Taking the Belle: Big Easy Shifters: Book One

by Knox, Abby

  Rosemary had finished cleaning off her face and hands in the sink and wiped her face off on a towel. She turned to her mother and said, “Because of me. You’ll come because you love me. And that’s the only reason you need. Because you want to have a good relationship with your future son-in-law, and if you want to see your future grandchildren, you’ll do it.”

  Chapter Six

  Rosemary

  “If Ashton Lewis Boudreaux thinks he’s going to just waltz up here and beg my forgiveness for what he did last night, he’s got another think coming,” Rosemary said with a huff, watching Ash park his GTO on the curb outside her flat the next morning.

  Pen was sipping a coffee and watching her friend at the window. “It’s true he acted like a fool last night, based on what you told me. But, honey, don’t take too long to forgive him. He might have had a very good reason.”

  “I don’t want to hear any excuses,” she huffed.

  “I didn’t say excuse. I said reason. Just hear him out,” Pen said.

  Rosemary sighed. “Fine. But I’m going to take a shower. He can cool his heels.”

  * * *

  Ash

  Ash was feeling pretty rough when he heard the window above him creak open. He looked up into the sun’s glare and saw Pen leaning out the window of Rosemary’s flat.

  “Boudreaux,” Pen shouted down at him. “You better not be showing up here looking like you’ve been out clubbing all night. And you damn well better come up here showered, shaved, and with some goddamn tulips in your hand. And I mean fresh tulips, not from the grocery store, neither.”

  He squinted up at his lifelong friend. “Yes, ma’am. And how is it you’re looking so fresh and rested this morning? You also had a busy night, as I recall.”

  Pen snarled. “Don’t you ma’am me. I can smell the squirrel blood on you from a mile away. Dummy. Go away, clean up, and try again.”

  Ash turned and did what he was told.

  * * *

  Rosemary

  After Ash returned about an hour later, Rosemary let him in reluctantly.

  “Pen, can you give us a moment?” Rosemary said.

  “No, it’s okay. Pen knows what’s going on. I’d like her to be here for this,” Ash insisted.

  Rosemary looked at her new friend with fresh eyes. “Oh really? Keeping secrets from me?”

  Pen looked sheepish. “I…didn’t feel like it was my place to tell you. Just hear him out.”

  “Fine,” Rosemary said. “But hurry up, I’m hungry.”

  “Baby, you’d better sit down.” He gestured to the fringed antique sofa piled high with pillows. In front of it was a coffee table laden with school lesson plans and the vase where she’d graciously placed the fresh daisies he’d brought her. He couldn’t find any tulips. “I don’t want to sit down,” Rosemary said, arms crossed.

  “At least stand near the couch,” Ash suggested.

  Rosemary rolled her eyes. “Ash, there’s nothing you can say that will give me the vapors. Do I look like I’m wearing a whalebone corset in 100-degree heat with no air conditioning?”

  “I said. Sit. Down.” Although he seemed tired and hoarse, a raspy growl escaped his throat.

  Her eyes widened, and she tamped down her body’s automatic response to Ash’s assertive tone. She did not like being talked to like that. At the same time, she liked it very much. What did that mean? She thought it best to sit down and listen, nonetheless.

  “Okay,” he said, taking a seat next to her. “Thank you for listening. This is going to seem insane, but there is something very different about me. And about Pen, too. And Bobby. And Vann and Gavin, who you’ll hopefully meet at the wedding.”

  Rosemary nodded. “I’m listening, but you’re scaring me a little.”

  Ash rubbed his palms over his face, took a deep breath, and let it out. “So here it is. Whenever there’s a full moon, like last night, I get certain…urges. I need to hunt. It’s just a thing I do. My daddy the chicken king does it, too. My whole family has done it for generations. I don’t know how far back it goes. But we actually… change. I’ve learned to control the change for a little while, but then when the moon gets to a certain point in the sky, I lose my shit. Pen and all of those people I just mentioned, we all have the same problem.”

