Out of the Shadows

by Bethany Shaw

  “Thank you.”

  ***

  Lark pushed her phone back into her purse with a sigh. Tilting her head back, she massaged her temples, her desk chair squeaking beneath her. After last night she’d sent Grant a text saying she wouldn’t be able to meet him Saturday. It didn’t seem right.

  Of course he had questioned her repeatedly of why they couldn’t meet and wanted to reschedule. It turned out Devon had been right suggesting their talking meant more to him than her. Guilt flooded her conscious, but she was prepared to make a clean break.

  “Long day?”

  Lark sat up and smiled at Vincent as he entered her office. He leaned against the wall, hands shoved into his jean pockets.

  “Sort of, all this working out and getting up early is really starting to take its toll.”

  Sure she had a decent nap yesterday, but she was still exhausted. Her body wasn’t used to the things she was putting it through. Although, she was a lot less tense today than she’d been in months. Probably has something to do with the amazing sex I had yesterday.

  “Is that what you kids call it these days?” Vincent smirked.

  Lark frowned at him confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing,” Vincent shrugged his grin widening. “I’m sure Dev is putting you threw the ringer.”

  Lark nodded. The first few days she’d ached in places she didn’t even know could hurt.

  “That and the heat. It takes a lot out of you. We ran a few miles the other day. I thought I was going to die.”

  “I bet,” Vincent said, his smile now resembling a Cheshire cat.

  “Did you need something?” Lark asked as she pulled a few orders out of the binder on her desk.

  “Not really, I’m just hiding out in here for a minute.”

  Lark tilted her head at him, glancing between him and the door.

  “There’s this girl I took out the other night, she’s here and she’s a bit of a clinger,” Vincent explained.

  “Oh,” Lark mumbled.

  “She was nice and all, but I don’t do relationships.”

  “Why?” Lark asked curious. Not the first time she’d heard that line, just this time it was coming from a different brother.

  “Well, there is the obvious. Sharp teeth, yellow eyes, and all, but I’m not ready for a commitment. I’m only twenty-one,” Vincent smiled with a shrug.

  “I think there’s more to it than that,” Lark commented meeting his green eyes.

  Vincent’s smile slipped away, he ran a hand through his brown hair.

  “There is, but I’ll let my big bro tell you. Maybe some nice pillow talk after your next romp,” his smile returned, voice light and filled with a chuckle.

  Lark’s mouth popped open in surprise, heat rushing through her cheeks.

  His eyebrows wiggled suggestively. “Well, your face confirms it,” Vincent laughed. “I only saw your little kiss in the car, but I take it more happened than a little goodnight peck.”

  Lark rolled her tongue between her teeth, and then clamped down on her bottom lip.

  “Just remember you’re hiding out in my office,” she smiled sweetly at him, eyebrow quirked.

  “Touché! Well played.”

  “Do you think he’ll talk to me?” Lark asked after a long moment, she adjusted the papers in her hand nervously.

  Vincent sat down in the chair opposite her.

  “Devon is a complicated guy, much more so than I am. But yes, I think he likes you. You have a way of bringing him out whether he wants it or not. Just don’t push him and don’t let him do the same to you.”

  Lark let Vincent’s words settle in. Devon had a way of blocking others out; she’d seen it firsthand. Now she needed to figure out how to make sure he didn’t continue to do it to her.

  ***

  Butterflies fluttered in Lark’s stomach. She hadn’t been on an actual date in years. They’d already slept together, so dinner should be easy, or at least she thought. Still the first date jitters set all her nerves on end as they walked through the restaurant to their table.

  She smoothed out her yellow sundress as she took a seat in the plush black chair. True to her word, she’d kept her hair down. Letting the blonde curls fall in soft waves around her face.

  Devon was dressed in jeans and a grey polo. The grey of his shirt accented the bluish-green of his eyes, making the swirling colors more intriguing. The polo showed off the girth of his shoulders and his muscled upper arms and back. If she closed her eyes she could still feel the muscles of his back rippling beneath her fingers.

