“David—”
“It’s over, Mack. I have nothing against you personally, but stay away from her.”
“She could still choose me.”
“Maybe, but don’t be surprised if she doesn’t.”
He went to his apartment and took a hot shower, washing off the dirt and blood. Fortunately, none of the scratches were more than superficial. A few dabs of antibiotic salve and a couple bandage strips and he was good to go. He set his alarm to give him a couple hours of rest, and then went to sleep smiling.
* * * *
The next morning, at exactly eight, there was a knock at Sunny’s door. She opened it to find David standing there. No surprise. What was surprising were the scratches on his face and the bandage on his hand. There were circles under his eyes like he’d not gotten much sleep.
“David? What happened?”
He frowned at her. “As if you don’t know. Are you ready to go?”
“Uh, sure.” She grabbed her bag. “What do you mean, I should know?” She thought she did, but wasn’t certain. And if she was right, which one was he? The retriever or the husky? And which one was Mack? She followed David to his truck and climbed in, waiting for his answer.
“You really don’t know, do you?”
“Let’s say I suspect, but I’d like to hear it in words.”
“First, tell me what your parents told you and how they explained your abilities to you.”
“My abilities? That’s a laugh. They never explained anything. I freaked out the first time it happened and kept it to myself for almost a year. When they finally found out, they celebrated. But they never told me much of anything. They were too busy with their research. Can you shift?”
“Shift? Of course I can. Three quarters of this town can. The correct term is animagus.”
“You mean like in the Harry Potter books? I thought that was…” She stopped.
“Fiction? Welcome to the real world.” He glanced at her as he drove up the mountain. “How can you not understand? Didn’t your folks teach you anything?” He couldn’t help the tone of his voice.
“No. Not really. They were so busy studying others, they never saw me.”
David shook his head and blew out a sigh. “We exist. There are pockets of us all over the world.”
“That’s why my folks went to South America. To study another group.”
“Probably. Most of us develop the ability when we hit puberty. You took a little longer. Any idea why?”
“My dad. He has the gene but can’t shift.” She stared out the windshield as David stopped the truck in front of a large log cabin. To call the structure a cabin, though, would be to do the dwelling a great disservice. It consisted of two-plus stories surrounded on three sides by a wide, covered porch. The side overlooking a steep bluff above the river was all glass. Towering hemlocks, maples, and oaks surrounded it on the other three sides. As soon as she stepped out of the truck, she felt at home. At peace. This was a place to raise a family.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Like it? Oh, David, this is incredible.”
He took her hand and a sense of rightness enveloped her. “I’m glad. I built it with you in mind.”
“Me? But how…why…I mean, you couldn’t know I’d come back.”
“I knew. We all come back. It’s in our blood. This place, this mountain, is part of who and what we are. Away from here, we may exist, but we don’t really live. Tell me, out there in Pittsburgh, do you ever shift and run in the woods?”
“Yes.”
“But does it satisfy you as much as last night did?”
She started. “Last night? You were there?”
“Of course I was!” He laughed. “Wait, don’t tell me. You don’t know who I was.”
He opened the door and escorted her into the house. She sniffed, savoring the aroma of fried ham, cinnamon rolls, and other goodies, and her stomach growled.
“Please tell me you were the husky.”
He turned her in his arms and stared at her with eyes the shade of palest blue ringed with dark. “Of course I was. Mack is the retriever. My assistant spent part of last night patching him and Ruby up.”
“They’re okay?”
“Yes, but you did a job on Ruby. This time, she’ll have scars.”
“This time?”
“She’s been the alpha bitch for a long time and has had more than a few fights. I’ve spent a lot of time patching her up. But we all knew you’d come into your own someday. Some of us waited. And now you have.”
He led her to a comfortable sofa in front of a roaring fire. On the coffee table, covered platters emitted luscious aromas. He removed the covers and she nearly fainted with hunger. Bacon, fried ham, tender steaks, sausages, scrambled eggs, warm rolls dripping with melted butter, fresh fruit compote. Except for the fruit, there was nothing here that would pass a heart doctor’s inspection, but one thing she never had trouble with was her health. “Looks like you made enough to feed an army.”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, and from what I understand, Mack tried to impress you by taking you to the hotel for dinner. The food in that place wouldn’t fill a runt.” He handed her a plate.
“You do know your way to a girl’s heart.”
“I hope so.”
She wanted to explore his comment, but she was so hungry, she couldn’t think. She piled her plate high with meat and eggs and made a passing nod to the compote. He joined her, piling his own plate as high as hers. Once the first pangs had been assuaged, she sat back and sipped at a cup of chai while savoring a warm sticky bun.
“David, don’t think I’m not appreciative. I am. More than you know. But I’m no fool. We were friends in school, but that was as far as it went. You were with the in crowd and I…wasn’t.”
He sighed and leaned back against the sofa. She could see the pulse beating at the base of his throat and wanted to touch it. No, correct that. She wanted to taste it, to taste him. To see if her long-time fantasy had a touch of realism. To see if dreams really could come true.
