Like clockwork, the door opened and Bree waddled in and took the seat that Nate held out for her. She was grinning from ear to ear.
“We should be able to move most of our stuff next week. The main rooms are all finished, the painters are in now and then just the flooring in the bedrooms to be done. Rylee will also be able to move into the townhouse sooner than expected too.
“I will let her know.” Garrett smiled. “She is more than ready to come back home and get to work. She is just worried about leaving Mom there alone as Cillian isn’t home very much.”
“We should have her come and stay with us for a while, let her get to know Kali and Ethan a little better,” India said.
Connor felt a wave of shame that he hadn’t even spoken to his mom in weeks. He would call her as soon as they were finished here, she didn’t even know about Summer. He wasn’t sure she would come here, she was aware that the Donovan kids all knew she had an affair with their father all those years ago and she didn’t want to rub their faces in it even though they already knew and that Garrett was a product of that relationship.
“The kids are watching a movie upstairs with Anjelica. They were too hungry to wait for the rest of us so we fed them first.” India said as she slipped into her seat on the other side of Garrett.
The door opened again and Connor’s heart soared as Summer came into the room. Her cheeks were flushed and Connor pulled out the empty chair next to him as she took off her jacket.
“Are you okay?”
She washed and dried her hands quickly and took the offered chair.
“Yes, Eleanor wanted to know everything that happened out at the Danvers place and I didn’t want to cut my visit short, she has so few friends as it is.” she smiled “But she was saying that the man who lives out by the sawmill has become quite friendly with her.”
“We were just talking about him, well concerned really. Seann says we may have a whole pack run on Sunday, on the full moon, but we can’t risk any humans seeing or hearing us.” Imogen said as she put a huge basket of warm bread on the table.
“His place is on the edge of town, he wouldn’t hear or see anything,” Bree added.
“Unless he decides to go for a walk up the mountain.” Hope rolled her eyes.
“Then we need to make sure he stays home that night, I think Eleanor would help. He has been into her shop several times and has offered to help her with anything she needs. She says he is strong and has moved some stuff around the shop for her already. I think I could get her to invent something for him to do, at least we would know where he is while the pack is running.” Summer added.
“We often don’t finish until after midnight which may be tricky, but I think it’s a great idea, Summer.” Garrett smiled. “I am just surprised Eleanor would be onboard, you seem to be the only person she has any kind of relationship with. She normally gives everyone, especially humans, a really wide berth.
Connor took a second helping of food and ate with gusto while Summer ate like a bird. He knew she didn’t need the calories like a shifter did, but he still felt bad when he stuffed himself full.
A cup of coffee appeared in front of him and a huge slice of warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top.
“Thank the fates for shifter genes!” he said as he tucked in.
“And the fact that Imogen is a terrific cook.” India added.
Summer accepted a small piece of pie and she turned and smiled at him as she spooned a piece into her mouth. His heart started to race and he wanted to reach out and touch the smooth skin of her beautiful face. He was such a sucker for her.
“Relax, Imogen.” Summer held up her hand. “We can clear this lot away, you do enough just by feeding us all the time.”
Bree and Hope made more coffee and put some cookies on the table, while everyone else pitched in and the huge farmhouse kitchen was soon back to normal with everything in its place and two dishwashers loaded and turned on.
“I will go check on the kids,” India said as she reached for the door.
“Before you do, there is something we need to tell you India, you and Garrett,” Imogen said as she caught Summer's eye.
“We should give you some privacy.” Hope stood up.
“No, we have no secrets here,” India said as she sat back down.
Connor was as confused as anyone where this conversation was going, when Summer began to speak again.
“At breakfast this morning I discovered that little Kali is a telepath. At first I thought I had spoken out loud when she replied to a thought I had, but then I realized she wasn’t speaking at all, we could hear each other.”
“It’s true,” Imogen added. “I could sense they were communicating.
“But she’s only a little girl,” India said, confused.
“In a coven, girls two years younger than her can often communicate telepathically,” Summer said. “I can show you. I will ask her to come here.”
Summer projected her thoughts, concentrating on Kali as she did so and asked her to come to the kitchen right away.
A few moments later the door to the hallway opened and Kali came in and went straight to Summer’s side.
‘You wanted to see me?’
‘Yes, honey. I told your Mom about our ability to talk to each other in our heads. Imogen can do it too, do you think you could try to say something to her, or show her something?’
Kali nodded and turned to Imogen and Connor could see the intense concentration on the little girl's face as she projected toward her aunt.
Imogen burst out laughing, breaking the ice.
“Yes, Cian’s diapers can be a little smelly, Kali,” she said out loud.
Addressing her sister, who looked as if she were struck dumb she said.
“I saw the pictures she was projecting loud and clear, India. There is no doubt that Kali is a telepath and if what I have heard is correct, her abilities will continue to grow as she gets older.”
