Paranormally Yours: A Boxed Set

by Alisha Basso

  *****

  Marla arrived around eleven o’clock and Elise met her at the door, gritting her teeth but trying to be welcoming, even though spending time with the woman was the last thing she wanted to do. For her part, Marla smiled and offered a polite, civilized greeting even bringing her a small gift. “Our first meeting didn’t go too smoothly, so I thought we should start again. Here’s a little something to welcome you to our pack.”

  Removing the tissue from the brightly coloured gift bag Marla handed her, Elise found a bottle of fragrance. Sniffing it cautiously, she found that it was surprisingly pleasant. The scent was light and delicate, floral rather than musky, and quite in keeping with her own preferences. She’d have thought Marla would choose something more heavy and cloying, but apparently the other woman was one of those people who just instinctively read others correctly. It was probably quite a useful skill when it came to her work at the gallery. Knowing what a client might prefer would certainly help in guiding them towards the right sort of art and boost chances of a sale.

  Murmuring polite thanks, Elise glanced over Marla’s shoulder to see Kane leaning against the doorframe of his office. He still had an overall aura of stress, but at that moment he was beaming approval her way and she felt a warm glow within at having been the cause of his happiness. Giving her a wink and a nod, he disappeared back into his work space.

  Leading the way into the living room that was across from the office, Elise tried to make some small talk. “So, do you always have Sundays off or is this a special occasion?”

  “I only work part-time at the gallery and my hours are pretty flexible. Most clients are quite wealthy and have very discerning taste. They call me when they want something in particular and if Bastian’s Gallery doesn’t have what they need, I go looking for it. It gives me a chance to do some travelling, and I get to write it all off as a business expense.”

  “It sounds like nice work, if you can get it.”

  “I’ve found that if you want something badly enough in this world, you have to make the circumstances work for you.” Marla shrugged delicately as she looked around the room. “You haven’t made any changes yet, I see. If this were my house, I’d waste no time in starting to redecorate. This ‘old homestead’ decor is so outdated. When you’re ready, let me know and I’ll help you transform this place into something suitable for the current century.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Elise smiled, but seethed inwardly. She’d just arrived, for heaven’s sake. Redecorating was the last thing on her mind. Besides, while it wasn’t exactly up to date, the house wasn’t shabby; it was comfortable and homey. Helen had probably decorated it years ago and, while the older woman wasn’t technically lady of the house any more, Elise couldn’t imagine taking over and redoing everything. This had been Helen’s home for years, and Elise supposed it would continue to be for quite a while to come. As far as Elise was concerned, any changes that were made should be agreed upon jointly by her, Helen and Carrie. After all, they all shared the house.

  Deciding to change the topic, Elise tried to sound perky and pleased at the woman’s presence. I’m doing this for Kane, she reminded herself. “Marla, Kane didn’t know when he invited you to lunch, that I’d already made plans with Julia, but you’re more than welcome to come along.”

  “Well, I don’t know... Julia isn’t overly fond of me. Perhaps I should just stay here. I can help Kane in the office and keep him company while you’re gone.” Marla glanced across the hall towards the open office door. Kane could be seen bending over the lower drawer of the filing cabinet, his pants pulled taut, showing off his muscular thighs and tight rear end to their best advantage. Both women paused for a moment and admired the view.

  Giving her head a shake and focusing on the conversation, Elise countered Marla’s suggestion. “Oh, Julia doesn’t mind at all. I’ve already explained the situation and she’s looking forward to seeing you.” Crossing her fingers behind her back, Elise made a mental note to buy Julia something really nice as soon as she had some money of her own. Julia had sympathized with her over the phone, telling her to bring Marla along so that they could share the misery.

  Marla looked as if she’d continue to refuse, and Elise wasn’t sure how she felt about that. On the one hand, she really didn’t want to have lunch with Marla, but on the other hand, she didn’t want Marla spending time alone with Kane. Deciding that keeping the woman in sight was the better option, she pressed her case. “Kane knows about the planned lunch with Julia and even said how good it would be for you to come along, seeing as how you’re trying to expand your circle of female friends.”

