by Moira Rogers
Mae pulled up the hood to cover her hair and stared at some point slightly beneath Shane’s chin. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Eden gestured to the empty rocking chair on her right. “Want to sit with us for a little bit?” No pressure, no expectations. The invitation hung between them for a dozen hopeful eternities before Mae nodded and slipped past her to the rocking chair.
Such a tiny bit of trust, but Eden had to fight back a triumphant smile. When Jay was safely home, she’d celebrate this step forward with him.
If he got safely home.
No. When. Eden refused herself the satisfaction of checking her watch as she willed the headlights to appear. She found herself talking to fill up the empty air. “I think we’ll have everyone settled in here before the fall festival in town. Y’all are going to love it. There’s dancing and a carnival and so much food.”
Shane leaned one shoulder against a porch column. “That part sounds good, anyway. Can we bypass social niceties and head straight for the chow?”
Social niceties didn’t seem to be Shane’s specialty, not when they involved words instead of body language or wolfish instincts. Eden grinned at him. “What if the town girls chase you for a dance? Are you going to run from a fight?”
He snorted. “I think I’ll let Colin and Fletcher handle the Casanova stuff.”
Eden opened her mouth and forgot what she was going to say when headlights flashed through the trees lining the drive. Engines rumbled, and she was out of her chair and down the steps by the time Jay’s truck pulled into sight, followed by Fletcher’s car and a mid-sized U-Haul.
She ran across the yard and was waiting when Jay stopped the truck. Anxiety and relief bubbled up along with her power, and she hauled open the driver’s side door and dragged Jay’s head down for a blistering kiss.
He tumbled out and caught her around the waist, tugging her up off her feet. He met her kiss with more kissing, met her power with that wave of sweet, soothing magic she’d needed from the moment Kaley had fallen apart in her arms. The steadily building pressure vanished so fast her ears should have popped, and for a beautiful moment she floated on the release.
Then she just floated, her toes dangling inches above the ground as Jay turned his mouth to her ear. “Missed me, huh?”
“Just a little.” She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his. “Is everyone all right?”
He tensed in her arms. “Yeah. We’ll talk about it later.”
The screen door slammed, and Kaley walked out on the porch, her arms crossed over her chest. It was Eden’s turn to tense as Zack took a few steps toward the house before shuddering to a halt.
Zack stared at Kaley. She stood, still as stone, expressionless. Jay lowered Eden to the ground as Mae eased toward Kaley, but no one spoke.
No one dared.
Finally Zack broke the silence by clearing his throat. “We brought the stuff you had in storage.”
“Thank you,” Kaley answered flatly.
Someone had to move before Kaley’s control snapped. Eden eased out of Jay’s arms and crossed the yard. “You boys leave the U-Haul for tomorrow and get cleaned up. We’re sitting down to dinner together tonight.” The steps creaked loudly in the silence as she climbed to stand next to Kaley. “Come on, honey. Will you help me set up the folding chairs?”
“I’ll do it,” the girl said, already turning toward the door. “You have other stuff going on.”
An offer. A way out of having to choose between pack and family, between her cousin’s sadness and a young woman’s pain. The fact that it didn’t feel like a choice at all might hurt later.
For now, it was painfully clear. Eden wrapped her arm around Kaley’s shoulders and reached out to Mae. “The men can deal. I’m all yours.”
Chapter Eight
Jay flipped the mattress into place and evened it on the box-spring platform with one leg. “There. How’s it look?”
“Perfect.” Eden tossed the fitted sheet onto the mattress and circled around to the opposite side. “Now I have beds in all the important places in town. My house, your house, above the diner and at the farm.” She smiled up at him. “Or should I say we have beds.”
As if there would be no question of them sharing said beds. Jay grinned. “Yes, we do.”
“You like that, huh?” She tucked the sheet under the mattress and gave him an arch look. “You’re the one with the no-sex rule. That witch better show up soon, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Didn’t Shane tell you? They’re due in today, the witch and her… Well, her bodyguard, for lack of a better word.”
