hard.
“Be careful, Cray.”
“I will.”
Five minutes later she heard the deadbolt on the front door slide home, and he was gone. Elizabeth stared up at the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. She’d never slept in here alone, and it felt strange. She knew without asking that Cray would have arranged extra security around the cottage. He would have someone posted nearby. He didn’t take chances with her safety.
But that didn’t stop the knowledge that Greg was still out there from poking at her. Her ex-boss had managed to evade the police for months, and she was the only witness to his crime. She couldn’t help wondering when he would turn up again.
It was a long time before she drifted into a fitful sleep, still wrapped in the warm bundle of blankets Cray had placed her in.
Chapter 10
Mari stood on the porch, clutching a steaming cup of peppermint tea. There was a flock of funny little dark birds industriously poking through the snow on the grass. They weren’t sparrows— although they were about the same size. These birds were a lot darker. And plumper. And cuter. They hopped around as if it were perfectly normal for tiny little songbirds to play in the snow. As if they belonged there.
Mari felt a wave of longing and set down her tea on the railing, digging in her pockets for her mittens. She wished she were back home in North Carolina watching the sun come up over the little lake beside Sandy Shores Motorhomes. She used to like to walk there in the morning before her shift at the diner, when everything was quiet, and the day seemed fresh and clean. She could ignore the trash and empty beer cans that seemed to spring up overnight, no matter how many times she picked them up.
She would pretend she was someone else, that this was her private estate, here by the water, her private domain, and she had only to say the word and whatever it was she desired would appear. But it was wishing that had gotten her into so much trouble to begin with. Believing that someone else could lift her out of her troubles and just wipe them all away, like waving a magic wand.
God, she was so young then. Thinking that money was the answer to all life’s problems. But no. Even then, she’d known that wasn’t true. But with her mother so sick and the bills piling up, and Lauren busy with her own family— it had been easy to pretend.
And along came Jerry to play right into your little fantasy.
She picked up her tea and headed down the steps, scattering the little flock of birds as she went. Before she knew it, she was relying on Jerry for everything. And for a time—a very short time—he had seemed like the answer to all her prayers.
And then came that moment of disillusionment. When everything she thought she knew crumbled into dust and she was left holding the empty shell of a life—trapped in a cage of her own making—and wondering how in the world she had gotten there.
Seeing Bridget yesterday had brought it all back. That first sickening crack of Jerry’s fist on her ribs, hitting her so hard he knocked her into the dresser, scattering the little collection of perfume bottles she’d been so proud of.
She blinked rapidly and pushed that memory out of her head. Jerry was gone. He had no power over her anymore. But have you just handed your power over to someone else instead? Too weak to stand on your own two feet?
She kicked at the snow sticking to a tuft of grass and watched it scatter. It had felt so good in Lucas’s arms yesterday. So safe. Like nothing and no one could touch her there. Like she belonged. But did she? Or was she just kidding herself again, trading one false savior for another.
“You are mine, Mari. Everyone knows it.”
She shivered. That was just the type of thing Jerry would say.
You know it’s different, Mari. You know it. Lucas would never hit you. Never.
But control her? He wasn’t above that. And he wasn’t about to let her go either. Not that she wanted to go. Not really. She loved it here with the pack. She smiled sadly. Her pack. Only it wasn’t. It was Lucas’s pack. Never mind that she had surrounded herself with a group that would do anything necessary to keep her safe— had done so already. That still didn’t make them hers. At least—
She huffed out a breath and glanced around at the frozen landscape. She had a growing certainty that what she really needed was some independence. Some distance to put things into perspective. But Lucas would never allow it. He couldn’t. Because of the Law.
That stupid fucking Law.
She turned back, kicking viciously at the snowy grass. She’d call Lauren again this afternoon. Her sister didn’t want to pull the kids out of school midyear, but Mari was pretty sure she’d convinced Lauren to move in the summer. At least if she had her sister close, that would be something.
She looked up to see Gage on the porch. He was leaning on the railing, watching her. She felt a little stab of remorse. Poor Gage. She’d kind of taken out her mixed-up feelings on him. After what Bridget had said, she had the uncomfortable feeling that she should have at least given him the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t like she actually suspected him of beating Bridget. If it had really been an accident that Bridget saw him shift—
“Mari, ma petite. Are you well?” Gage’s voice was warm with concern.
She made a face and shrugged. “I miss my sister.” Trust Gage not to hold a grudge.
He nodded. “Do you think she will come?”