  Barring her teeth in an insincere smile, Marla finally acquiesced and they set out towards Julia’s house.

  *****

  Lunch at Julia’s wasn’t a complete disaster. All three women made an effort to get along and chatted about Thomas’ condition—it was rapidly improving—the state of the weather—unseasonably warm—and recent movies in the theatre. Julia had made a delicious quiche and tossed salad and when Marla complimented her on the meal, Julia offered to share the recipe. After clearing the table, Julia hesitantly mentioned her plans for the afternoon.

  “I thought I’d give Elise a tour of the woods. We found out yesterday that we both like to go for a good run, and she hasn’t had a chance to explore yet. I know you’re not really that in touch with your wolf side, Marla. If you’d rather not—”

  “Oh, no! Don’t change your plans for me. I haven’t been out for a while and I can use the exercise. I can even show Elise some of the spots where Kane, Ryne, and I used to go when we were all pups together.”

  Elise and Julia looked at each other, but made no comment. It had been over an hour without any snide remarks coming from Marla. The reprieve had already lasted longer than either of them thought possible. Was this the start? Hopefully not.

  Julia gave a little bounce and clapped her hands in what was probably feigned excitement over Marla’s participation. “All right then. Marla and I will act as your tour guides, Elise. Follow me!”

  They walked across the lawn and ensured they were actually into the woods where the trees started to thicken, before shifting into wolf form. It was private land and while the chance of someone from the outside seeing them transforming was negligible, it was better to be safe than sorry. Elise noted that Julia had become a dark grey wolf, while Marla’s animal was a rather dull, mousy brown, which was totally in contrast to her flamboyant blonde human physique. Was that why Marla wasn’t as fond of her wolf side and hadn’t been in the woods recently?. Being a plain, ordinary animal probably vexed the other woman no end.

  Elise had always been pleased with her own wolf’s appearance. Her fur was thick and silvery with touches of black near the tips of her ears and tail. Idly, she thought that she and Kane made a handsome couple, his solid black contrasting nicely with her silver.

  The air was crisp and clear, carrying on it intriguing scents. Julia was prancing, eager to begin her run and Elise quickly followed her, carefully noting all that she encountered. The ground was slightly damp and spongy underfoot, providing a good grip as they raced along. Elise darted her eyes from side to side, taking in all the sights, her ears pricked with curiosity. It had been several days since she’d been out in wolf form and it felt incredibly good to be back in the wild.

  Instinctively understanding that Elise would want time to absorb her surroundings, Julia politely stopped at a number of spots along the way. Elise yipped her appreciation and sniffed the ground, trees, and bushes, her wolf’s brain sorting and storing the various scents while making a mental picture of the land and the animal life that inhabited it. Deer, rabbits, squirrel, and even skunks occupied the woods, and Elise anticipated going hunting in the near future. While she seldom killed her prey, she loved the thrill of the chase.

  For her part, Marla trailed behind them and flopped down disinterestedly whenever they stopped. It was only when the scent of water indicated that they
were nearing the river that she seemed to perk up. Marla began trying to take the lead and head south while Julia kept cutting in front and herding her in another direction. In frustration, Marla snapped and snarled but Julia stood firm, growling and lowering her head in warning. After a moment’s hesitation, Marla backed down. Julia relaxed and then phased into human form, but as soon as she could talk, she verbally began to rip into Marla.

  “Will you stop being such a bitch? You know Kane’s forbidden anyone to go near that area unless accompanied by himself or one of the more experienced patrollers.”

  Marla returned to her human form and immediately countered Julia’s claim. “We’re not that close and besides, Elise is new here and wants to see more of the territory.”

  Elise had changed while Marla spoke and knew something was up by the way the two women snarled at each other. She decided it was up to her to break the tense atmosphere that was developing.