  Lark watched as he picked up the menu and began to peruse it. She already knew what she wanted. The mushroom ravioli was magnificent, and she rarely ordered anything else.

  “Do you want any wine?” Devon asked, peering over the golden and black menu.

  “No thanks.”

  Devon nodded and continued to look over the menu. After several minutes the waiter came and took their order and they both relaxed back into their seats.

  “I hope Vincent didn’t give you a hard time today, I understand you two had a…chat.”

  Lark smiled. “We did, and it’s fine. He was actually hiding from some girl he hooked up with so he didn’t have much room to talk. I’m sure you got the third degree though,” she faltered, wondering what he would have told his brother.

  “Vincent is nosy, but I didn’t tell him anything.” Devon assured her with a chuckle and shake of his head. “And I’ll talk to him about picking girls up from the bakery. Or at least make sure he knows to make sure they don’t know where to find him.”

  Lark let out a relieved breath.

  “Thanks. I don’t want him scaring girls away, or worse angry boyfriends showing up.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time. Vincent enjoys causing a ruckus. I’m just glad Abilene is bigger than Guymon. There were no secrets there. You sneezed and everyone knew it.”

  Lark laughed shaking her head. “So how was your day?”

  “Gene and I had a talk about Daniel. He’s going to offer him sanctuary there, and I approved some more renovations for the house. Nothing interesting,” Devon replied nonchalantly.

  “Are you okay with Daniel being there?” Lark asked watching him.

  Devon sighed, looking down at the table.

  “Daniel and I have never gotten along. Emmett made sure we would never be brothers. After everything that’s happened, I doubt I’ll ever trust him. But Vincent and Emily care about him. The three of them are kind of close.”

  “What happened with you, Vincent, and Emily? How did the three of you become so close?”

  “Emmett tried to mold Vincent into the perfect solider like Daniel, but Vincent has a mind of his own, and eventually broke out of his shell. He had it tough as a teenager. Regardless, he was still Emmett’s flesh and blood, which at the end of the day is all that matters to my stepfather. Emily, she’s a different story. Out of all of us it’s been hardest for her. She rarely ever left the manor. My mother home-schooled her and she took online classes for college. In the beginning, I think she was so desperate for another child to play with, it didn’t matter that I was the jilted older brother. As we spent more time together we became closer.”

  The waiter arrived with their meals, setting the steaming pasta in front of them. Lark unrolled her silverware, placing the napkin in her lap. She waited until the middle aged man left before she resumed their talk.

  “I think it’s nice that the three of you were able to band together.”

  “It made it easier. Tell me more about your family.”

  “We were always very close. As you know, my dad was a doctor and my mother was a stay at home mom. They were always there for us, sometimes when we didn’t want them to be,” she joked, causing a small smile to slip across Devon’s face. “Both my parents were only children and my grandparents passed away around the time I entered high school. So it’s just me and Sarah now.”

  “I’m sure that was hard
losing them so close together,” Devon replied, as he took a bite of his spaghetti.

  “It was, and my parents deaths a few years later made it that much harder. Sometimes I feel like I never got to really mourn them properly because I had to be the strong one for me and Sarah. I took care of all the arrangements, and when the decision came to pull the plug, I had to make it,” Lark swallowed her voice thick with emotion, as a lump formed in her throat.

  “At twenty-one, I became the sole guardian to a fifteen year old, and had to make arrangements I never thought I would have to.”

  She sniffled and cleared her throat, “Anyways, it’s made things difficult the past three years, but I think Sarah and I have overcome it.”

  “Our past is what molds us, but it’s how we tackle the adversity that really defines us,” Devon replied twirling the pasta around his fork. His gaze meeting hers. “I think it’s made you a stronger person. Your determination is quite remarkable.”