“We were a lot younger then. Kids. Most of us were learning how to control our changes, and nobody knew if you could even change. You never came to any of the parties, never joined us. I knew you felt left out, but I had no way to find out if you were one of us.”
“One of you. One of the ‘in’ people? Or an animagus?”
“Both.” He draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. “You have to understand, Sunny. Most of us had learned about our other selves in sixth and seventh grade, and like all kids, we kind of knew who was and wasn’t with us.”
“And I wasn’t.”
“Not until later. Though I suspected a while before you came out.”
She snorted. “You make it sound like I’m gay or something simple like that.”
“It is simple. You’re an animagus. So am I. So are a lot of people. What’s so difficult?”
“You can’t be serious. What’s difficult? I’m not even human! I live in fear someone will find out, like I’m some kind of freak.”
“What? You’re no more a freak than anyone else in this town.” He grasped her hand and laid it against his chest so she could feel his heart beating. “Does this feel like a freak to you? You’re as human as I am—just more. We have a superior ability. It’s a gift, not a curse. You feel odd because of where you live. Tell me, have you felt differently since you came back?”
She hesitated and he pushed. “Have you?”
“Yes. All right. There. I’ve admitted it. I do feel different here. I feel stronger. Safer. More myself.”
“Because you belong here. Not out there in Pittsburgh surrounded by steel and concrete. You’re part of the mountain. You’re one of us.”
“Is everyone a dog?”
He laughed. “No. There are cats, dogs, rabbits, even a family of pot-bellied pigs.”
“Pigs? Do we have a choice what we are?”
“Yes and no. Most of us
shift into whatever is in our family. But if you really force it, you could shift to something else—though I do not recommend it. Plus you’d retain your same coloring.”
“So I could look like a cat, but still have my husky coloring.”
“Yes.”
She chewed her lower lip, a bad habit she’d had since she was five. He reached up to stop her from chewing it bloody, tapping her lightly on her lips until she smiled.
“You never had the chance to assimilate this life. Your parents yanked you all over the world following their studies but never gave you the chance to learn. Use psychology. What happened?”
She felt his body heat under her hand. His heartbeat a steady rhythm. His breathing, strong and steady. Except for his eyes, there was nothing of the beast within. “I spent my entire senior year here.”
“Yes and you know as well as I do that by then, cliques were well-established.”
“I never fit in with myself or with others.”
“The ultimate loner. And what have you been doing since then? Being the life of the party? Or sequestering yourself in your rooms with your books and your fears?”
She could feel the heat suffuse her face. “I didn’t understand.”
“But now you do.”
“I still don’t understand why the urge to shift is stronger here on the mountain than anywhere else, and easier. I mean, I don’t feel the need in Pittsburgh like I do here.”
“That’s the one thing none of us understands. Researchers like your folks have studied the water, the soil, the air, everything. Nobody knows.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him.
Her head fit perfectly in the hollow under his collarbone. Instead of feeling his heart with her hand, she could hear it. And smell him. He reminded her of the forest—clean and crisp and wild.
“So everyone feels this way?” She laid her hand on his leg, feeling the muscle bunch under her touch. That she had such power over him emboldened her. She ran her hand up and down his leg, coming ever closer to the bulge at his crotch.
He grasped her hand. “Sunny? I should tell you spending the night shifted, especially when you fight, can tend to make a person, um…”
“Horny? Are you telling me what I’m feeling is merely because of what happened last night?”
He kissed her hair. “Not completely. Sunny, I’ve loved you since we were old enough to fling mudballs at each other over the backyard fence.”
“But you could have had anyone.”
“I didn’t want anyone. I wanted you.” He ran his hands over her arms, drawing ever nearer to her breasts. A flame she’d thought dead reignited, warming her with burning heat.
“So how come you never told me?” She turned so she could see his face, his gorgeous eyes, even the tiny scar on his chin from when she’d tripped while they were gathering leaves and hit him with the rake. They’d been ten and he’d brought it up every time he wanted something from her.
“Why do you think I spent so much time on your porch? It sure wasn’t because I liked your cookies.”
She swatted him. She wasn’t known for her baking abilities. “Hey! I’ll have you know I’m a good cook. Now.”
His laughter filled the cabin with light. “Not something we have to worry about. I’m an excellent cook.”
“We?”
He kissed her hair, sending shivers down her back. “Yes, we. I’m asking you to stay with me, Sunny. Permanently.”
This was every wish she’d ever had come true. Every dream fulfilled. Every desire satisfied. Though it took everything she had, she pulled back. “Whoa. Stop. Hold it.”
He frowned at her and the light faded a little. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Except for the occasional e-mail, I don’t hear from you for almost a decade, then suddenly I’m back for two days and you want me to move in with you? Going a little fast there, aren’t you?”
“But after last night…I mean, you beat Ruby.”
“So I beat Ruby. What of it?” She saw the confusion on his face, and then the reality hit her like ice water on a hot griddle. “She was the alpha bitch.”
“Yes. And now you are.”
“And you’re the alpha male.”
“Well, not exactly, but I could be, if you want. I never made an issue of it in the pack because I don’t like Ruby.” He stared at her. “You do care for me, don’t you?”
