The Truth in Love: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Virgo

by K. C. Stewart

  Dean's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Don't worry. It was the first thing I grabbed. It's in my truck."

  Emilie exhaled. "Thank you."

  He leaned over and kissed her head again, she pushed him away with a smirk. "You said something about food earlier."

  He laughed. "Stay here, I'll bring you pizza. Then you get to watch me unload all your crap."

  All day he thought about the bear who had wandered into his den. Lee called him a few hours ago to let him know how it went. His gut had dropped when he heard the pain she had to endure. Carter would have been there had he known what Lee had to do to get her healing again.

  Emilie was a mystery to him. It was the cop in him that wanted to know who shot her and why she needed to move so suddenly. When her brother had called about the space, all he had said was that his sister was relocating to the area. Dean had paid the first three month's rent and the security deposit. Carter never questioned it. It was the showing up naked, wounded and exhausted part that had him shining up his badge and adjusting his Westlin PD hat.

  Carter had resisted the urge to dig into her background. He hoped that she would feel comfortable with him enough in time to tell him about the situation that led her there. Emilie promised that it was an accident and nothing would come of it. As a shifter, she knew the ramifications if someone found out about them.

  As he pulled into his driveway, a truck and trailer were blocking most of the lane. A man, Dean he presumed, was heading out of the house to the trailer. Carter was happy to see that Emilie wasn't helping him bring in boxes.

  "Hi there," he said as he got out of his truck. Carter was still in uniform and the man gave him the typical once over. The one that wondered if he was here on business or pleasure. "I'm Carter. Can I assume you are Emilie's brother, Dean?"

  Recognition lightened his eyes, Emilie's eyes. Yeah, they were related alright. Dean jumped out of the trailer and held out his hand. "Yeah, we spoke on the phone. It's nice to meet you."

  Carter shook the bear's hand. "Can I help at all?"

  "I'd love some. Seems my sister forgot to mention the part that she was wounded in her little getaway. I would have brought some help had she bothered to tell me."

  Carter dropped his bag on the porch and stripped out of his uniform shirt. Besides a box or two, the only thing in the trailer was the big furniture.

  "She strikes me as the independent type," he said as they lifted the mattress and slid it from the trailer.

  "You have no idea."

  Actually, he was beginning to. Dean opened the door and lifted the mattress up again. "Don't you dare get up," he said to Emilie. "I've got myself some help."

  "Hello again," Carter said as he came through the door with the other side of the bed. She was sitting on the couch, her leg propped up on the coffee table. He recognized those pants from the pack's collection of emergency gear and she was still wearing his shirt. He smiled at that.

  "Oh. Hi." She looked stunned to see him. Well, she better get used to it, he thought, since he lived next door.

  They took the bed upstairs to the bedroom. Dean had already brought the frame up. A few more trips and Emilie soon had a bedroom set.

  "I know it's not your stuff, but I could hardly take it from Bobby since he was using it. I did get your desk, though," Carter overheard Dean say to Emilie.

  "Thanks. I'm just happy to have a bed. Where did you get it?"

  "My guest room."

  She huffed. "You didn't have to do that."

  "My baby sister calls me up and says she needs a new life; I'm going to provide her with just that. You think I'd let you sleep on the floor?"

  Carter didn't hear the rest; he went right upstairs with the last of the boxes. Emilie's eyes followed him, waiting till he was out of earshot to answer.

  It sounded like a breakup gone wrong. He did want some kind of confirmation that the guy wouldn't be comin' round and stirring up shit. But that could wait till tomorrow. Emilie looked like she was about to pass out. The fever had broken but now there was a little crease in between her eyes that told him she had a headache.

  Dean was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. "Thank for helping. I'm on my way home. Only live ten minutes from here so give me a call if you need me for any reason. You too," he said over his shoulder toward Emilie. "I don't want to get a call from this guy saying that you had to go to the hospital or some shit because your leg got worse."