Garrett held out his arms to his daughter who looked nonplussed by all of this and lifted her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and leaned into him as she watched the adults discuss her.
“I don’t want her to become a target, Imogen,” India said and Connor knew she was thinking about Danvers and what he would have done with someone like Kali.
“It needs to be kept among us until we know how to make sure we can keep her safe,” Garrett said as he reached over and squeezed India’s arm.
“You can go and watch your movie, Kali,” India forced a smile and waited until the little girl had skipped out of the room.
“Can we have ice-cream?” she called from the hallway.
“Sure, I’ll bring some upstairs for you and Anjelica in a little while. Now scoot.”
Connor could hear her footsteps as she ran upstairs to join the other kids.
“Was her mother a witch, where did the ability come from?” Summer asked what everyone else was thinking. She knew Garrett’s family were all shifters.
“Gaby never knew her mother’s side of the family very well, so the short answer is, I don’t know,” Garrett said. “She always had the ability to shift though so I suspect her mother was also a full bloodied shifter, but I really don’t know for sure.
“Are witch genes imperative to telepathy?” Connor asked.
“No, not necessarily in an adult, but in a child so young I have never heard of it without the witch connection. Kali is about ten years younger than the age that most shifters develop the ability,” Summer said.
“Then I guess we need to find out more about her mother’s family,” India said.
Connor had a feeling of foreboding in that statement. Did it really matter who her genetics came from as long as she was healthy and happy and it wasn’t going to harm her in any way? It wasn’t his business though, it was Garrett and India’s.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Summer
As they drove back to her cabin in his truck, Summer coul
dn't help but feel awful for India. In every way that counted, she was Kali’s mother and had been instrumental in finding the little girl in a foster home and reuniting her with her father. However, in this particular instance they needed to know more about her birth mother’s genes and not the only mother she had ever known and adored.
She didn’t know very much about Gaby, only the little bits and pieces that Hope had told her and it seems her only crime was to meet her mate and leave Garrett, taking their daughter with her. It was her mate, Ricky Edwards, who had caused Garrett all of his pain and suffering by telling him that Kali had died with her mother in an accident, when in fact the little girl was alive and well.
Summer could think of no valid reason why Edwards wouldn’t have given her back to her father. It wasn’t out of love for the little girl or he would have kept her with him, not left her to the care of the state. It was thanks to India being so pedantic when she set off to find out the truth about her mate’s daughter that Kali was here with them today.
They pulled up in front of the cabin and after the events of the last few days Summer just wanted to spend a little time in her garden tending to her herbs, take a long soak in a bubble bath and curl up on the sofa with Connor and watch frivolous shows on television.
Connor opened the door wide to let her go inside before him and she felt herself relax as soon as they stepped through the door. The subtle scents of lavender and bergamot were both soothing and uplifting at the same time but most of all familiar. This place had been her safety net since she had escaped Danvers the first time around and there was nowhere else she would rather be than right here.
She looked around her and said aloud what she had been feeling for a while now.
“I don’t want to build a bigger cabin or a house in town, Connor. I want to stay right here with you and if we have kids someday we will just need to extend it to add on some more space,” she blurted out.
Connor wrapped his arms around her and she rested her face against the broad expanse of his chest. She could hear his heart beating steadily and the rhythmic sound was comforting. She had been solely on her own for the last few years because of her imprisonment by Danvers and her need to hide from him after she escaped and it was a blessing to have someone else she could rely on. She also had Lukas, in fact she had the entire pack, despite being one of the only non-shifters among them.
“You never have to do anything you don’t want to Summer, not ever. I could live here for eternity with you and never want to be anywhere else, wherever you are will always be home to me. Hell, we could pitch a tent and live out under the stars if you wanted to.”
Summer was smiling as he released her and stepped back to look at him. He didn’t quite have to duck to get through the doors but it was a close thing. The cabin was perfect for her when she had been living on her own but with Connor living there too, there was no doubt that they would need a little more space.
“Come with me.” She took his hand and he followed her through the house to her tiny office at the back.
“I like it when you are bossy,” he said and smacked her lightly on the ass.
“Later.” she grinned showing a tiny dimple.
“I don’t think there is enough room in here for both of us, darlin’, never mind a bunch of kids,” he said.
“Definitely not, but what if we had Lachlan knock through this wall here and build another living area and a decent sized office for you. I really don’t need one as I have the office at the back of the shop and we could always use another bathroom. There are two other bedrooms through here, one of which I just use for storage and I have been meaning to clear it out and take all the extra stock down to the shop too.”
“Connor was smiling and his eyes were beginning to glow.
Encouraged she ploughed on.
“We would have enough room here already even if we have a child and if we have five or six, then we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Five or six sounds like a good number to me.” Connor backed her up against the wall and caged her with his arms. “Maybe we should start working on that number right now.”
