David shook his head. “I thought you were smarter than that. I won’t even hitch-hike.”
Maybe he wouldn’t, but he wasn’t desperate like she had been, either. Pearl gave him the brightest smile she could manage. “Thanks for the ride, Davie!” Leaning forward she kissed him on the cheek. “For the record, you were my favorite too.”
David blushed and bowed his head. “You didn’t have to say that.”
“Yes, Davie, I did.” Straightening, Pearl turned and looked up at the hotel and sighed. “I guess I’d better get in there, huh?”
David revved the motorcycle then patted her on the shoulder. “It’ll be okay. Gemma misses you. Just go on in and say hi.” He pushed off, gunned the engine and the next thing she knew she was alone.
“Well, Pearl, you’d better get used to it. You’re going to be alone for a long, long time after this.”
Chapter Sixteen
With no little sense of trepidation, Pearl climbed the steps of the front porch and entered the lobby. Her eyes widened at the changes. The great room was larger, at least it looked larger.
The fireplace still sat in the middle of the room with chair situated around all four sides. One side of the room still had paneling eight feet up the walls, with two feet of drywall before it reached the cathedral ceiling.
She wondered if Gemma still put the Christmas tree there like the previous owners. She gave a shrug. It didn’t matter one way or another. It wasn’t as though she would be around to see it.
A woman stood behind the counter. She had her long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and an apron wrapped around her waist made large by a very obvious pregnancy. A man walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the side of her neck, his big hands splayed over her bulging middle. She looked up at him and smiled.
Tears filled Pearls eyes at the sight of her sister looking so happy. It didn’t matter that such a relationship wasn’t in the cards for her. All that mattered was that her sisters had a good life.
Pearl stood and watched the couple for a minute until Gemma looked her way and blushed. “I’m sorry. Can I help you?”
Tilting her head, her brows drew together as she stared at Pearl. “I know you.” She bit her lip. “I know you, don’t I?”
“Yes, Gemma. You should know me well.” Pearl’s throat almost closed on the words as she made her way to her sister. Unsure of her welcome, she moved slowly. What if Gemma didn’t want to see her? What if she resented the fact that Pearl and Crystal left and she stayed here? It had been her choice, but heartbreak wasn’t always sensible.
Gemma stared at her for another minute before she covered her mouth with her hands. “Pearl? Is that you? Is it really you?”
Pearl couldn’t have been more surprised when Gemma dropped the dust cloth she’d been holding, ran to her and drew her into her arms.
Tears ran down Pearls face at her sister’s welcome. She’d hoped Gemma wasn’t mad at her. She hadn’t sounded that way in her letters, but that didn’t mean a thing. Lots of people sent correspondence that said one thing when they felt another.
Still, it was good to be back home in Paradise and standing, once again, in her sister’s loving embrace.
“God, I’ve missed you. Where have you been? Is Crystal okay? Tell me she’s in college. If not,” she paused to look at the man who had kissed her and another who joined him as she talked. “We’ll send her.” She blushed. “That is, if you two don’t mind.”
Gemma turned back to Pearl. “It is their money. It’s not like I should make promises with it.”
“You know very well that what’s ours is yours, mate.” The taller of the two stepped forward and held out his hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Pearl.” He turned to the other man. “You remember us, don’t you?”
Pearl smiled. “How could I forget you two? The three of you were the talk of the town. I remember how the elders had a fit over the two of you dating Gemma. Now I hear it’s not wrong, but something you’re born to do.”
“Yeah. Apparently it’s in their genes to have more than one mate. Camulus’s council was wrong.” Gemma looked up at her her husband a small smile. He held her back against his front his hands resting on her stomach as though he couldn’t keep from touching her.
Gemma had told her all of that in her e-mails. Pearl wondered if her sister needed to reiterate it to justify her choice in men. “It doesn’t matter to me, Gem.” Pearl finally closed the distance and gave her sister a hug. “I don’t care if you have six husbands, just so long as you’re happy.”