Mari shrugged again. “She’ll come up for vacation after the kids finish school. If she can find a job she likes— maybe she’ll stay. That’s the most she’s willing t
o promise.”
Gage made a sympathetic noise and leaned lower over the railing to brush her shoulder with his as she came up the stairs. “We will check all the papers when the time comes and have a list of places she can try.”
Mari smiled at him and set down her cold tea. “Good idea.” She stood next to him at the railing, gazing out at the frozen ribbon of the Rabbit River. “So, Bridget seems nice.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “She made quite a stir though.”
Gage straightened. “She did?”
Mari felt a laugh bubble out of her at the memory. “She said the People must be a sub-species of humans.”
“She what?”
Mari shook her head, still grinning. “Straight-faced and everything. You should have seen the look on Aster’s face.”
Gage just gaped at her then glanced back toward the house.
“She’s okay, Gage. Really tall— but then again, so are you, and I don’t hold that against you.” She winked and picked up her cup. Turning, she nudged him with her shoulder as she went by. It hit him more like the middle of his bicep, but good enough. She glanced over her shoulder to see his face relax into a bemused smile. She smiled back and went inside. At least things were back to normal with Gage. Lucas was another matter.
***
Gage stared after Mari and shook his head. Sub-species of human? He grinned, imagining his sister discussing that with Dean. What he wouldn’t give to hear that conversation. Well, his Bridget was a scientist. And she wanted to know everything about the People. Fine. He’d take her everywhere. Even over to see Dean. Why not? It worked for Boaz.
Gage tucked his hands in his pockets and headed back inside. There was no sign of Mari, but Bridget stood by the coffee pot pouring herself a mug. She was still a little grumpy about being woken up, but hey— a man’s got to dress.
He felt his grin widen, remembering the sight of her standing in his doorway wearing one of his tees. She had a ferocious scowl on her face, and her bright copper hair was sleep-rumpled and wild around her face. She was a tall woman. The shirt didn’t reach much past her hips, leaving a long expanse of well-developed thigh on display.
This time it had been his turn to push through the door, pressing one hand flat on its surface and opening it wide enough to brush past her. “Excuse moi, ma chouchoutte.” He crossed the room to the dresser and pulled open the drawer.
She stood in the door, blinking at him. “Did you just call me a turnip?”
He looked up from the dresser and opened his mouth, but she stuck out her hand.
“Never mind.” She gestured at him and the dresser. “I’ll just leave you to it. I’ve seen this show twice already.” She grabbed her clothes, which were neatly folded on a chair, and headed for the bathroom.
Gage hummed under his breath as he stripped out of his sleep pants and pulled on a pair of compression shorts followed by training pants. Digging around, he found a black long-sleeve tee at the bottom of his drawer. It was a little tighter than he usually liked, but under the circumstances—
“We can go to your apartment and collect your things after training,” he called through the bathroom door.
“Good,” came the slightly muffled reply. “I’m getting really sick of washing out my underwear each night.”
Gage froze where he stood. Had she been completely bare under that tee? He glanced at his rumpled bed and swallowed. He could hear her rustling around inside the bathroom. Probably pulling on her clothes. Or maybe— stripping off that shirt?
The image that sprang to mind went right though his body. He grabbed a pair of socks and beat a hasty retreat. “I’ll meet you downstairs,” he called. Compression shorts weren’t going to cut it if she caught him in this condition. He was trying to make her more comfortable around him, not alarm her.
The scent that greeted him in the great room took care of the problem though. Mari was up already. He could smell her mint tea. But it was the unhappiness that laced her scent that disturbed him. What happened between her and Lucas yesterday? As he trotted down the stairs, another thought stuck him. Maybe she is still angry and upset with me?
He’d gone out on the porch to check, but he was reasonable sure now that wasn’t it.
“Who’s Jesse, and how come he’s on a team by himself?” Bridget’s words snapped him out of his thoughts. She stood by the fridge examining the breakfast chart. “According to this, it’s his turn to make breakfast.”
Gage came around the island and grabbed a mug, accepting the container of milk she held out for him. “You’ll meet Jesse in a few minutes,” he said, wondering if he should warn her. “I heard him go out earlier so he will probably be back with bagels or something any minute. And he's on a team by himself because nobody trusts Zeke to make breakfast on his own.”
Bridget raised her eyebrows, and he went on.
“Zeke used to be on Boaz’s team. They’re brothers, remember?” She nodded and he continued. “But then Boaz mated Nina and they moved out. So Eli, Zeke’s other brother, joined his team, leaving Jesse on his own.”