  “Thanks,” Lark smiled. “I could say the same for you.” Lark chewed on her lip, she’d said a lot about her family, but was curious about his. Emily had briefly mentioned their mother. “I know Emmett is a douche, but what about your mom?” Hesitantly she flicked her gaze to his.

  Devon shoved a bite of spaghetti into his mouth chewing it slowly, followed by a long sip from his water glass.

  “My mother is a kind and gentle woman. Rick used to tell me stories about her when I was a boy. The spitfire he described, and the woman I saw were two completely different people. I know she loves me, and she would always come to me after the fact, but the times I needed her she wasn’t there.”

  Devon took a long guzzle from his water. “The only time was when Emmett was about to kill me. She begged for my life then, if she hadn’t of been there he would’ve killed me. Hell-“ his hand went to his chest where the scars were. “-he came pretty close as it is.”

  “Maybe there is more to it then you realize,” Lark offered.

  “Maybe, but I doubt it,” Devon conceded after a long moment. “Anyways, I was thinking of redoing the bathroom next.”

  “You're going to do away with the seashells?” Lark smiled sipping her drink. Letting him change the subject. “I think they’re so you.”

  “That was all my grandmother.” Devon laughed.

  “Well, you can’t make the house too masculine. Emily’s going to be there, she needs a little femininity.”

  Devon licked his lips a smile gracing his face. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  ***

  Lark relaxed into the leather seat of the Jeep as they drove back to the ranch. The date had gone well, but there was still one thing that was bothering her. Deciding now was as good a time as any, she asked.

  “Vincent mentioned that you don’t really date, that you push people away. I just… this is nice, I think we have something and I want to know you aren’t going to push me away cause things are going great,” Lark rambled.

  “When you let people get close to you, they always find a way to betray you,” Devon uttered.

  “Not everybody,” Lark whispered. “I just-“

  “Lark, you don’t know what it’s like to grow up in a home where you have no one on your side. Where it’s obvious that your family doesn’t want you. I got close to Emily and Vincent, but they had their own demons to work out at times, and I’ve always been the one to take care of myself.”

  Lark opened her mouth but he continued.

  “I like you, despite my efforts to keep you away, which obviously haven’t worked,” he paused a smile slipping across his face as he turned his gaze from the road to her. “I said I would try to figure whatever this is out, that’s the best I can do for now.”

  “Okay,” Lark agreed. “I know there is something between us, I just want us both to give it a chance. I haven’t dated in years. And I had a lot of fun tonight.”

  “I did too.”

  “Good,” Lark said letting out a relieved breath.

  “We should go out again before you leave.”

  Lark smiled. “There’s this movie…”

  Chapter 20

  “Hey, Dev, do you have a minute?” Gene asked as Devon and Lark walked into the front room.

  Devon glanced at Lark as she wiped her feet on the door mat. The pounding rain had taken them both by surprise, drenching them from head to toe. Strands of blond hair stuck to her face and neck, droplets of water ran down her body. They were both completely soaked.

  “I’m going to go get cleaned up,” Lark said, motioning to the stairs.

  Devon nodded and followed behind Gene to the office, his footsteps squeaking on the hard wood as they made their way. Gene eyed Devon as the door closed behind them with a soft click.

  “How is everything going with Lark? Is she ready?” Gene asked.

  “As ready as she can. We’re sending her into the lion’s den.”

  “We will finalize everything tomorrow with Derek over the phone. She and Vincent will leave alone for his homestead first thing Saturday morning.”

  Devon opened his mouth to protest, when Gene continued.

  “It’s a day early, but there is a complication. They’ve moved up the day the leader will arrive to collect Emily. Apparently her heat cycle is approaching.”

  “Shit,” Devon muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. It was Thursday night. That meant he only had two more nights with her.

  “Yeah, they’re apparently not going to waste any time trying to breed with her.”

  “I’ll let Lark know,” Devon ground out. He still hated this plan, but he’d been unable to think of any other way. It was a shame he didn’t trust his own brother.