Pearl was happy for her sister—really, she was. She only wished that she could have the same. To see Gemma so happy, and with a baby on the way, it almost made Pearl jealous. She would have given her right arm to have what Gemma had before she met Glenn.
Now that she’d made the colossal mistake of dating Glenn, she had no recourse other than to leave the country and hope he didn’t have the resources to find her in another country.
“I’m so glad you feel that way, Pearl. I was afraid…” Gemma reached up to swipe the tears from her eyes. “I was afraid you wouldn’t approve.”
“Don’t mind Gem, Pearl. She’s been crying at the drop of a hat since she found out she was pregnant.” The tall man at her side, grinned down at Gemma then kissed her temple.
Her sister had done well for herself. If Pearl wasn’t mistaken, this husband was Merrick. She was pretty sure that he was the boy Gemma had dated that had had the strange, gray-green eyes, though she wasn’t sure.
“You remember Merrick, don’t you?” Gemma asked wrapping her arm around Pearl’s waist and leading her deeper into the lodge. “Come on, we’ll get you a room then we’ll talk.”
“I—I can’t stay, Gem.” Damn. Saying that had hurt more than she expected.
“What do you mean, you can’t stay?” Gemma asked, her chestnut brows drawing together in a frown. “You can’t just drop in, say hi, and then leave! I haven’t seen you in fifteen years!”
What could she say? How could she tell her sister that she had to leave because of the two men who were certainly on their way down the mountain as they spoke? She knew they would come after her. There was no doubt in her mind.
She could understand Gemma’s confusion. In her sister’s mind, Pearl had just gotten here and she had planned to stay a while. Pearl bit her lip. Could she tell Gem that something had come up? Should she tell her that?
Pearls eyes burned and she blinked back tears that threatened. She knew better than her sister that this could very well be the last time they saw each other—ever. Pearl knew her teaching position wouldn’t give her enough money to visit the states regularly and she wasn’t sure how much money Gemma and her mates had. Frankly, she didn’t want to know. Pearl wanted to believe that Gem would have all the money she would ever need to bring up her children and live a happy life. How could she spend only fifteen minutes with her then leave? Fifteen minutes after fifteen years, just didn’t seem fair.
“I know you don’t want me to go, Gem, but I don’t have a choice. I’ve signed a contract to teach in Scotland for the next three years.” At least. “I have a plane to catch.”
She didn’t tell her that she could still change her mind. Even her plane ticket was open-ended, but she didn’t tell Gem that either. Pearl couldn’t afford to have her sister try to talk her into staying. She had to leave before Duncan and Jarrod managed to find her.
“Then let me take you to the airport.” She threw a glance over her shoulder. “You wouldn’t mind following in our car so I can ride with Pearl, would you, Merrick?”
“Of course not, my Gem,” he replied as he stepped up behind Gemma, wrapped his arms around her middle to cradle her belly with his big hands.
Pearl looked away. She couldn’t bear to watch. Her sister was so lucky and didn’t even know it. Pearl wanted that kind of relationship for herself and didn’t want to see the kind of love and understanding she would miss. Even if she had Jarrod’
s baby, she would never experience that kind of love.
Suck it up, Pearl. You’ll be lucky enough to get a baby out of this.
“Well, actually, I left my things in storage. Well, my things are in Jackson. I need to arrange for shipping.” Pearl rested her hand over her stomach as the strange heat she experienced the night before returned.
It wasn’t as bad as it had been, but it was still there. I hitched a ride here to see you. I had planned to stay for a little while, but…something came up.”
That was an understatement.
Gemma clapped her hands, obviously pleased. “That’s even better. Jackson is so much further than the airport. We can ask Davie to watch the lodge while we’re gone. The lawn can wait another day or so. We’ll be able to do a lot of catching up and we won’t have to do it in two cars.” She grinned. “We can catch up in the backseat while the guys drive.”
