by Michele Hauf
“Mmm, wait until you can eat real food, Peanut.” She bent before the infant she’d placed in the baby seat at the table and dangled her hair before him. He swiped at it and managed to grasp a hunk but his little fingers slipped easily because they were sticky with his saliva. The kid did like to suck on his thumb. “I wonder if you’re teething? You think so? Is that right? I remember your daddy reading to you about getting your teeth right about now. You need something to chew on.”
She sorted through the neat collection of toys kept in a box on the shelf next to the other baby supplies. A puppy rattle, a squeaky bunny... “Yes! A teething ring.” She washed off the nubby blue silicon circle and helped the baby get a good grip on it. It went right to his mouth and he kicked his legs and cooed as a means of thanking her. “Do I know how to make my menfolk happy, or what?”
“That you do.” Lars strolled in and tossed aside his work gloves. He’d kicked off his boots on the step. His chest was soaked and his face streaked with dirt. “Sorry about that out there.”
“No problem. You got the feeling back in your fingers?”
“Yes. Just now. Sometimes it lingers all day. Other times it’s a short while. Damn, that smells great. Do I have time for a shower?”
“You do. Me and Thor will get the table set and have everything ready for you when you get back in.”
Towel in hand, he paused at the door and cast a look over his shoulder. “Thor?”
Mireio nodded encouragingly.
“Nope.” He strode out, leaving the screen door swinging gently back to close.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so. But it is a good Scandinavian name, don’t you think?”
With great dramatics, and a devilish grin, Peanut emitted a disgusting sound that she knew signaled time for a diaper change. The kid had definitely spoken against that name.
When Lars returned, she had stew in bowls and the table was set with dinner rolls glossed with melting butter. Peanut sat with his bottle, eyelids drooping heavily and a drool of milk trickling out the corner of his mouth.
Lars kissed his son on the crop of bushy black hair, wiped the milk away and then swiped his fingers across the towel he wore wrapped about his hips.
“Do I need to get dressed for supper?” he asked as she poured them water into two mason jars.
“Well, it will be a distraction. And I haven’t eaten all day.”
“Just checking. Wouldn’t want to distract you from nourishment. I’ll pull on a shirt.” He winked at her.
His mood had bounced from angry to cheery. It was because of Peanut, she knew. The man adored his son.
After putting back his second serving of stew, Lars reached for what was probably his sixth roll and spread butter across the still steaming insides. “You, witch, know how to cook.”
“Why, thank you. I like conjuring up spectacular things in the kitchen and in the brewery.”
“Is there anything you can’t make?”
She shrugged and considered that a moment. “Tofu?”
“I’m glad about that. You know how to keep your men happy, that’s for sure. Look.”
Peanut was asleep in his chair, the bottle lolling out of his mouth yet still his tiny bite held the end of it.
“Aw, Connor was tired.”
“Connor?”
She waited for his reaction but got merely a shrug. “Really?”
“I don’t know. Sort of wussy sounding.”
“Lars. You do realize if you let the poor boy keep Peanut that when he grows up the kids in school will call him Pee for short. And I’m not talking about the vegetable either. Do you want that?”
“Not exactly.”
“And if not Pee, then he’ll be Nuts. How does Nuts Gunderson sound to you?”
“I’ll come up with a name. I appreciate you giving me suggestions. Keep them coming. Something will stick, sooner or later. His mom left that up to me.”
“What if you ever marry?”
He paused with a chunk of dinner lodged in his cheek.
“I mean, will the mother’s name always be on the birth certificate?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s a given. But if I should marry someday my wife could adopt.”
“That makes sense. Only you don’t want her to have to adopt a Peanut.”
“I’ll take care of it. Just keep the suggestions coming. It’s a quick change I can do with a visit to the county records office. Sunday told me that.”
“So Sunday is like your secretary as well as babysitter?”
He stopped chewing again and narrowed his gaze at her. “Don’t be jealous of her, Mireio. She’s married to Dean.”
“I know. I just...” She set the spoon down in her stew and pushed aside the hair from her face. “Maybe I am a little jealous. I mean...well, I’ll just ask. What are we, Lars?”
“We? Uh...you mean like...”
She nodded eagerly.
His shy smile surfaced and those dimples were anything but coy. “Well, you’re my girl. Right?”
“Yes,” she said immediately. “I’m your girlfriend. And you’re my boyfriend?”
He took another bite of the dinner roll and smiled around the chew. “I’m all in.”
She couldn’t prevent a gleeful clap and a wiggle on the chair. Sometimes it was hard to define whatever she had going on with a man. And men were often reluctant to commit to labels such as boyfriend and girlfriend. He really liked her. Yes! Lars Gunderson was her boyfriend.
“I never thought you’d be happy about that,” Lars admitted.
“About being your girlfriend? Are you kidding me?”
He shrugged. “With all that’s happened lately.”
“You mean with you telling me...? Oh, Lars. Don’t even go there. I’m glad we said it. I like to know what’s up between us. You’re mine. I’m yours. Like it or not. Do you like it?”
“More than anything.”