  “I do want to explore more, but it doesn’t have to be today. I can wait until Kane takes me. What’s so special about that part of the river anyway?”

  Julia glared at Marla while explaining. “Well, first of all, it’s where the oil spill was. We haven’t gotten conclusive results back yet to prove the area is safe, and until he knows all the contaminants are gone, Kane doesn’t want anyone there. Secondly, it’s very rocky and dangerous, which is one of the reasons the oil spill got as bad as it did; a lot had leaked out of the containers before anyone came by and noticed.”

  Elise nodded. “Kane mentioned there was a particularly treacherous area, but I didn’t know exactly where it was. Oh!” She suddenly remembered the phone call earlier that morning. “And he got a call about the oil spill this morning. The lab wants to do further testing. There was something about the oil having leached into the ground and the possibility of having to do a major environmental cleanup in order to prevent further damage.” Elise noted the worried expression on Julia’s face and tried to offer some reassurance. “It wasn’t definite though—they were just checking.”

  “See?” Julia looked smugly at Marla. “Yet another reason to stay away. The ground could be contaminated as well as the water. If we went that way, we could end up getting sick.”

  Marla seemed to cool down and returned to the pleasant persona she’d been assuming. “You know, Julia, you’re right. I’d totally forgotten about that. We are supposed to keep clear. See what happens when you stay away from the woods for too long?” Marla’s apology almost sounded sincere, but Elise had her doubts. Still, she was curious as to the other woman’s motives.

  “Why did you want to go to that particular spot, anyway?”

  “Like I said, it would be interesting for you to see, and Ryne and I used to spend a lot of time there as well. He loved taking pictures around here.” She shrugged. “I really miss him sometimes and revisiting places that we shared helps me deal with the loneliness. Ryne and I were very close. We’d actually discussed becoming mates, rather than just lovers, and now that he’s gone... Well...I feel that a part of me is missing, too.” Marla’s eyes began to fill with tears and Elise awkwardly patted her shoulder.

  Julia looked at her and shook her head. “If you miss him so much, then why didn’t you go with him when he left?”

  “Umm, I...” Obviously searching for an answer, Marla shifted uncomfortably. She looked around the woods and shrugged. “This is my home. I couldn’t just leave it.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Julia snorted in disbelief. “Well, it’s time we were heading back anyway. I want to visit Thomas again and it gets dark early this time of year. While we might be able to see quite well, those stupid hunters can’t. After Thomas’ close call, I’m not taking any chances.” With that, Julia shifted form. The other two followed suit and they began loping home.

  Chapter 13

  Somehow, Marla managed to get herself invited to dinner and ended up sitting on one side of Kane, while Elise was on the other. As he entered the dining room, Kane gave Elise a peck on the cheek and it was only when Marla stood looking at him expectantly, that he absentmindedly helped her into the chair. Rolling her eyes, Elise sat down moving her chair in by herself. She wasn’t helpless and could manage her own chair just fine, thank you very much!

  For his part, Kane seemed oblivious to any undercurrents between the two women, merely inquiring how their day went. Marla happily reported that she and Julia had shown Elise some of the woods. Elise wanted to point out that Marla had basically tagged along, but Kane seemed so pleased that their day had gone well that she didn’t want to burst his bubble. His face seemed exceptionally drawn and he kept rolling his shoulders and turning his neck as if his muscles were too tight. Elise wondered what had happened that day to make him so tense, and made a mental note to offer him a shoulder massage later on.

  Despite his obvious stress, Kane thought to apologize to her for not conducting a personal tour of the territory. “I’d really meant to take you out myself, Elise. I’m sorry. My intentions were good, but with one thing and another the time slipped by.”

  “That’s okay. Julia did a fine job of showing me the most popular trails. Maybe one day you can take me to some of the less well known spots.” Under the cover of the table, Elise felt Kane give her thigh a squeeze. Her heart did a quick flip flop when he didn’t immediately remove his hand, and the look he gave her seemed to hold interesting promises for later in the evening. Who knew where that shoulder massage might lead?