Eden froze with one hand tangled in the sheet. “Already? I thought it would take her some time to make arrangements.”
Apparently, the alphas in Red Rock had felt there was no time to lose. “It’s a good thing,” he told her resolutely. She didn’t need to hear that Stella’s job would be to check them out as much as help.
“I know. I’m surprised, but mostly relieved.” She straightened and rubbed her hands over her arms. “Maybe a little nervous. I’ve never met a witch.”
“Not so different from anyone else until she starts breaking out the magic spells.”
After she pulled the sheet smooth, Eden dropped to the bed and leaned back on her hands. “Lorelei mentioned something about spells for soundproofing. Is that something you’re familiar with?”
With a house full of people with super senses, they’d soon have some pretty intimate privacy concerns. “I once knew a wizard who could make himself invisible when he was standing right in front of you. Couldn’t smell him, either.”
“I think everyone would appreciate a little protection from their super senses.” She sank lower on the bed, bracing her weight on her elbows in a deceptively casual pose, an invitation that her eyes backed up. “I’m not making out with you in this bed if your friends are going to hear it.”
“They’re very, very good at ignoring things like that.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I may have a few kinks, but I’m pretty sure exhibitionism isn’t one of them. I’m going to have a hard enough time with all the nakedness and shapeshifting when we get to the full moon.”
Telling her that no one would pay any attention would do no good. He’d sure as hell be looking, and he didn’t bother to hide his grin. “I bet you look damn good naked in the moonlight.”
“You’ve already seen me naked,” she reminded him, nudging his foot with hers. “Very unfair, since I can’t say the same.”
“If you’re angling for me to drop trou, things aren’t going to be very quiet in here.”
She huffed and flopped back on the bed with a groan. “I know. I don’t think I can spend too many more nights squirming in your lap without imploding. Does this Guide-bond thing take a long time?”
He’d only gone through the ceremony a few times. “Depends on your definition. Twenty minutes, maybe, once it’s all set up?”
“Thank God. We’re almost through this, right? Soon we might be able to stop for a little while and breathe?”
The words brought the fiasco in Memphis rushing back. “Shit, with those bastards in the city…who even knows?”
An engine rumbled in the distance, and Eden popped up and tilted her head. “That doesn’t sound like my dad’s truck,” she said after a second of intent listening.
“No.” Jay held out his hand for hers and walked out of the room, all the way out of the small house.
The dark truck that pulled down the driveway wasn’t the same one from Memphis. For one, it had a bouncy woman with tawny blonde hair hanging out of the passenger window. “Hey there,” she called out as the truck pulled to a stop.
Eden raised a hand. “Stella, I presume?”
She didn’t even wait for the stern-faced man behind the wheel to shift into park before bounding out of the door. “Shane said this place was rustic, but I think it looks like a movie. Hi, yeah. I’m Stella.”
“I’m
Eden Green.” She nudged Jay with her hip. “This is Jay.”
“Ancheta,” he supplied, holding out his hand.
The girl grabbed it. “Right on. Shane’s friend.”
The driver slammed his door and circled the vehicle, his movements slow and easy as his gaze flicked over each of them before continuing to take in both houses. Power flowed from him as he drew even with Stella. “I’m Keith Winston.”
Jay took his hand. “Welcome to Clover.”
Keith’s grip was strong, but not so firm as to be challenging. He smiled as he released Jay’s hand to clasp Eden’s. “You must be the new wolf.”
“Is it that obvious?” Eden asked, faking overdone dismay. “I haven’t tried to sniff anyone in days.”
“Well, that’s no fun.” He winked at her. “Jay, Eden, I’d like to thank you both a great deal for getting this troublemaker out of my hair.”
“Don’t mention it.” Red Rock had its own witch, and could well afford to spare her apprentice. “How are Gavin and Sam?”