He bent his head to kiss her and Summer lost her train of thought as she was swept up in a whirlwind of sensation and emotion. He could turn her to jelly with the lightest touch of his hands and the things he could do to her with those full sexy lips. She threaded her fingers into his thick hair with a submissive groan and explored him with her tongue.
He growled deep in his belly as he lifted her easily and she felt his arousal pressing against her body as his hands roamed freely and she savored every touch.
He carried her the short distance to the bedroom without breaking lip contact and they fell on top of the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. She was anxious to rid them of the barriers of clothing between them but her fingers were shaking as she popped open the buttons on his shirt one by one. By the time they had discarded the last piece of fabric between them she was flushed with arousal and ready for him.
But Connor had other ideas and he rolled her onto her back and traced the curves of her body with his lips, starting at the bottom and slowly working his way upwards. She was writhing on the bed as his expert tongue joined the party and she gasped as he eased her legs apart and buried his face between them.
“Connor!” she groaned, her fingers tangled in his thick hair as she arched her back and tried to prolong the electricity trying to burst free from her. The delicious sensations were overwhelming and she needed to feel release from the mounting pressure.
He closed his lips over her most sensitive spot and sucked and she shattered all around him as her climax took her higher and higher and finally she opened her mouth to scream his name. She was sailing on a sea of euphoria when he entered her in one swift move and she wrapped herself around him as he thrust again and again and the tension coiled tighter inside her again until it was almost unbearable.
She bared her neck to him as he cried out and the moment his teeth closed around her mark she climaxed again and again. She floated down from her high and Connor rolled over and pulled her against his side, wrapping her tightly in the warmth of his arms.
She would only stay here for a few minutes she thought as she drifted off to sleep with a blissful smile on her lips. She felt warm and truly safe for the first time in years and she would just enjoy it for just a few moments more before she got up and attended to the list of jobs that were mounting up.
She dreamed of her mother for the first time in a very long time and she was smiling and happy. Her mother had also been her best friend and she missed her every single day but Summer knew she would only want her to be happy and Connor certainly made her happy.
It was getting dark outside when she finally opened her eyes and she could see the moon through a chink in the voile panel that covered the window. It took her a moment to get her bearings, she must have slept all afternoon and she had things she needed to get done today. She had been neglecting the shop with all the drama surrounding her and she had orders that were waiting to be filled. Her garden also needed tending and she had promised to help with food and childcare for the packs run this weekend, as a non-shifter she was more than happy to help with the little kids so that their parents could run. The pack would take advantage of the full moon to have a run when they were at their strongest and Summer was excited to be a part of it in any capacity.
Connor’s side of the bed was cold, he must have been up already for some time so she pulled on a robe and went in search of him. He was outside, standing on the far side of her vegetable garden and even in the dim light, she could see that he had been busy. Her herbs and vegetables had been hoed and weeded and he was busy tying up a bag of garden waste to dispose of. He had harvested some tomatoes, potatoes and onions and they were in a shallow basket on the glass-topped wicker table.
Her heart lurched in her chest when she thought of him doing this for her, a small gesture in the scheme of things but a really sweet
one, nonetheless. She had no idea that Connor even possessed a green thumb but the evidence spoke for itself. Gestures meant more to her than all the money, jewels and possessions in the world because they came straight from the heart. Her shop had always been quite successful and paid the bills and she already had everything that she was likely to ever need. Money had never been her driving force.
She pushed open the screen door and he turned to watch her walking toward him. He was without a shred of doubt the most attractive wolf, or even man, she had ever encountered but he was much more than just a pretty veneer. He was the best person she knew, sure he was cheeky and a little bossy on the outside, but he also had a beautiful soul and that wasn’t something that anyone could ever fake. Connor Adair was everything she could ever have imagined for her life mate, even in her wildest dreams and she loved him with an all-consuming passion.
She knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, despite her misgivings about her aging faster than he would and knew that between them they would find a solution because she would wither and die if she couldn’t be with him. She knew it in the depth of her soul and as surely as the air she breathed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Connor
He persuaded Summer to take a soak in the tub while he made dinner and he could hear her hairdryer now as he checked on the sizzling steaks under the grill. He was no gourmet chef but he could grill a mean steak. He put a basket of homemade French fries and another of battered onion rings on the table beside the salad just as she made an appearance.
Her hair hung loose and was almost down to her thighs. The sheet of soft natural blonde silk and her violet eyes were unusual but the combination was stunning and she never failed to take his breath away. Not for the first time he thought he was punching way above his weight.
She hummed softly as she brought silverware and glasses to the table and poured them both a glass of red from the bottle Connor had opened earlier to breathe. She took a sip, staining her pink lips darker and Connor had to force himself to concentrate on the food and not on his X-rated imagination.
Children of the Moon: Book Six Page 11