  ***

  Devon scrubbed a hand over his face as he approached the bathroom. The door was partly open and a frown slid across his face as he saw movement, familiar blonde curls coming into view. He pushed the door open with his finger and gazed inside.

  Lark had her leg propped on the counter, lip rolled between her teeth as her blue eyes met his. The small blood stained towel clutched in her hand caught his attention.

  “You’re hurt?”

  “It’s not bad,” she replied, dabbing at the cut on her knee. “I just didn’t realize it had run all down the front of my leg. I thought I would get a closer look at it before hopping in the shower.”

  Devon took the towel from her, wetting it in the sink so he could dab at her smooth tanned skin. He inhaled, his fingers ran across soft flesh, causing desire to stir within him.

  “What happened?”

  She hopped on her free foot and gripped the blue marble countertop with both hands to steady herself.

  “I caught it on something in the woods.” He briefly remembered her tripping and falling in the leaves but, she’d instantly gotten to her feet and trudged on. The incessant rain had more than likely covered the coppery scent of her blood.

  “You should have said something.” He scanned the scratches on her knee. There were several shallow cuts and one deep one, but not bad enough to need stitches.

  “It’s not that bad, and if you remember it was a torrential rain. I just wanted to get back to the house,” she said stifling a yawn.

  “What did Gene want?”

  “We’re moving the plan up a day.”

  “What happened?” Lark chewed on her lower lip as her eyes slowly rose up to meet his.

  “Emily’s heat cycle is coming up,” he said rinsing the cloth in the sink before dabbing at the cut again. He heard her mouth pop open and her eyebrow quirk. “It’s kind of like a woman’s ovulation cycle. It’s the time when she is fertile. Unlike a human woman’s cycle which is monthly, a were-woman’s cycle is sporadic and comes and goes when it pleases.”

  Lark nodded and averted her attention to the bloodied rag.

  “I understand.”

  “Do you?” He asked skeptically.

  “This is all really…overwhelming,” her voice faltered, emotion thick in her tone.

  Devon hesitat
ed for a moment, unsure what to do. Lark was strong, stronger than any woman he’d ever met, yet her resolve was crumbling. The need to comfort her overpowered him. He reached his hands up brushing the hair from her face. He cared about her - her concerns, her well-being, he wanted Lark to trust him.

  “It’s going to be okay. If you don’t want to do this we will find another way.” As much as he wanted Emily back, he couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to Lark.

  Lark fell forward, her forehead resting on his shoulder. He let his fingers slide through her soft matted wet hair.

  “I can’t begin to imagine what Emily must be feeling right now, and it could happen to me, or Sarah…”

  “That’s not going to happen to you, Sarah, or Emily. Our plan will work,” Devon assured her as she sighed heavily against his chest, her warm breath sending tingles coursing up his spine.

  “I should probably get cleaned up.” Lark pulled away.

  “Here let me help you.” Devon said, moving far enough back to grab a towel from the linen closet in the bathroom.

  “Shower together?” Lark questioned as he pulled out the crimson towels.

  That hadn’t been his intent, but he couldn’t help the devilish smirk that slid across his face at the idea.

  “Do you want to?”

  Her breath hitched, eyes widening as they met his, nodding. She leaned into him, soft lips pressing against his timidly at first, then needful. His tongue darted out to greet hers. He lifted her so her bottom sat fully on the counter, nestling himself between her thighs. He pulled back enough to lock the door before allowing his hands to roam over her curves.

  Devon took his time exploring every inch of her beneath his calloused hand. He slowly removed her sopping black top and bra, revealing all her gloriously creamy flesh.

  She watched him. Teeth clasping her bottom lip as he pulled back and pushed his Under Armour black shorts and boxers off. They fell to the floor with a loud thwack against the tile. Licking her lips, she slid off the counter. Pressing her chilled chest against his, she passionately locked lips with him.