Pearl opened and closed her mouth a few times then smiled when she realized she didn’t have anything to say, other than, “That sounds great, Gem.” What else could she say?
She couldn’t refuse without hurting Gem’s feelings and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Forty-five minutes, a shower and the promise of a hot breakfast later, the four of them were on their way.
After about twenty minutes, Merrick steered their SUV into the restaurant parking lot. It looked rather new. The sign out front read Almost Paradise, which made a lot of sense, considering it was situated on the outskirts of town.
“Would you mind sharing a meal with me, Pearl?” Gemma asked as they studied the menu.
“Are you kidding? I’m starved. I’ll probably be able to eat all of mine and then some!” The words had barely left her mouth when Pearl realized why Gemma was offering and she felt bad.
“Hey, look,” she added as she reached over and covered Gemma’s hand with her own, “If it’s the money, I can pay.”
Gem actually laughed at that and shook her head. “It’s not that, believe me.” She glanced at her husbands who nodded and said, “They’re loaded. As a matter of fact, we could buy this place. It’s just that,” she paused and leaned over to whisper, “It’s geared for shifters and the portion sizes are huge. I don’t think you’re going to be able to eat it all. I can’t and…” she paused as though thinking over her next words. “They brought me over into the shifter world at our mating ceremony.”
Pearl’s mouth dropped open. “You’re a shifter?” They could do that? She thought about the night before when Jarrod and Duncan bit her. Was she a shifter now? If that were the case, Glenn had better watch his ass if he ever found her again. She’d go all feral on him and give him something to think about.
“How is it done?”
Gemma leaned closer. “They bit me during the mating ceremony then had me bite them in return. It tied me to them.” She shrugged. “You’d think it would hurt, but…” Gemma blushed and left it at that.
Disappointment rushed through her. She’d hoped she would be a shifter now that they’d bitten her. If they had, she wouldn’t have to worry about Glenn ever again.
Chapter Seventeen
Duncan and Jarrod followed their noses straight to the Paradise Lodge. Fury lived within the two large cats as they prowled the outside of the building. Pearl’s scent was there, along with the motorcycle that had carried her down the mountain.
There are humans here. We can’t just barge into the hotel naked and we certainly can’t do it in this form. I’m sure the humans would take issue with two large jaguars sniffing through the common rooms while they drink their coffee.
Though Jarrod was right, it still didn’t help the fact that Duncan wanted to go in there, find the man who took their Pearl away and beat the living shit out of him. Yet he knew he couldn’t.
It wasn’t a man who had taken her. As a shifter, at twenty-three years old, Dave Gibson was still a fucking boy. Hell, he was barely the equivalent of a teenager when looking at maturity level.
Hell, the kid had probably only been changing for the last five years or so. Ten, if he was lucky. That was barely enough time to learn to shift without having to concentrate on every little aspect of it.
Yeah, you’re right. We’ll have to run home, get dressed and bring the car around. It wasn’t as though she wasn’t safe. She was here, in Paradise, and staying in the same hotel that housed the sheriff and his mates.
They had plenty of time to go home and shower before they came to claim Pearl as their own. When they did, the little hellion was going to pay for worrying the shit out or them the way she did. He would see to it himself. He wasn’t going to spank her ass. No way. That would be too much like a reward. She liked that too much. What he would do is deny her an orgasm or two and see if she would see the error of her ways.
After they ran home, showered and dressed, the two men drove back to the lodge, to retrieve their mate. Duncan was certain they had all the time in the world, this day. After they announced their intentions to her sister, Matt and Merrick, they knew they others wouldn’t stand in their way.
Dave Gibson grinned at them as they walked through the door. “The dining room is open if you’d care to have lunch.”
Lunch sounded good, because they never had breakfast, but Duncan wanted to see his mate first. His beast wanted to know she was fine and it wanted to truly mate her, once and for all.
