by Stella Night
The white-haired woman paused for a moment. “Do you remember your mother?”
Josh smiled at her, then dropped his gaze to the glass in his hand. “A little. Celia had just come along and I was fascinated by her. I remember Mom was very sick afterward, but I was so young when my mother died - only seven. It sometimes becomes difficult to remember her.” He returned his gaze to the elder. “Why do you ask?”
Mrs. Gilbert watched him closely while she said “She was human.”
His mouth dropped open and he began to protest. She made soothing sounds and reached for his hands. “Your parents had a great love affair, even though he was a shifter and she was human.” She nodded her head at his unspoken question.
Josh stood and ran his hand through his hair as he paced the room. Then he sat down again, staring at the older woman.
“I never knew, I mean, Dad never said … anything.” He looked around the room then back at her. “Are you sure?”
She laughed. “Yes, I’m sure. I was very close to Amanda. I loved her like a sister. Very much, I’m sure, like Celia loves Ella, and Ella returns that love. They have become quite close over the past month. I’m rather fond of her myself.”
She stood and gathered her things. “Josh, do yourself a favor and explain things to Ella. If she loves you, and I’m pretty sure she does, she will understand and she will find a way to deal with it positively. She’s stronger than either of you realize. She will be a great asset to the pack.”
As she made her way to the door, she stopped and turned. “And Liza will need to be dealt with, sooner rather than later. Her disruption tonight may only be the tip of the iceberg. Go, run with the wolves for now. Good night, sweetheart.”
“Good night, Mrs. G.” Josh drained his glass. He needed to find a way to explain things to Ella that wouldn’t have her running for the hills.
Josh thought for a moment about his mother, remembering her dark eyes, her golden hair, her sweet scent. His parents had such a good relationship and his mother had been such an inspiration to so many pack members. He had heard the stories all his life of how they led the pack and made it as successful as it was today. Mrs. Gilbert approved of Ella. Maybe that meant other elders did as well.
And the last step to becoming true alpha was finding a mate who could lead and inspire his pack, just as his mother had done.
Chapter 18
Ella picked up her phone when it chimed, her heart filled with dread. Her breath left her chest in a whoosh when she read the short text from Josh. Dinner at the Hungry Boar tonight? She couldn’t help but smile as she fired off an answer.
“I bet I know who that was from,” Celia spoke in a sing-song.
Ella looked up, her smile broadening. “Yeah. I guess I’ve got dinner plans. I’m sorry. I know we had a girls’ night planned.”
The younger girl grinned ear to ear. “No! Don’t be sorry. I’m so happy! You’re so good for my brother. He’s so much happier with you around.”
Feeling herself blush, Ella picked up the phone again. Reading again that Josh wanted to take her to the only restaurant in town. She looked down at her dusty pants and ran a hand through her tangled hair as she panicked. “Oh good grief! Celia, I’m not dressed for dinner out.”
Chuckling, her friend said “You look fine. It’s very casual over there at the Boar. Run a damp towel over your slacks and finger comb your hair. Then just touch up your make-up a little and run on upstairs. It’s tourist season and they don’t take reservations. The earlier y’all get there, the better.” She hugged Ella then added “I can close by myself. Go on!”
After doing what Celia suggested and touching up her face, Ella headed up the stairs to Josh’s study to find him waiting with a glass of wine and a kiss. “Celia texted me when you were on your way up. We’ve got a few minutes before we need to leave.” He handed a glass to her and motioned for her to sit. “I need to talk to you about something.”
Looking around the room, Ella took a long drink of the wine then she looked at Josh and said, “Josh, about last night. I want to talk about what Celia said.”
Josh hesitated for just a moment before he began speaking. “We’ll talk about that later, but right now I have something more important I need to tell you.”
