Brink Of Passion (Alpine Woods Shifters)

by Sondrae Bennett

  There was no sense worrying everyone at this point. Without facts or proof, there was nothing anyone could do. But he would not leave Ryan unprotected. No matter what, he’d make sure someone he trusted guarded Ryan until the matter was resolved.

  *****

  “Laurie. Colin.”

  Laurie smiled at the sound of Amy’s call. The girl could bring cheer to a funeral. Turning toward the voice, her smile froze as she took in the rest of the company. Leah, her mate, Chad, and Tyler. Great. The faker and the grump.

  Not for the first time, she reminded herself that these people were Max’s family, and that made them her family. No matter how unpleasant she found them.

  Not that there was anything particularly offensive about Tyler. But over the past week, she’d met him any of number of times, and she had yet to see him smile. Instead, he wore a constant scowl. She’d wondered if he ever relaxed.

  And Leah. Okay, so Laurie had issues with Leah. Everyone had in-laws they just couldn’t get along with, right? Her own mother refused to talk to her grandmother. At least Chad, Leah’s mate, was with them. Leah tended to be less bitchy around him. And whenever she got an attitude, he’d always smile at Laurie in sympathy. Leah couldn’t be all bad to have landed such a great guy, right?

  “Where are you guys off to?” Amy asked. She had a dimple on one side of her face. Friendliness radiated from every pore.

  Laurie’s smile warmed. “Starbucks run. Wanna come?”

  As much as she preferred not to spend more time with Leah and Tyler, she included all four of them in her invitation. Max had wanted time alone with Ryan, so she’d do what she could to give him as much as he needed. Besides, she should make an effort to spend more time with his family.

  “Shouldn’t you be with Max? He needs your support right now. I think coffee can wait.”

  Laurie gritted her teeth at the censure infused in Leah’s words. Be civil. Be civil. She repeated the two-word phrase over and over in her head. Their family had been through a lot recently. Getting into a fight would not help anyone, nor endear her to them.

  “Max asked for some time alone with Ryan,” Colin interjected before she could figure out how to respond. The reprimand in his tone, aimed at Leah, allowed Laurie to relax. She gave him a grateful smile. A flash of a smirk was her response.

  Colin reminded her so much of Ethan, it made her heart hurt. Somehow, she already sensed he had her back, and that made dealing with the other two just a bit easier.

  “Of course. I never meant to imply otherwise,” Leah crooned with a vague wave of her hand. Laurie called bullshit to that, but held the words back. “Well then, we’ll have to bring him back a cup of coffee.”

  As if Laurie would never have thought of that. The bitch. Her nose twitched with the sneer struggling to escape. Now, when she got Max coffee, it would seem like Leah’s suggestion.

  Amy linked arms with her as they turned toward the exit, chattering away about her latest problem at work at a temp agency, placing people in positions she thought suited them. Work she no doubt excelled at. She had a presence that made others relax. Made them feel comfortable enough to open up. Laurie was confident she made sure to match people to the right job.

  “I want to send her to some typing classes, but my bosses say she has to pay for them herself.”

  “She won’t?” Colin asked from the other side.

  “Her clothes left me with the impression she doesn’t have much disposable income. Nice enough, but a little worn around the edges. I just wish I knew how to help her. She’s got three kids at home, so I’d like to send her to some higher paying jobs. I just can’t at her current level.”

  That was the greatest thing about Max’s youngest cousin; she cared.

  “What about those free typing games online?” Laurie suggested.

  “Do they work?”

  “They’ll certainly help. Not sure how fast, but she will see an improvement.”

  “Hmm. I’ll suggest it. Thanks, Laurie.” Amy squeezed her arm. Sometimes it was hard to believe the girl was only twenty-six.

  Before they exited the building, Leah took her scarf off and handled it to Amy. The absent gesture mollified some of Laurie’s frustration with the woman. The desire to give up her own comfort for that of another, especially someone as guileless as Amy, was something Laurie related to.