  "Yes, Mom," Emilie groaned dutifully, her eyes never leaving the page of the book she held. "Love you."

  "Love you too."

  Carter followed him out shutting the door behind him. "You're just leaving her like that?" he asked. He hadn't meant for it to sound accusatory. "What I mean..."

  Dean waved away his worry. "I know what you mean and yes I am because I have already overstayed my welcome. Emilie is fickle with things. She will call if she needs me and when she does I know it is something serious. Like I said, she's independent. If she can do it herself, she will. And right now she wants to do it herself."

  He didn't like any of that. But Carter didn't have a say since he wasn't family. "Thanks again for the help," Dean said as he got in his truck.

  "See ya."

  Carter waited till he was down the driveway before heading back inside. He still had to have a talk with Emilie.

  He knocked twice and entered. She was frowning at him, obviously surprised to see him back. "Forget something?"

  "Just thought now would be a good time to go over some shifting rules."

  "Now?" she deadpanned, looking down at her leg.

  He grinned. "Yes, now." She'd have a hard time evading him while she was injured. Carter sat beside her again. She eyed him suspiciously and tugged the blanket, that was wrapped around her shoulders, a bit tighter. "Stick to the trail out back. Once you get to the stack of rocks you can wonder. It's about two hundred yards in. You're in pack land and I'll tell the alpha that you're here. He won't care knowing that you're Dean's sister."

  She nodded. "Alright, I think I can handle all that."

  "Do you need anything?" he asked wondering what she planned on doing in here by herself with no TV or internet hooked up yet. "You can always come over to my place if you want to watch something."

  Emilie's expression softened just a little, into a real smile. "Thank you, but no. I plan on reading and sleeping for the foreseeable future."

  "Can I help you up the steps before I go?" He hated to see her in pain. Carter could easily carry her up.

  She shook her head. "I'm good."

  "You only need to yell if you change your mind." She sighed and he knew it was time for him to cut out. "Ok, alright," he said holding up his hands and standing up. "I'm done. Have a good night Emilie."

  "You too, Carter. Thanks again for the help today."

  At the door, he turned to smile at her. "Anytime."

  Four

  Virgo Problems: Terribly wanting a hug but being too shy to ask for one.

  zodiacsociety.tumbler.com

  * * *

  The next morning, he woke up and stared at the wall. All night he had been listening in for the slightest notion that Emilie needed help. The house was old and the floors were creaky. He could hear her slowly moving around. But at no point did she yell out for him. Carter knew the kind of pain she must be in. He had been shot a few years ago with buckshot. It was a bitch to get cleaned up but Lee and the pack Alpha, Owen, did their best. His ass had been sore for weeks afterward. Even as a dominant, independent male wolf, he had been thankful for the help his packmates gave him.

  But Emilie wasn't pack. She was a bear and by nature, they were more self-reliant.

  Carter hefted himself up and into the shower. He worked again at ten. There was paperwork from a domestic he was called on yesterday to write up. Then he had two new patrol officers to get settled in with their Field Training Officer. His department was small so everyone at some point had to be a FTO. Even Carter would take a few shifts.<
br />
  He was drying off when he heard the shower turn on next door. It was quickly followed by something falling into the tub and a curse. He pulled on some sweatpants and a t-shirt while he listened for more.

  "Come on!" she yelled and slammed something against the tub. "I just want a damn shower."

  Carter's lips twitched into a smile. Doctor's orders would be to not get the bandage wet. Little Miss Independent was probably having a hell of a time.

  He was going to let her suffer in silence, since she couldn't follow instructions and yell out for help, but after a few more bangs on the tub from what he imagined were her fists, he heard a soft sob. It tore at every heart string he had. Carter didn't think twice, he jogged down his steps, grabbed the spare set of keys for next door and let himself in.

  She hadn't heard him come up the stairs. Emilie sat on the edge of the tub in a fuzzy robe, her head rested against the wall and she had tear tracks lining her cheeks.

  He knocked on the door frame to get her attention. "You didn't ask for it, but it sounded like you could use some help."