He reached over and took her glass from, setting it on the table. Then he knelt before her. Ella felt her eyes grow wide and her heart skip a few beats. “Um, Josh … “
He chuckled softly, then smiled up at her. “No, not that, at least not yet.” A burgundy blush crept up his cheeks as he cleared his throat before he rose off his knees. He gently lifted her from the chair, then sat down in it and pulled her onto his lap. He wrapped a dark curl around his finger and smiled up at her. “But I do want you to know, Ella Jane McInery, that I am, without a doubt, falling in love with you. And I hope that you are okay with that. And I would like for you to realize that I plan to pursue you until you feel the same way.”
Ella felt tears of happiness well up, then threw her arms around his neck. “Oh Josh!”
Josh stood and pulled her up, his arms encircling her waist, then he kissed her. She felt herself melt into him as she returned the kiss, tears rolling down her cheeks. When he ended the kiss, she pushed away to reach for her purse and find a tissue. “So much for touching up the makeup!” She laughed nervously.
“You’re beautiful, no matter what, Ella McInery.”
If he was upset that she hadn’t declared her love, he didn’t show it. He took her hand and led her down the stairs. “Come on. The Gerald’s will only hold a table for so long.”
Chapter 19
After crossing the road, she and Josh walked the two blocks to the Hungry Boar. The weather was mild, autumn held at bay in Central Texas. It wasn’t as hot as summer, but there still wasn’t a chill in the air as might be expected.
In spite of the heavy tourist crowd, Rick Gerald led them a table right away. He pulled a chair out for Ella and slid it beneath her as she sat. Then he opened a bottle of wine, pouring a glass and handing it to Josh. With a smile, he disappeared, off to help a group of tourists with their seating.
Ella looked around, noticing that Rick had placed them in a darker corner, partially isolated from the rest of the diners.
Josh filled her glass and handed it to her.
“What kind of relationship did you parents have, Ella?”
Surprised by his question, she sipped as she thought for a moment. “They didn’t,” she said slowly. “I was raised by a single mother who never married. Why?”
Josh took her hand and continued. “My parents had a remarkable relationship. I was very young when my mother died, but all my life I’ve heard about their amazing love affair. And everyone in Whiskey Springs loved her.”
He paused for a moment. “My mother was like you. She wasn’t from here but she made it her home. And my father was like me. He was born here and had lived here all his life, amid some of the same people who are here now.”
Ella watched him, wondering what he was trying to say to her. Her heart tripped as she considered where he might be going with this topic. “How else am I like your mother, Josh? Does this have something to do with your ‘pack’?”
“Well, yes, it does.” He reached over to take her other hand. Bringing them to his lips, he placed a small kiss in first one palm, then the other. “I really should have done this sooner. I need to explain some things to you, and I don’t want to you to be afraid to ask questions. And I don’t want you to consider any of us monsters.”
She looked down at her hands, engulfed in his larger ones. She was hypnotized by the tiny circles he rubbed into her palms with is thumbs.
“I think monsters are real and that there may be worse monsters than werewolves. Like you keep saying to me, you can tell me anything.” She turned her full gaze on him. “So, how long have you been a werewolf?”
His eyes rounded and his mouth dropped open. Then he chuckled. “Okay, we’ll jump right into it.” He picked up
his glass and drained it and took a deep breath. “We are shifters. Werewolves are what you see in the movies, what you read about in books. Shifters are what you find here in Whiskey Springs.”
For a moment she couldn’t breathe. Then she reminded herself that she trusted Josh, that she believed he would not hurt her. “And is everyone in town … a shifter?” She watched him carefully, realized he was trying to frame his response for her benefit.
“Well, almost everyone is. There are a few wives who are, like you, like my mom … “
“Human?” Her voice was a whisper, shaky, as she took in what he was saying.
“Yes.” The word was drawn out as he nodded his head and looked around the room before he brought his chocolate gaze back to her. ” And I am the alpha, the leader, of this pack. I guide, I make decisions, and I enforce our laws. I also have a group of six elders who help me with every decision, every enforcement. Mrs. Gilbert is one of those elders.”