“Good. Then no doubts. Promise?”
He nodded. “So that reminds me... Did you sleep okay last night?”
“Sure. Why?”
“I was lying awake for a bit, watching you.” He dipped his head and smirked. “You’re so pretty when you sleep. And your breasts were highlighted by the moon. But at one point you called out like you were having a nightmare.”
“Oh.” She shrugged. “Ah...it happens. I’m a witch. I’ve seen things that are bound to come back to haunt me. I don’t remember having a nightmare last night.”
“I was worried about you.”
“Don’t be.”
Kissing him on the forehead, she took his empty bowl and cleared the rest of the dishes to the sink, where she’d already filled one side with warm soapy water. She’d had a nightmare again? Why hadn’t she remembered that? Usually the nightmare woke her in a sweat and sometimes she even screamed. Always the same thing. A vampire holding a heart and grinning at her.
Shoot. She didn’t want Lars to know what was up with that. The man lay awake watching her sleep? While it should seem creepy, she couldn’t go there with her new adorable boyfriend. Time to look up a spell to silence the dark and disturbing dreams.
Across the room, Lars cleaned up Peanut’s face and then lifted him to pat him on the back. The baby burped loudly, gave a little giggle, then promptly fell asleep.
The twosome chuckled at that, and Lars, bouncing as he walked with Peanut, kissed Mireio on the cheek. “He’s my boy.”
“I can’t say I’ve seen that obnoxious side of you yet, but I am duly warned.”
He strolled over to the crib, big hand smoothing across Peanut’s back and stood there a while, bouncing gently. The setting sun illuminated his silhouette. Eyes closed, he looked a man at peace. Content in this world.
Sometimes he hid his emotions we
ll, Mireio realized. And she brushed a wet hand across her eye to wipe away a nonexistent piece of fluff. Wasn’t as if a tear had dropped down her cheek. Nonsense.
Rinsing the dishes while Lars tucked in Peanut, she stacked them in the rack and wiped down the counter. Lars snuck up behind her, his hands slipping up under her skirt and surprising her into a peep.
“Watching your ass wiggle while you work gets me horny.” He squeezed the aforementioned body part and she pressed against his hands and wiggled slowly. “Did you have plans to eat and run or...you want to stick around and see what comes up?” He leaned into her and his erection nudged against her derriere.
“I think something is already up.” She made to turn around but he caught her wrist and turned her back, placing his hand over hers on the counter. “Oh, yeah? Bring it, big boy.”
He dropped the towel and flipped up the back of her skirt. His hair, still wet from the shower, fell across her back and shoulder as he fit himself between her legs and she squeezed tightly to hold him there. She wasn’t quite wet, but it wasn’t going to take too long...
His hand glided around to cup her breast and pinch the nipple through her shirt and bra as he dragged his erection between her clasped thighs. His wanting growl tightened her nipples and...that was all she needed. She was ready for him.
Drawing a heel along the side of his calf, she thrust up her ass, begging for his entry. His big wide hand slapped to her stomach, covering it completely, then moved down under her skirt, where he simultaneously guided himself inside her and toggled her clit at the same time.
He was so thick, a man of girth and talent with that remarkable magic wand of his. He pumped slow, allowing her to feel every inch of his entry and pull-out. Add to that the wet slickery dance of his finger over her clitoris.
Mireio grasped the faucet over the sink with one hand and pushed against the marble counter with the other, wanting to hilt him inside her. In this position she could feel him so deep. A few times he lifted her shoes from the floor as his thrusts moved her entire body, pairing them together in a bond of skin and lust and wanton need.
He bit the back of her top and tugged as he growled. “Not going to be able to hold off much longer.”
“Go for it, lover. Take me hard and fast. Oh, yes!”
His hand slapped onto the counter beside hers. He held her pinned there on his cock as his body tremored and he pumped inside her. And then a gasp of relief and joy. He slipped both hands around and over her breasts and pulled her body back against his. “Inside you is where I always want to be.”
Chapter 13
A few days later Lars brought in Mireio’s mail when he stopped by her place. She opened a package to find the dragon exudation had arrived. Okay, so it was dragon sweat. But she couldn’t imagine what it required to get such an item from the source. Did dragons sweat much? And who stood nearby to catch it? Didn’t sound like a job that would offer a lengthy employment. But perhaps the death benefits for next of kin were included. Eek.
It was exciting to finally have all the ingredients that would allow her to perform the immortality spell. She tossed the bubble packing material in the garbage and before she could tuck away the vials in a drawer, Lars pointed to her closed fist that hid the ingredient.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asked.
“What do you think it is?”
“Dragon piss?”
“Eww. No, it’s dragon sweat!”
“And that doesn’t rate an eww? Huh. I’ll never understand witches.” He winked at her and the dimples joined in. “So now that you’ve got the secret ingredient, are you ready to go vamp hunting?”
Not as much now that she knew he was dying. “I need to study the spell a bit more and do an inventory of all the ingredients.”
“Well, what if we stalk the longtooth again? I want to get out. It’s a beautiful evening. Sunday’s got Peanut. And afterward we can get ice cream.”