“Ah. I see. It looks like Eli and Zeke are the team to beat. What do they usually make?”
“Oh, it varies. They’re up tomorrow, so we’ll see what they come up with. Last time they made steak and eggs, so that bumped them up a bit. Jeff is on some crazy hash phase where he just chops a bunch of stuff and throws it in the pan, with mixed results. That’s why he and Lucas have dropped down again. They were doing okay for a while.”
“Hmmm…” Bridget took her coffee and settled into the breakfast nook on the far side of the kitchen. “And Mari made eggs and sausage yesterday.” She tapped a finger thoughtfully against her coffee cup. “Maybe we should do something baked, like banana bread or cinnamon rolls.”
As Gage opened his mouth to reply, he heard Jesse’s car pull up in the driveway. “That sounds good,” he said absently. He really should say something, but he settled for scooting into the booth beside her instead. It would make it harder to see her face when she first saw Jesse, but it would prevent the man from getting too close, which was probably more important. Jesse’s reputation wasn’t entirely undeserved.
And then there he was, pausing in the entrance like a rockstar expecting homage. Out of the corner of his eye, Gage saw Bridget’s mouth drop open. Jesse’s lips twitched in a wicked little smile, his blue eyes squinting slightly as they took in the scene. He hoisted the bag he was carrying higher in his arms, exposing a strip of bare skin above his jeans.
Gage felt a growl rumble at the back of his throat and swallowed it back. Jesse’s smile widened.
“So. This is what you’ve been hiding, Gage.” He set the bag down on the counter and continued over to where they sat.
“This is Jesse.” Gage kept his tone light. “We try to keep him contained, but sometimes he gets out.”
Jesse grinned. A real grin Gage was pleased to see. Then he leaned over the table and offered Bridget his hand. She took it. Well, she’s human. She doesn’t understand. Then again, he hadn’t actually claimed her. Or at least Lucas hadn’t accepted his claim.
Jesse leaned over the table, pulling Bridget’s hand to his lips. “I can see why Gage is keeping you a secret,” he said and kissed the back of her hand.
Gage made himself sit still, keeping his body relaxed. Only his hands clenched tight in his lap.
“Let me guess,” Bridget said, her tone dry. “You’re not mated.”
Jesse released her hand and stood, gesturing down the length of his body. “Unmated and one hundred percent available.”
“Well, go on.” Bridget waved her hand encouragingly. “Let’s see whatcha got.”
Jesse actually laughed out loud, something Gage hadn’t heard in a long time. Dimples appeared in his cheeks and he looked slightly embarrassed, but he offered Gage a nod of acknowledgement before going to unpack the groceries.
Gage slipped his arm around Bridget and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Is
he always like that?” she asked in a low voice without pulling away.
“Always.”
But that wasn’t really true. Jesse had been quiet and withdrawn since that whole thing with Aster. He spent most of his time out running the perimeter, or when he wasn’t on duty, off the territory entirely. Gage had been starting to worry. He wanted to think this was a good sign, but he got the feeling Jesse was just going through the motions.
“Sit with us, Jesse, have some breakfast.”
“Nah. Gotta run.” He placed a tray of bagels and cream cheese down on the table, grabbed one for himself, and left.
“What’s up with him?” Bridget asked.
“At a guess, I’d say he’s lonely.”
“So why did he leave?”
“Sometimes it’s hard to be around others when you’re lonely.”
Bridget gave him an assessing look. “Huh,” was all she said.
Gage stood and held out his hand to help her up. “Do me a favor? Wash your hands before you eat?”
“What?” She gave him an odd look.
“Please?”
She shrugged and let him help her up.
“After breakfast, you can come watch the training and then we can go get your stuff.”
That seemed to satisfy her, and Gage heaved a sigh of relief as she washed Jesse’s scent off her hand. Maybe Jesse did need a mate, but he wasn’t taking Bridget.
Chapter 11
Bridget sat on a large foam block and watched the action in the training room, which was actually a four-bay garage turned into a gym/martial arts studio. No wonder why these guys eat so much. According to Gage, in addition to daily two-hour training sessions, one or two of them was almost always out running the perimeter, as he called it, which was basically inspecting their territory in wolf form for any signs of trouble or foreign smells.
They also had some state-of-the-art surveillance equipment set up to watch the borders of their land, complete with cameras and silent alarms texted to everyone’s cell phones. Gage had taken her down to the basement to show her, and she had to admit, it was pretty boss.
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