  Marla chose that moment to lay her hand on Kane’s arm, drawing his attention away from Elise. The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but Carrie suddenly shoved a bowl of mashed potatoes in front of her face. “Here, Marla, you have to have some more of these. They’re Helen’s special recipe, you know.” Forced to take the bowl that was practically touching her nose, Marla removed her hand from Kane. Immediately, John got Kane’s attention by asking about a pack meeting that had been called for that evening.

  Elise chuckled inwardly at how her friends were putting up road blocks to keep Marla away from Kane. Looking across the table, she met Helen’s eye and received a slow wink from her. Smirking, she knew the older woman had clued the other two in on the situation. Elise stared at her plate and ate quietly, concentrating on the men’s conversation to keep from laughing out loud at Marla’s sour expression.

  “I’ve called everyone about the meeting tonight at seven o’clock. Even our members that live in town are coming here for it. Only Julia and Thomas won’t be there.” John summarized his afternoon efforts. “I told Thomas you’d probably stop by tomorrow and give them a personal update.”

  Kane nodded in approval. “That will work out nicely since I didn’t get a chance to check on how Thomas was doing today. I have the outline for the meeting run off and the chairs are set up downstairs, so everything is ready.”

  “Helen and I made some cookies and muffins for refreshments.” Carrie added. “And John carried the coffee urn downstairs so it’s ready to go.”

  Elise marvelled at how efficient a team they all seemed to be and wondered when she’d find her own niche in this group. She hadn’t even known that there was a meeting tonight! Was it a regularly scheduled event or something special? And why hadn’t they told her? Of course, she’d only been here a few days, and she’d been out of the house all afternoon, but surely someone might have mentioned it in passing. Trying to be positive, Elise decided that it had likely slipped their mind that she wouldn’t know and at least this gathering might give her some more insight into how this particular pack functioned. She didn’t like feeling that she was out of the loop and was coming to realize that Kane’s pack wasn’t nearly as traditional as her father’s.

  “So what’s on the agenda?” Marla asked, flipping her hair and leaning towards Kane, obviously trying to draw his attention.

  “Just an update on recent events. I’d rather not go into it right now. You’ll get all the details the same time as everyone else.” Kane calmly ate his meal, not really looking
at Marla so he missed the frustrated glare that quickly passed over her face. Apparently, Marla wasn’t used to having to wait for what she wanted.

  “I wasn’t aware that there was a meeting tonight,” Elise tentatively stated.

  “Really?” Kane looked surprised. “I thought Helen said she’d tell you.”

  “Me? Now, Kane, why would you expect me to tell your mate about the meeting?” Helen looked at Kane in puzzlement.

  “Well...I suppose I thought you’d see her during the day while you were working around the kitchen since I was in and out all the time...” Kane’s voice trailed off as Helen shook her head at him.

  “Kane, you really need some lessons on being a mate.” John good naturedly teased him. “Rule number one is never assume your mate spends all her time in the kitchen. Rule number two is never spring a surprise on her because then she’ll fuss and fume about her hair and her clothes. I mean, just look at poor Elise right now. There’s a meeting in less than an hour and she hasn’t had a chance to comb her hair from her run or even change her clothes and she’ll be meeting the rest of the pack...” Suddenly John quit speaking and gave a grunt of pain as if someone had kicked him.

  Indeed someone had kicked him! Carrie was glaring at him and he gulped in anticipation of her ire. “John, you have the biggest mouth in the world! Don’t worry, Elise. You look perfectly fine.” Carrie smiled encouragingly at her. Marla just smirked.

  Elise felt herself flushing. She hadn’t really looked in the mirror when she came home. Did she have twigs in her hair or dirt on her face? If it was bad enough that John had noticed... Pushing away from the table, she excused herself. “Maybe I should go and get cleaned up a bit. John’s right. I was out running and I’m probably a mess. Do I have time for a quick shower?”