“I’m in!”
* * *
As they walked the alleyway following what Lars had called “his sniffer,” Mireio could only think about what neither of them dared bring up. She wanted to live forever. Lars had been given two months to live. And that count was ticking down daily. That was completely and utterly insane.
She could not do this! Especially not with him—a dying man—helping her. No question about it, she had to call it off. Now. Before it got out of hand and they actually found the vampire. She picked up her pace and just as she opened her mouth to call to Lars, his body suddenly contorted.
That did not look comfortable. Or warranted.
“Shit.” Mireio rushed up and grabbed him by the arm but he twisted it out of her grip. “What is it?” He bent and slapped a hand to the brick wall of a residential garage. “Lars?”
“Shifting,” he ground through his teeth. “Need to...get out of here. Can’t stop...it.”
“Witch’s tits, this is not cool. Can you relax and let the urge pass?”
He growled at her through gritted teeth. And his hand began to shift. The knuckles bulged and his fingers contorted.
“Right. Not in your control.”
He shoved a hand in his front pocket and pulled out the keys, thrusting them at her. “Get the truck. Go home,” he said. “I’ll...”
“You can’t run around in the city. I’ll get the truck and come for you.” She took off and, remembering where the truck was, veered left. “Don’t howl!”
As she scampered down the alley, she heard him swear again. Turning, she saw him pull off his shirt and unzip his jeans even as his feet tore through his boots. The shift happened so quickly. He hadn’t even time to undress? Pulling off one pant leg, he hissed when the other leg split down the seam. His chest expanded and his head changed. Drastically. Fur grew over his body as claws curled out from his fingers. No, not fingers...
“Paws,” Mireio whispered in awe. She couldn’t be afraid of him. She wasn’t. He was beautiful.
But not in public. This was so bad.
Finally the fully shifted werewolf stood, slapped a paw against the wall, and sent crumbled bricks flying. Then it turned, scented her with a flare of its nostrils and took off the opposite direction.
“Oh, crap. He’s on the run.”
Scrambling over to gather up his clothes, Mireio then clicked down the alleyway, cursing her need to always wear high heels. Short girl problem number fifty-five. But she made it to the truck without stumbling. She climbed up into the cab and started the engine. She had no magic to stop him from shifting. Or to make him invisible to others.
Rolling down the window she heard the wolf’s howl.
“No, no no. Don’t do that, Lars. Someone will see you.”
On second thought, the howl would help her to track him. Sliding forward and stretching on the seat so her foot could reach the gas pedal, she shifted into gear and rolled around the corner in the direction he had run. Passing half a dozen teenagers walking and biking she winced. They couldn’t see him. She had to find him first.
Turning abruptly left, the tires squealed as she headed toward a dangerous shadow moving swiftly before a high hedgerow, plunked right before a row of two-story houses with their porch lights on.
“That’s him!” She sped up and slammed on the brakes beside the wolf. Leaning over she opened the door. “Get in!” Please goddess, let him understand her.
The werewolf crept forward. Somewhere down the street she heard, “Hey! Look!”
And in the next instant, Lars jumped into the front seat, and she took off without worrying that the door swung wide and probably her boyfriend in shifted form had no clue or idea how to pull it closed. Turning left again, she made it a sharp fast turn, and the door slammed shut.
The wolf yipped. Its big furry head bowed forward to fit his bulk inside the cab. Its
toothy maw opened, drool dripping, and it barked at her.
“Dude, do not give me the sassy bark. I’m your girlfriend! Mireio. Friend.” She reached for him but when he snapped at her she retracted. “Okay, stay in the truck and I’ll get you home as quickly as possible.”
Ahead, a well-lit intersection advertised flashing red and blue lights and another set of bright headlights aimed skyward. A car accident? The last thing she needed was to pass the police with a werewolf sitting in the passenger seat.
“Duck,” she said, but he obviously didn’t understand her speech.
The wolf suddenly shoved the steering wheel with a paw and Mireio focused back on the road. She’d narrowly avoided colliding with a parked car. Had Lars not done what he had, they would have crashed.
“Shit. Stop panicking, Mireio. This is just another night out on the town with your big handsome wolf. Relax. Smile at the cops as you drive by.”
She gave a little wave as an officer ducked his head and appeared to look through and to the opposite side where she sat. Passing slowly, when she cleared the scene she stopped at a light and turned to Lars.
A naked human man sat on the seat, his head bowed and caught against a palm. Werewolves shifted so quickly, but she wasn’t startled.
“Lars?”
“Drive!”
“Yes. Drive. I am driving.” The light turned green and she slid forward again to reach the accelerator and headed back to his place.
Reaching over and under the front of her seat, Lars adjusted the seat forward so she could reach the pedals without having to skooch up to get close enough.
He picked up the clothes she’d tossed on the floor and pressed them onto his lap but didn’t move or speak to her again. When she pulled up to his cabin, he hopped out of the truck and slammed the door behind him. The naked man stalked up to the front door and disappeared inside.