  Could Leah be condescending at times? Hell yes. Annoyingly cheerful? That too. But she wasn’t a bad person. If only Laurie could remember that whenever the woman rubbed her the wrong way.

  As per usual, Tyler was quiet. Not that anyone needed to speak with Amy around. Somehow she managed to fill the awkward silences effortlessly. Just enough to keep them all engaged, but not enough to be considered chatty.

  The group immediately turned left upon exiting the building, Amy guiding her with their linked arms. Laurie looked down the street but saw no Starbucks in sight.

  “Do you all visit the hospital enough to know where the closest Starbucks is?” Laurie asked. Not one of them had glanced at their phone to find a location.

  “You’re never far from a Starbucks in Manhattan.” Amy’s laugh was infectious. She thought she even heard a chuckle from Tyler, but when she glanced his way, he still carried the stoic expression. “Down by Times Square, there is literally four Starbucks in a three-block radius.”

  Coming from a place where the closest Starbucks was half an hour away, the concept was completely foreign. People in Alpine Woods came to her bookstore, or the local diner, for coffee in the mornings. Why would anyone need that many Starbucks?

  “And they all stay in business?”

  “Without a problem,” Amy replied.

  “There’s almost always a line,” Colin added.

  She shook her head. She loved coffee. The smell, the taste, everything about it. But she’d never been particularly fond of Starbucks.

  “But if you want a really good cup of plain coffee, not a latte or anything fancy, you need to go to Pax. They’re all around the City, so you can’t miss them. Just look for the yellow sign. Their bran muffins are incredible, so you should give them a try, even if you don’t like bran muffins.”

  The thought of food reminded Laurie she hadn’t eaten. Her stomach agreed, loudly grumbling in protest. Almost as one, the group stopped walking and turned to her.

  “I’d say that’s a yes,” Colin joked.

  “Probably.” Laurie chuckled.

  “Max is most likely hungry, too. Why don’t we find a deli and grab some sandwiches? Like Starbucks, you can’t go far without stumbling into a deli around here,” Chad suggested.

  “That sounds good. Thanks.”

  True to his words, it didn’t take them long to find a deli and grab some sandwiches, and a Starbucks for coffee. It took longer than she expected, but the sparkle in Max’s eyes when he caught sight of the food made her glad they’d thought to stop.

  “Get everything squared away?” Colin asked.

  “Yes. We’ll talk later.”

  Laurie glanced between the two, noticing the same curiosity from Tyler and Leah, but none of them asked the questions they knew wouldn’t be answered. That later had been thrown in for a reason.

  Laurie pushed away the hurt caused by his words. Ridiculous to feel betrayed. She might be his mate, but it was silly to think he’d come to her with his problems so early in their relationship. Besides, with his cousins, brother, and aunts and uncles, he didn’t need any more people giving him advice. He had his own council. After all, her brothers had rarely consulted her.

  Still, the Reuben sandwich tasted like cardboard as she took her first bite. He might not need her advice, but she wished he would consult her. She was eager to help him, even in a small way.

  She glanced sideways at his profile. Tension lined his mouth, and bags hung below his eyes. Despite both, he was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Their eyes met as he turned to face her.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” She
leaned in and placed a kiss against his cheek. Stubble scratched her lips.

  When she pulled back, some of the tension had faded, replaced by a smile. Her heart skipped a beat.

  Pleasure filled her, with the knowledge that there was still one way she could help. One way she could protect him. If all she could do was ease his tension, and make sure he still had time to smile, she’d make that her mission. At least until he trusted her with more.

  Baby steps.

  Chapter 9

  Laurie collapsed on the white leather sofa, sweat pouring down her face and back. Despite running up and down Manhattan for the past eleven hours, restlessness still plagued her. All night, she’d tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position. Once the sun had crept under the blinds shading the room, she’d decided she’d had enough pretending to sleep. She’d gotten dressed, left a note for Max, and took off with no destination. All she’d known was she couldn’t sit still. Couldn’t get comfortable.