  Horror flashed in her wide eyes as she looked up. Emilie began to wipe under her eyes and ducked her head to hide her face. "I'm fine. You didn't," she huffed out an exasperated breath. "You didn't need to come over here."

  Carter walked into the room and crouched in front of her. He brushed some of the strands that had stuck to her cheeks off her face. "But I'm here now. So why don't you let me help you."

  Her eyes were so tortured, like asking for help was the most painful thing she could be doing. Carter smiled in sympathy and stood. He removed the shower head from the wall and turned on the faucet. When it was warm he motioned her over with his finger.

  "Lean back, I'll wash your hair."

  Emilie scooted over but she did not lean back. In fact, her back got even more straight and stiff, if that were even possible.

  "Would it really be so bad for me to help you?"

  She looked like it might be. "I don't know you," Emilie said quietly. He felt like those four words had been hard for her to get out.

  "Maybe not as well as your brother, but you do know me. I'm a cop, your neighbor and I've seen you naked. I'd say that makes us friends."

  Her lips fought a smile.

  "Come on," he pressured with a grin. "It won't hurt and I bet you will feel a thousand times better afterward. You can always think of it as doing me a favor. It pains me to see someone hurting and not be able to help them."

  Emilie watched him for a moment, her face unreadable. Carter thought he'd have to turn to more primitive methods of persuasion like begging on his knees when she tilted her head back for him. He was the first to admit that he was not skilled in this form of washing and ended up getting water all over her robe. But she trusted him enough to wash and rinse her hair and by the end of it, there was even a little smile on her face.

  "Better?" he asked after turning off the water and handing her a towel.

  She nodded. "Thank you."

  "I'll let you finish up here. When you are done come on down and we'll go for some breakfast." She opened her mouth to object but he stopped her with a hand over her mouth. "Ah ah ah, my treat and since you have no food in your house we will stop by the market on our way home."

  She saw the logic in what he was saying and didn't argue with him when he pulled his hand away. He was beginning to see the way she worked. Logic seemed to persuade her more than anything emotional. If he could appeal to her practical side, then he could win. Emilie nodded once and that was good enough for him. Carter left before she could change her mind.

  Of all the people she had to live next to, it had to be a good-natured cop who had a key to her place.

  This morning, all she wanted was to wash the grime off her skin and hair. She had taken a washcloth to her face the night before but the rest of her was still filthy. Lee had told her she wasn't allowed to get her dressing wet so that had left her at a disadvantage. Her first thought was a bath and she'd just keep her leg out of the water but the wound was so high up her thigh that she'd only have three inches of water to work with. Emilie had been trying to reach the shower head and remove it from the wall so she could direct the spray and keep it off her leg when she slipped and knocked over all of her bottles. She had landed pretty hard on her bum leg, which sent spikes of pain through her whole body. Tears clouded her eyes and then she was sitting down, crying and feeling sorry for herself.

  Admittedly, those tears were for many things including Bobby and her old life. She had been owed a few good cries, probably had one more in her till she found her footing again. But what didn't need to happen was her nosey neighbor taking it upon himself to come over and fix her. His sincerity was the only reason she hadn't kicked him out. Carter truly felt it his duty to help her out. Maybe it was because of his job, maybe because she was his tenant and neighbor, maybe it was just because he was that kind of guy. Regardless, he pushed himself in and now she had to go get breakfast with the man.

  If only his fingers didn't feel so damn good on her scalp, then maybe she could be mad at him.

  The thing about Emilie was that it took a lot for her to get well and truly mad at someone. She burned hot and fast. Furious for a good ten minutes and then fizzled out. She would give people a second, third and even fourth chance but when she was done, she was done. Nothing could change her mind. It was a Virgo quality and one she had proved true quite a few times.

  Carter had only annoyed her. Even her annoyance had dissipated into nothing by the time he was done with her hair.