Her stifled sob echoed hollowly in the towering living room. “Ten damn years it took you to ask me that and it has to be now.” Was he asking now only because she was the alpha? Yeah, they’d always been friends, but nothing more. Never anything more. The coincidence was a little too much for her. She rose from the sofa and looked around the room. All wood and glass and green plants, the living room soared two-and-a-half stories overlooking the bluff. Behind her was an open kitchen separated from the living space by a counter. To each side, closed rooms. Above the kitchen, a wide balcony fronting other rooms, she assumed bedrooms and bathroom. This was a house she could imagine living in. Loving in…making love in.
“Take me back to the hotel.”
“Sunny.” He reached for her, but she pushed him away.
“Take me back now or I’ll start walking.”
Chapter 5
Sunny leaned against the door to her room. The ride back had been silent on her part and, finally, after several attempts to get her to talk, David gave up. She set the security lock and crossed the short foyer to the room and stopped. And stared. Several large bags from a variety of high-end stores lay on the bed. She was tempted to toss them all out the window, but the practical side of her kicked in. She’d already worn what she had on for two days straight, and they were starting to get a bit ripe.
She pulled the clothing out. All her size, if not her taste. She pulled out a soft silk, black dressing gown trimmed in satin. There was a matching nightgown and black mules to go with them. Well, her taste, but definitely not her budget. There was no price tag, but she knew the cost. She’d drooled over one exactly like it a couple of months ago. The set was almost as much as a full paycheck. She opened the other bags. A gorgeous tea-length dress for tonight’s banquet, two pantsuits with matching skirts—one in navy linen, one in wool—three blouses, two sweaters, two jogging outfits, even shoes to go with everything. The last bag held lingerie that had her blushing. By the time she finished opening the bags, she’d found enough clothes for at least a week if not more. Definitely more than she needed for only one more day. And not a price tag in sight, so she couldn’t return any of it.
She grinned as she held up the dressing gown. Mack had good taste. And Ruby was paying for it—probably through the hotel, but even so, she might as well enjoy it. “And I will.”
A knock on her door had her checking the security lock. She didn’t want to see anyone right now.
“Sunny? I know you’re in there.” Mack’s muffled voice came to her. “I only wanted to know if the clothing was acceptable.”
She opened the door, but kept it in her hand and stood at the opening, not giving him a chance to enter. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” She noted he had several scratches on his face and a bandage on his hand that disappeared into his sleeve. The result of the late night dogfight.
“Are you busy for lunch?” he asked.
“No, but I really need a shower and to change.”
“How ’bout if I pick you up in an hour?”
“How ’bout I meet you downstairs?” She backed up but kept her hand on the door. “And Mack? Lunch is all it will be.” She shut the door and clicked the security clip into place.
“Alpha female. Damn. I finally have guys panting after me, and it’s only because I’m a bitch. Literally.” She laughed and stepped back into the room, shedding her clothes as she went. In addition to the new clothes, there was a bag of toiletries. She sniffed appreciatively at the scents. At least whoever had purchased the stuff kept to Sunny’s own preferences in this area, though they’d gone with the
more expensive brands rather than the generic ones she used. She figured they’d checked what she had and used that as a template. Mack had to be behind this. He was sweet, but now she felt an obligation she didn’t like for his generosity.
She ran a shower, letting the hot water soothe her. “I’ve wanted David all my life, but he only wants me now that I’m the head bitch. Problem is, that doesn’t matter to me as much as I thought it would.” She lathered her short curls. “But do I want to stay here? Permanently? I’ve got a good job. A nice apartment. A decent life.”
And no one to share it with, a little voice in her head said. David was right. She spent most of her time sitting in her apartment watching TV or reading books. Here she had, well, if not friends, people who knew her and accepted her for who and what she was. But was being an alpha what she wanted?
She shut off the shower and dried off, still wavering. “Rommy. I need to talk to Rommy.” Hair wrapped in a towel to keep from dripping, she dialed her friend.
“Hello?” A deep voice answered the phone.
“Sam? This is Sunny. Is Rommy there?”
“Sure is, sweetheart. Just a sec.” Sunny waited a few moments for Rom’s voice.
“Hey, girlfriend. What’s up?”
“Is there any way you can get away? I need to talk,” Sunny said.
“Um, yeah, but not for at least an hour. Is that okay?” Rom said.
Sunny thought about her lunch with Mack. “Make it two. Meet you here?”
“Sure. See you.”
Sunny hung up and got ready for lunch. She donned one of the new pantsuits. It fit her perfectly. In fact, it fit so well, she was a little creeped out. She’d always had trouble finding clothes to fit her well, especially tailored ones. Most high-end stores like the ones these things came from didn’t cater to “larger” women. These fit like they’d been made especially for her.
“This is like Alice in Wonderland—curiouser and curiouser.” She fluffed out her short curls and headed down the steps to the dining room. Before she reached the room, she noted the absence of noise. It was still early. There should be diners in the restaurant. At the very least, there should be noise from clean up. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” She stepped through the door and stopped.
Who's Your Alpha? Page 4