  That’s when Rosemary knew her suspicions about some strange, mystical connection had been borne out. This meant that her Ashton was different in the same way she was different. But he couldn’t be a panther. She would have known about him. What was he, then?

  “But it’s more than that. We are not just hunters who like to go out at night once a month. We are…well, there’s no other way to say it. We’re shapeshifters.”

  Rosemary put up her hand. “Ash. I’m going to stop you right there. I have to admit I have a thing, too. Let’s just both say it at the same time.”

  Strangely to her, he didn’t look surprised by this. When he said, “I know,” she tried to stand up, but Ash put his hand on her arm and kept her still.

  “What the hell, how do you know?”

  Ash looked at her and said, “Because I’m cursed. I have magical wolf blood inside me. Now, you stay sitting your cute little ass on this sofa and tell me what you are.”

  Rosemary gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t stay mad. He had a secret and so did she. So they canceled each other out in terms of deception and deflection. Time to come clean. She took a deep breath and said it. “I’m a panther shifter.”

  Pen looked from one to the other, her face shocked. “Whoa! What are the chances?” Pen exclaimed.

  Ash shrugged one shoulder and explained, “Pretty good when you think about it. Fated mates and pheromones and all that. Us shifter weirdos are all attracted to each other.”

  Pen began to pace. “This is huge. I’ve heard about the panthers, but I didn’t think it was real! And by the way, you do know you two are going to cause a major situation by mixing these two groups. But wait, why has this never happened before? And why didn’t you tell me, Rosemary?”

  Rosemary cocked her head at Pen. “Seems to me I had a whole group of wolves not telling the little ol’ kitty cat she might be in danger, so let’s be careful who we accuse of omitting important information.”

  Pen cleared her throat and made her escape. “You’re right. The two of you have some things to discuss. I’ll leave you to it.”

  After Pen left, Rosemary slumped against the back of the sofa. She stared at the wall for a moment. “Sorry for scheduling a dinner on the full moon,” she said.

  “Oh, you had no way of knowing. It’s not your fault. I should have told you,” Ash replied.

  Rosemary shook her head apologetically. “Yeah, but you had no way of knowing that I would also be a shifter and not completely disbelieving of the whole idea of magical blood. You were worried enough about being accepted by my family.”

  “True,” he said. “And if I may say, this explains why you like biting and licking and cuddling more than kissing.”

  “Yep,” she said, exhaling a long sigh like a leaky tire. “So.”

  “So.”

  She side-eyed him. “What do you want to do now?”

  He side-eyed her. “I can think of a few things.”

  She could detect a naughty little smirk in his voice. “So can I,” she said.

  “So you still want to marry me?”

  She smiled and pivoted toward him. “Of course I want to marry you. Fated mates and all that. I mean, I’ve heard about shifters imprinting on their future mates, but I didn’t think it would happen to me. I mean, let’s face it; I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. What about you? Are you sure you want to still marry me?”

  He turned to her, his eyes already intense with desire. “Doesn’t matter if I don’t. I’m doomed to follow you for the rest of my days. It’s the wolf code. We’ve bonded already.”

  Rosemary smiled and leaned in, nuzzling his neck with her head. He smelled so damn good. Funny, she wasn’t much of a dog person;
she always thought regular dogs smelled like dirt and bad breath. But Ash wasn’t a dog. He was a wolf. He smelled like pure, unadulterated masculinity. “And you’re still okay if we go slow? Wait to pop my cherry until the wedding night?”

  “If that’s what it takes to marry you, I’ll wait.”

  She smiled. “That doesn’t mean we can’t do other stuff, remember?”

  And the things she did to him—and made him watch her do to herself—over the next half an hour would make a real wolf howl at the moon.

  * * *

  Ash

  When they were finished, his filthy girl made him watch as she rubbed his essence into her skin. Like it was fucking moisturizer.

  “Babe, you have a brunch to get to, don’t you?”