  So, she’d run. For hours. Exhausting her body and mind. And it had worked in that regard. Laurie wanted nothing more than to take a shower, eat a giant steak or a gallon of ice cream, and go to bed. But her churning gut told her it would be a useless endeavor. Sleep wasn’t on the agenda. Her skin itched. Her eyes burned. And her blood raced.

  Antsy.

  What was wrong with her? It had been almost a month since she’d arrived in New York City, but this was the first time she felt truly uncomfortable. Ryan had come home from the hospital the week before, but his memory had yet to return. The doctors warned that it may never happen. Things had more or less gotten back to normal. The new normal. So why couldn’t Laurie rest?

  Whatever bothered her, she couldn’t fix it until she figured out what caused it. Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since the hot dog three hours ago. At least there was one thing she could take care of. There was still a chicken breast in the fridge left over from dinner the night before, unless Max had taken it for lunch.

  With a sigh, Laurie stood. Only one way to find out. If not, she’d order a pizza and snack on deli meat until it arrived.

  A pang in her stomach made her double over. Laurie closed her eyes against the light that was suddenly too bright, piercing daggers into her eyes. She reached out as her knees gave way beneath her.

  Something crashed to the floor from the coffee table, but she couldn’t open her eyes to find out. The pain was too intense.

  Her wolf rose to the surface in her mind.

  Angry.

  So angry.

  Realization slammed into her. Her anxiety this morning, her pain now, all made sense. Her wolf rebelled against being locked away inside her for too long. She could run as much as she wanted in human form, but hunting with her wolf was different. Her wolf hadn’t run free since before the conference in Tucson more than a month ago. Much too long. The beast was fed up and taking it out on Laurie.

  She tore at her clothes, hearing seams ripping as she pulled them from her body. But her wolf was eerily still, as if sensing the end of her confinement. No sooner had the last stitch of clothing hit the floor than the noise started. Harrowing cracks and pops filled her ears before the shift took over her focus. She sighed in relief as her bones began to break and reform. As terrible as it sounded, the shift felt like a good stretch after a long nap. She winced at a particularly painful moment, reinforcing her belief that she’d waited too long between shifts.

  How did the cats do it? There was nowhere in the City to run. Central Park maybe, but even late at night, a wolf or a leopard roaming around would stand out.

  Thinking about it, she realized they must have something planned soon. A group hunt of some kind. As far as she knew, all shifters felt the undeniable urge to run and hunt. Back home, her brothers hosted biweekly pack hunts. The leopards might not need it as frequently, but they had to still feel the need.

  In less than a minute, it was over. She got to all four feet and shook, starting with her head and rolling the movement through her body. Each shake felt more comfortable than the last as her brain made the connections between movement and cortexes required with each form.

  Glancing around the room, she noted with surprise that very little had changed. The monotone white colors of the room made it difficult to see the difference between beast and human vision. The only noticeable differences were in the paintings on the walls.

  She leapt over an ottoman, her wolf cheering at even that small amount of exercise. But what about the rest? How was she going to pull this off? Even if she could make it the couple blocks to Central Park without being seen, unlikely at any time of day but especially early evening, it wasn’t like she could go running in the park without issues. Where was she supposed to find enough land to truly stretch her legs?

  The treadmill was always an option, she supposed. The wolf grumbled at the thought. She wanted to smell the grass, to feel the dirt beneath her feet. She wanted a real playground, not a metal one. But where?

  Anxious to begin, she paced across the large living room. At each turn, her speed increased until she was running from one side to the other and back in a giant circle.

  Suddenly, legs appeared in her path. She put on the brakes, but the slick wood floor hindered her. Too fast for her to slow down. She slid, crashing into him and bouncing off to roll away.

  She turned with a snarl at the sound of a chuckle behind her. Max crouched down until he was close to her level.

  “What do we have here?”

  Even her wolf melted at his smile. How was that fair? Why didn’t she have such a weapon against him?