  Emilie grabbed a washcloth and began to wash the rest of her body while her hair towel dried. Carter yelled up the stairs a few minutes earlier that he was running next door to get changed. If she thought it would make any difference, she would hobble her way downstairs and flip the lock. Her plans for the day had been to unpack and be lazy. She deserved a few days of not worrying about anything. Plus, this place didn't feel like a home yet. Her stuff would help that.

  Then Carter had to come in, rescue the princess and take her out for breakfast. Being social, even on a breakfast between acquaintances level, took too much effort. He wouldn't understand. Carter was made from the same cloth Dean was. They needed social interactions. They thrived on being around people. Emilie didn't. She thrived when she was alone. That's not to say she didn't like people, she did, some people. There weren't many. But yesterday had been more than enough social interaction for a few days.

  Healing made her cranky and a cranky Emilie wasn't fit for the public.

  Every excuse she could think of was ruined when she thought about Carter's smile or his eyes when he was rinsing her hair. The soft "I've got you," as she leaned her head back into his palm had been like a warm hug. It had been a very long time since she let someone take care of her. Even Bobby was kept at arm’s length when it came to some things. Emilie liked to take care of herself. It was a strength as much as weakness.

  And it was hard to think of ways to get out of breakfast when the man buying it for her was so pretty.

  "Dammit," she muttered at her reflection when she knew he had won.

  Emilie finished wiping off her body and was pissed to find that Carter was right. She did feel better now that she was clean. She took her hair out of the towel, ran a brush through it and then braided it.

  He was coming up the steps with her suitcases when she opened the door. He had changed, jeans and a sweatshirt, but his smile remained the same. Open and honest. Genuinely happy to see her.

  "You didn't have to do that," she said as he lugged her clothes up the last few steps.

  "No, I didn't but I did anyway." Carter walked past her into the only room on the second floor. He lifted the bags onto the bed, unzipped but didn't open them and then walked back out. "See you downstairs in ten."

  Emilie smiled a little. She wasn't sure how to react to this man doing things for her. Emilie picked guys who she could control for a reason. Men like Carter scared her. Guys like Bobb
y were easier. They let her wear the pants in the relationship. She controlled everything. But Carter would never go for something like that. He controlled. He dominated.

  She put on a pair of yoga pants so her leg wouldn't be restricted.

  As promised, Carter was waiting downstairs. To her surprise, he didn't get up to help her on the steps. Maybe it was the glare she shot his way. Maybe it was the "you touch me, you die," vibes she was giving off. But he stayed put and watched her with an amused expression on his face.

  "Ready to go?"

  She nodded. He ushered her out the door with a hand on the small of her back. When he followed her around to the passenger side of his truck she growled at him "I can open my own door."

  He smirked. "I know you can. I also know you would prefer it if I let you do everything yourself. But that's not how I was raised. I open doors for ladies and I also help them into my truck when they have a hole in their leg."

  Emilie looked at the step and frowned. That would have been tricky on her own. He held out a hand and let her do the rest. When they were both buckled in and pulling out of the driveway she said, "it's not that I don't accept help. I do. All the time. It's that I don't know you."

  "Only way you get to know someone is by being around them," he replied.

  Damn logic! She hated when it was used against her. "I don't feel social right now."

  "I wouldn't either after what you've been through. Remind me again what it is that happened?"

  Emilie laughed a little. She wasn't sure if that had been his goal but he smiled her way. "Nice try."

  "Thought it was worth the shot. But I get it, Emilie. That's why we are just going to get some food, then stock up your kitchen so you can rest for a while."

  The diner was a small, renovated train car. There was one car out front and from the windows, she could see only one person inside. Emilie sighed a bit in relief.

  Carter helped her out of the truck. She even waited for him to do so. With his hands on her waist, he guided her down to the ground. She hated how her pulse sped up when he touched her. Hated how his warm smile made her breath catch. Even the mask of bitchiness she wore to keep people away from her seemed to fail around him. Carter saw right through it, smirked at it even. He thought her defenses were amusing.