Ella gently pulled her hand away and sat back in her chair. Working to control her heartbeat, she took a deep breath. Letting it out she asked, “Do you change into a wolf on the full moon?”
Josh’s eyes snapped to hers, then he smiled. “Sort of. A wolf but bigger, stronger. And not just on the full moon but at will. Still, you don’t have to barricade yourself behind locked doors.” He poured them both another glass of wine, then picked his up and drained it again. “Damn. This is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.” He reached for her hand again and she let him take it. “We have laws, Ella, laws that protect the humans around us. Our number one law is no killing. Killing for reasons other than eating mean lifetime expulsion, and we don’t eat humans.” He leaned toward her, his face earnest. “I meant what I said. I will never let anything happen to you. Please trust me.”
“And will you bite me? Change me?” She was finding it hard to breathe.
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, I won’t change you. But there is a bite involved in the claiming ritual, a bite that marks you as mine.” He kissed her hand and smiled. “And I’m told it’s rather, um, stimulating for lack of a better word.”
Ella laughed and reached her other hand up to caress his cheek. Before she could say anything, her phone chimed. “Oh, I’m sorry. Let me check that. I’m sure it’s just Celia asking how things are going.” She giggled a little as she pulled the phone from her purse. “Heaven forbid that I don’t answer her. She might just walk over here to find out for herself or have Rick spy on us.”
She felt the blood drain from her face when she read the text.
You don’t belong here. Go home!
Before she could show the phone to Josh and clear everything up, another text alert buzzed.
If you want to keep them safe, don’t say a word! I will kill him and his sister. I will burn that store to the ground.
Ella’s hands felt leaden as she tried to put the phone back into her bag. Standing on shaky legs, she pushed her chair back.
“Josh, I’m sorry. I can’t … I can’t stay with you. This is just too much.” She turned toward him but couldn’t meet his eyes. “So sorry.”
She walked as quickly as she could to the door of the restaurant, pushing her way through the crowd. Then she ran toward her apartment as fast as her trembling legs could carry her.
***
Tears blinded Ella as she hurried through the parking lot toward the little house she shared with Mrs. Gilbert. Her blood pounded in her ears. She couldn’t stop sobbing. The six block walk seemed to take forever, but it gave her time to mull some things over.
She thought about the texts and her breath caught in her throat. Then she thought about how she had run out of the restaurant. She stopped for a moment as she fought back another sob. When she could breathe again, she continued walking.
Her walking slowed as the distance from the Hungry Boar increased. She berated herself for even thinking of leaving. How could she possibly consider that? She had found a place to call home, a place with friends - perhaps even a chosen family. And she found a man to love and believe in, something she had longed for these past few years when she was stuck in the relationship with David.
Then she wondered how a person, or a shifter, could be so cruel. Not just the way David had been cruel, but cruel enough to disrupt several lives with anonymous words. Sure, it upset Liza that Josh had chosen to be with Ella. But did it upset her enough that she would threaten his life? And that of his sister? That didn’t seem to make any sense.
Reaching home, Ella leaned against her car. She had to do something. She couldn’t let Josh and Celia be hurt because of her or because some jealous bitch didn’t want her around. On the other hand she couldn’t bring herself to leave Josh, either.
And she needed to tell Josh how she felt. Damn it! She loved him and she hadn’t told him. She should have just confided in him after the very first message. She never should have let it go on this long. But, no — Ella had decided she could handle things all by herself.
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath. She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone to read the last two messages again.
She couldn’t help thinking that something about this was wrong. Not being with Josh was wrong. Not asking him for help was wrong. Running was wrong. But something about the texts just rang wrong. She just didn’t believe Liza would hide behind anonymous text messages. That woman was the epitome of confrontation, so why would she stoop to hiding this way?
Ella stared up at the full moon for a moment or two. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she made her decision. She dropped her phone into her pocket as she pushed off the car and turned back toward the Hungry Boar. She owed Josh an explanation for her behavior before it was too late.