  “Colin says he ran into you on the elevator and you’ve been running all day? Yet, I come home to find more running. Feeling anxious, puppy?”

  Laurie curled one side of her lip at the endearment, showing her fang. ‘Puppy’ sounded condescending.

  Max laughed. “Don’t like that one, either, huh? Why am I not surprised?” He pulled his phone from the holder on his hip. “Tyler?” he said after a moment. “I’m taking Laurie to the cabin. Can you and Colin watch things around here for the weekend?”

  “No problem. Ryan?” Tyler asked from the other end.

  Laurie tilted her head to the side, pondering the question.

  “Keep the guard on him. Only those on the approved list.” Guard?

  “He won’t like it.”

  “Tough. And watch your own back, too.” Max disconnected the call, then turned his gaze on Laurie. “As much as I’d like to hustle you away as you are, you’d probably be mad with the lack of clothes once you return to human.” His lips quirked up in one corner. “Might be worth it, but I’ll pack a bag anyway. Give me a couple minutes, then we’ll head out.”

  She padded after him as he ascended the stairs and entered the bedroom. Questions buzzed through her mind, but none she could ask while in wolf form, and she doubted her wolf would relinquish the reins of control so quickly. A snarl in her mind confirmed as much.

  He’d mentioned a cabin, but where? The words cabin and New York City sounded oxymoronic. But she supposed she’d find out soon enough. Her wolf was willing to wait if the reward meant somewhere to run.

  Max caught her gaze as he placed her jeans and a couple shirts in a backpack.

  “The leap co-owns a large stretch of land in Vermont with a few other shifter groups headquartered in the city. We all have our own cabins with a small area around them that belongs solely to our leap, but the land between belongs to the consortium and allows us to hunt and run over a large area.”

  Laurie’s heart leapt. How many acres? Would she truly be able to let loose? She stood, her stance wide, and wagged her tail to show her enthusiasm. She lifted her lips into a smile, as much as her wolf form allowed. The glint in Max’s eyes made her think she’d gotten her point across.

  “I got the impression you needed it.”

  Her tail sped up.

  *****

  Max barely avoided the claw swiping in his direction
.

  He roared, but the little wolf simply turned her back on him and went back to her meal. He roared again, louder this time, insisting she pay him heed. The disdainful glance she threw over her shoulder did not count!

  Stingy. That’s what she was. After all, he’d caught the first rabbit and placed it at her feet. Now, she wouldn’t share the one she caught. How was that fair? He butted his head against her thigh and heard a warning growl rumble from her throat.

  Unbelievable. She really wasn’t going to share. Hissing, Max left her to her teeny tiny rabbit to search for bigger prey. This time, he’d take down a deer and eat the whole thing himself. Well, he’d at least pretend to withhold it from her until she whined and looked at him with those big brown puppy eyes. He swore he could at least hold out until then.

  Pathetic. The little wolf had him totally wrapped around her paw. Maybe if he didn’t already know the fridge and freezer at the cabin were both fully stocked, he’d stick to his resolution. But he doubted it.

  He heard Laurie munching on bones behind him. If he could hear it, so could everything else. He prowled farther away, his paws silent on the ground beneath him.

  A stick cracked up ahead. He froze, one paw in the air, and listened. More chewing, but not Laurie. Soft munching rather than hard crunching. He narrowed his eyes, moving his head slightly until he had a clear view up ahead. A trio of deer grazed in the clearing. His shoulders hunched, lowering the rest of his body to the ground as he stalked forward.

  He waited. Watched as the trio ambled around the grassy area. The one on the left seemed to favor one of his back legs over the other. He’d be easier to take down than the other two. Zeroing in on his target, Max prepared to attack.

  The air rippled over him as he leapt, something zinging past. The ground where he’d been crouched moments before exploded in a puff of dirt. He turned and studied the ground for a moment, before instinct, followed by realization, had him moving. Another patch of dirt flew inches from his foot as he zigged left. Bullets hitting dirt. Someone was shooting at him.