  “I’m addicted to your scent, and I want it on me all day. Like you do with me. I’m gonna sip mimosas with my bitch-ass uptight cousins around me, listening to them gossip about some other uptight bitches, and I’m gonna be getting drunk and thinking about you coming on my tits.”

  He leaned over and surprised her by tugging down the lace of one side of her bra and thumbing her dark little nipple where she’d just rubbed his essence into her skin. He nipped it with his teeth, and she sucked in her breath. He said, “Sounds like the perfect day to me.”

  Goddamn, they were just a couple of filthy animals rolling around in each other’s funk. And he couldn’t have been happier about it.

  Chapter Seven

  Rosemary

  The bitch-ass cousins at brunch were all dressed like Southern-fried versions of Charlotte from Sex and the City. Smooth, shiny hair cut perfectly but slightly more teased out. The whole “bigger the hair, closer to God” thing. The only ones among these cousins that Rosemary cared to be around were GiGi, who had recently opened her own restaurant, and Chastity, the quiet one from Baton Rouge.

  She knew she should be whooping it up right now, but all she could think about was the way Pen had left so abruptly and had not answered her texts ever since she’d found out Rosemary was a panther shifter.

  Two mimosas in, Rosemary was picking at her food when she got a text notification. Her heart rose when she saw it was from Pen.

  But then, it sank right back down again. I’m sorry. I need to process all this new information. Wolves and cats don’t get along. I’m not against this match, but I’m worried someone is going to get hurt. Physically hurt.

  Rosemary texted back. We have ways of controlling ourselves around humans. And we’ll just have to stay away from each other on our respective hunting nights. It’s not going to be a huge problem.

  After a few moments that felt like an eternity, Pen replied, I believe your heart is in the right place, but I just need time to do some work on myself.

  Rosemary understood. Still, she was one of her favorite people in this town, and now it was going to be awkward.

  Halfway into her eggs Florentine, and after about three mimosas, who should show up at the table but Rosemary’s mama, Betsy, with some much-needed positive news.

  “Mama! What are you doing here?”

  “I just came to make amends after last night. I’m not excited, but certain things have come to light, and I wanted to let you know if you want me to help you plan the wedding, I’m here to support you.”

  “Mama…” Rosemary was truly touched.

  “And if you want my blessing, then I suppose you have it. I can see now that this is the only way I’m going to get grandchildren out of you.”

  “Mama—”

  Betsy held up her hand, and for a second, Rosemary thought she might have seen claws popping out of them. “Rosemary, let me finish. The bottom line is, whatever happens, I just want to be a part of your life, even if this is the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

  Rosemary smiled demurely, trying her damnedest not to let her runaway mouth ruin this touching moment. “That’s a wonderful vote of confidence, but I need to tell you something, Mama. Because I don't want you to think you’ve agreed to something before you have all the facts.” Rosemary looked around at her cousins, who were all staring, each of them holding a champagne flute of mimosa up halfway up to their lips in anticipation. “Ash is like us. Except he’s a wolf shifter.”

  Some of the cousins gasped. One of them shrieked. Another one made a hissing noise.

  Betsy looked at her daughter sympathetically and said, “I know, honey.”

  “You know?” Rosemary was stunned. “But how…”

  It might have been the flattering light in that restaurant, but a certain flush came over Betsy’s cheeks. If Rosemary hadn’t known any better, she’d swear that Betsy had been charmed by her future son-in-law. “Ashton came to see me this morning after he came to apologize to you. He said he was sorry for leaving last night and then he came clean. He said, ‘I have no choice but to protect your daughter for the rest of my life. If I don’t have your blessing, I’ll disappear. But I will be there, protecting her. I’ll watch over her house and future children like they are my own, but I’ll never interfere. If that’s my fate, then so be it. Take as much time as you need.’”