They’d meant to mate her last night, but refrained for some reason. Perhaps it was because they knew it was too much for her, too soon, or maybe they had just lost their heads. Pearl was as intoxicating as any alcohol or drug.
He inhaled deeply in an effort to pick up her scent in the hotel. The smell of other shifters, humans and whatever was on the menu for lunch made it difficult and he frowned. Shouldn’t he be able to pick up her scent no matter what?
“No, Dave. We’re here to pick up our mate.”
“Awesome! You two have a mate?” He turned, went into the dining room and looked at everyone in the small crowd. Five lone females sat at various tables. However, their mate and her sister were nowhere in sight.
“She must be in her room, or with Gemma.” Jarrod said after they did a visual sweep of the room.
“Oh! Gemma isn’t here. She and her mates took her sister to catch a plane.” Dave said, the color draining from his face when Jarrod slammed his fist into the wall.
“Where was she going?” Duncan did his best to keep himself under control. His beast wanted to tear the young shifter apart, but his human side, knew that giving Pearl a ride down the mountain was the chivalrous thing to do. Either he or Jarrod could have been sucked into the very same mistake under different circumstances.
“I—I don’t know.” Dave looked at each of them in turn as though waiting to see which one of them would rip into him first. “Look, I didn’t know she was your mate when I gave her a ride down the mountain. I thought I smelled someone on her, but she was wearing perfume and I thought it was my imagination. I was just glad to see she was okay and back in Paradise.”
Jarrod growled at the young man. “Why do you care about our mate? What designs do you have on her.”
“Nothing! I mean…” He paused to swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “She used to babysit me when I was younger and, well, I liked her.”
Did everyone have a thing for his mate? He knew he and Jarrod had a fucking crush from hell on her.
“Jesus! How many other people want our mate?” Jarrod practically growled.
“I don’t know, but she’s ours.” Duncan moved to the door. “We need to go get her before she makes it to her damned plane. Let’s go.”
“I thought you two were going to eat?”
Turning, Duncan almost laughed at the confounded expression on David Gibson’s face. “There’ll be time enough for that later. Right now, we have to stop our mate from running.”
They both rushed to their car, Duncan sliding into the driver’s seat. “What do you think we did that made her run?”
/> Jarrod stared out the windshield for a minute. “I’m not sure. I don’t think it was anything we did. She seemed to like being with us last night.” He continued to stare out at the passing scenery for a moment then shook his head. “I got nothing.”
“Yeah, me too.” Duncan held the steering wheel in a death grip. They had to find her, tell her they loved her.
Heat swirled around his insides and he glanced at Jarrod. “We should have mated her last night. We never should have given her the chance to run without our marks permanently scored into her flesh.”
He’d wanted to mate her. Gods knew he had wanted to mark her as his and make her take his blood in return. She only needed a drop of their blood to make her like them. They should have forced it on her.
In fact, Duncan had planned to do just that. Then some misguided sense of honor kept him from tying her to them without her consent. Look what it got him. It got him a mate on the run who was possibly taking off with Jarrod’s child—his surrogate child.
Whatever happened between now and the time they found Pearl, Duncan prayed he would be able to cool his anger because he didn’t want to break his promise to Pearl and touch her with anger in his heart.
Chapter Eighteen
“I wish you’d reconsider and stay a while longer.”
Pearl looked at her sister. Her throat and eyes burned with unshed tears. How could she explain that she couldn’t stay? She didn’t want Duncan or Jarrod to think that she only came back to Paradise for their protection.
She hadn’t. Not really. She had returned hoping to see her sister and them one last time before exiling herself in an attempt to get Glenn to leave her alone.
She didn’t know why he bothered to follow her. How did he seem to know where she went? He followed her unerringly through several states over the last few months. The last time he’d found her. He managed to convince her he had changed. She should have known better. Men like that didn’t change. They didn’t think there was anything wrong with their behavior.
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