She paused. What if he had changed his mind? What if he didn’t believe her? What if he chose Liza because it would be better for the pack? Well, Ella would just have to take the chance that her new beginning was the real thing. She would take a chance on love.
She felt a sudden urge to hurry.
As she started walking, she noticed how sparse the crowd had become. How long had she been sitting there?
Stepping into the parking lot of the Hungry Boar, Ella lifted her eyes to the moon again. She whispered a little prayer. Please let him understand.
Then her world went black.
Chapter 20
Josh drained the bottle of single malt Irish whiskey. He reached for another and opened it as his sister and Mrs. Gilbert walked into his study.
Celia was vibrating with excitement. “Oh my gosh! Josh, how did dinner go? Where is Ella? Did you ask her? Did she say yes?” She ran to him and enveloped him in a tight hug.
Turning on his sister, he pushed her away and growled. “Just shut up, alright? I don’t need your nonsense right now.”
Mrs. Gilbert put an arm around Celia’s shoulders as the girl turned away and began crying.
“Josh Masters, what has gotten into you?” the older woman asked.
Drunk as he was, he knew better than to lay into an elder, even if he was the alpha. “Nothing.” He drained his glass and poured another.
“I think you’ve had enough, young man.”
“And I’ll let you know when I’ve had enough,” he growled. “I should never have listened to you and your talk about romance and trust, and all that other shit.” He drained the glass then threw it into the fireplace. “She’s gone.”
“Oh, you are so right. She is gone. I’m glad to see you finally came to your senses, Josh.”
Three heads swiveled to the doorway as Liza sauntered into the study. “But I’m here for you, baby.” She took a new glass from the bar and poured more whiskey into it. She took a sip then handed the crystal glass to Josh. “I told you she didn’t belong here, baby.” She pushed him into a chair, then sat on her lap and ran her fingers through his hair. “But I’m here and we will be so good together. We’ll have the strongest pack in Texas, you and me together.” S
he pulled his head around and placed a kiss on his mouth as she wound her arms around his neck.
Josh stood and dropped Liza to the floor in a flurry of jangling bracelets and outrageous snarls. His wolf came to the fore. He grew bigger. He could feel his canines lengthen, could feel the fur popping from his skin, could see the shimmer of the air around him. It was a struggle to keep the wolf under control, keep it from ripping Liza’s throat out. His voice was little more than a harsh growl.
“Get the fuck out now. I don’t want you. I don’t need you. And neither does my pack.”
Liza stood and pulled her dress down. He could see her canines plainly, could see the glow in her gold eyes that told him her wolf was as close to the surface as his was. She snarled, then smoothed her long black hair. Her control regained, she gave him a long, hard look.
“I’m going.” She looked at Celia and Mrs. Gilbert, then turned her full attention to Josh. “But think about what happens when an alpha doesn’t have a mate, Josh. You’ll change your tune. You’ll come crawling to me then.” She turned and walked to the doorway, then paused. Over her shoulder, she added “Oh, and you won’t find her. She’s gone. I watched her leave in some guy’s car.”
***
The rocking was almost soothing. She was dreaming she was on a train, the gentle back and forth motion easing her troubles away. No worries at all. She couldn’t remember where she was going or why, but it was important that she get off the train and go back. She should go back so everything would be alright. Why did her head hurt so much?
Ella opened her eyes slowly. Looking around, she was in the back seat of a car. She reached her hand back to feel a lump on the back of her head. She looked down and noticed she was missing a shoe. Her head throbbed, each beat echoing her pounding heart.
The car stopped and the front door opened. It slammed shut, shaking the car. The resulting pain in her head was almost blinding. The back door opened. Strong hands reached under her arms and pulled her out. She swayed on her feet and reached a put a hand out to steady herself against the car. She closed her eyes against the vertigo, willing it away. She pulled a deep breath in through her nostrils and exhaled through dry lips. The sound of the car door closing echoed through the trees.