  Rosemary looked at her mother. The older woman’s eyes were shining. Well, tie a brick to my ankle and toss me in the Mississippi, because it must already be the end of the world if Betsy DuChamp is showing herself to be a romantic at heart.

  A lump formed in Rosemary’s throat. She could hardly imagine what it would be like for anyone to willingly give up their true love so selflessly because of some code of honor, dooming themselves to a life of sadness and noble misery. She would tan his hide later for even thinking that was acceptable. No way he was going to follow some arcane, mystical rules when it came to the blessing of her mother. What was she going to have to do to get it through his head?

  Rosemary was happy to know that her mother was going to come to the wedding. But Ash needed to understand who he was. He wasn’t a wolf, he was a man. They were both adults who made their own destiny. Fuck that wolf code. Fuck imprinting. If she could get through to the man, make the man nuts for her, he would forget the dictates of tradition and do everything in his power to make sure they stayed together no matter who disapproved.

  “Well,” she said, looking around at GiGi, Chastity, her mother, and the rest of her shocked cousins. “What are we still doing here? Let’s all go uptown and get to dress shopping, y’all!”

  Betsy smiled. “If this isn’t gonna be the biggest, best damn wedding New Orleans has ever seen, then I’ve failed my life’s mission!”

  The bitch-ass cousins all cheered and clinked glasses. The wedding planning was officially underway.

  Chapter Eight

  Ash

  Mama told me everything.

  Ash swallowed as he read the text from Rosemary and thought about how to respond.

  And?

  And she’s dress shopping with me right now. She’s on board.

  Yes!

  But I gotta say something to you.

  What’s that, sweets?

  If you ever even think about leaving me behind because my mama or whoever doesn’t approve, because of some archaic wolf shifter code of conduct? Then I am going to kick your ass so hard you’ll be going back in time to watch last year’s Mardi Gras parade.

  Ash replied, Got it. But it’s the wolf code, baby.

  Code schmode. And now you’re gonna have to be punished.

  He smiled mischievously at what she could have in mind. How so?

  You’ll see.”

  He sighed and typed back, Fine. Have fun today. I’m picking you up for dinner at 7, so you better not let those girls wear you out. And while you’re shopping, pick yourself up a new dress, and make it fuckin’ sexy.

  Oooh, I like it when you’re bossy.

  Who’s your daddy?

  You are.

  * * *

  Rosemary

  Several hours later, Ash picked up a slightly toasted Rosemary, who was, as instructed, wearing a new strapless, body-contouring red dress that w
as so tight it made her mother’s thin lips turn white as she bit down to hold her tongue. She hadn’t found her wedding dress that day, but she did spot that little red number just as she, her cousins, and Betsy had been leaving the shop, and she turned right back to go try it on. The dress was so tight Rosemary could see her pulse. That could also be inflammation from too many beignets and mimosas with Mama today.

  “All right, sweets, what’s my punishment?” Ash said, shooting her a bad-boy smile across the table they shared downtown. Damn, this was not going to be easy. He had this way of looking at her with his steamy gaze that instantly made her nipples stand at attention. But she needed to get her point across. And, on top of that, it might make the engagement all the more fun if they played some abstinence games.

  “I thought maybe we could have a little fun,” she said. “How about no more access to my downstairs until after Lent?"

  “That’s cute,” replied Ash, shaking his head.

  “Is it?” She cocked her head to let him know she was not kidding.

  “You’re not serious.”

  “As a heart attack brought on by your daddy’s extra-large fried chicken sandwiches,” she said, looking over the menu.

  Ash grumbled as he glowered at his options. “God, I’m hungry.”

  Rosemary cocked her head in annoyance. “Are you reading what I’m saying, Ash? No more puss-puss from the kitty cat.”

  “Fine,” he said dismissively, still studying the menu.

  Rosemary sat back against the leather of the booth, studying her fiancé. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say? Fine?”

  Ash ran his fingers through his hair and looked up. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I’m so damn hungry I can barely hear you over the growling of my stomach. Repeat that please?”