“Buried in honorary grandchildren and loving every minute of it.” Keith rested a hand on Stella’s shoulder. “I can only stay long enough to make sure Stella’s settled, as a matter of fact. I’ve got a pair of twins celebrating their second birthday.”
The blonde snorted. “If Daddy isn’t there, Aunt Stella’s the one who’ll catch hell for it.”
Eden laughed. “You’ve had a long trip from Montana. Come inside and I’ll show you around. Anything to keep you out of trouble.”
Two pots of coffee later, Jay had explained the situation to an increasingly somber Keith. Stella sat beside him, cursing and shaking her head until the dreadlocks framing her face swung into her eyes.
“It’s ridiculous,” she proclaimed. “Keith, come on.”
He clenched his jaw. “Jay’s right. Most of the mess that went down in Helena happened because Joe and I took out the leaders of a corrupt pack and didn’t think about what would rise in their place. They can’t kill their way through the Memphis pack.”
“And we don’t want to,” Jay added. “It’s too much blood to be on anyone’s hands, much less the people who came here. We just want peace.”
Eden covered Jay’s hand with her own. “Not just want it. They need it. They’ve been through too much.”
Stella rose with another mutter. “I’m going to find Shane. I need a beer.”
Jay stopped her. “Wait. Eden’s a new wolf. I need some help setting up a Guide ceremony. As soon as possible, but definitely before the full moon.”
“Yeah?” Stella propped a hand on her hip. “You two look pretty cozy. You gonna be her Guide?”
“Yes,” Eden answered for both of them, her tone a little tart. “That’s what I want.”
“And that’s what matters,” Keith said firmly. “Stella, use the spell Sasha taught you. This isn’t the time for fancy rituals.”
“We could have a little decorum, couldn’t we?” But she sighed and grabbed Jay’s hand, then Eden’s. Her eyes fluttered shut, and the air around them began to throb with power.
It didn’t feel like a wolf. It didn’t feel like anything Jay had experienced, not until the witch whispered a quiet incantation and the magic snapped like a string drawn too tight, lashing through the room.
When it settled, all Jay could feel was Eden. “That’s it?”
Stella opened her eyes. “Standard three months. If it looks like I’m not going to be here at the end of it, I’ll prepare a talisman that you can destroy to break the bond.”
Eden stared blankly, her eyes wide and dazed. Through the bond, Jay could feel her wolf, stunned but rallying. Magic rose inside her, a wave that rushed down the newly opened connection before it could crest.
Exhaling in relief, she swayed.
“Oh, hell.” Keith groaned and reached out a hand to catch Eden’s shoulder. “First lesson—don’t say fast if you don’t mean fast. I should know better by now.”
The witch blinked. “What’d I do?”
“My fault, Stella. I should have warned them.” Keith patted Eden’s shoulder as she steadied. “You’re stronger than most, sweetheart. It’ll take some time to grow into that power, but you will. If you ever need someone to talk to about it, Stella can tell you how to get in contact with my wife. She went through the same thing a few years ago.”
Still looking a little dazed, Eden murmured her thanks. But under the table, her hand found Jay’s and squeezed tight.
Stella saluted them with two fingers at her temple. “My pleasure. Now, if you don’t mind…” She snatched up her bag. “I’m getting out of here. Little house, right?”
“That’s where Shane is,” Jay confirmed, three-quarters of his attention still fixed on Eden. Her fingertips traced teasing patterns over the back of his wrist, her skin warm.
She jumped when the door swung shut behind Stella and blinked at the witch’s empty chair. Color flooded her cheeks. “I’m being a terrible host.”
“She’s used to wolves, honey. Right, Keith?”
Keith smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Stella will do just fine. She’s used to living with wolves, and she’s seen her share of trouble. She’s been itching to get out on her own and flex her spellcasting muscles without her mentor staring over her shoulder, but Sasha wouldn’t have sent her if she wasn’t ready.”
Jay dragged his focus back to the wolf sitting across from them. “Long term, what do we do about Memphis?”
“My advice?” Keith tapped his fingers on the table. “Try to find a spy, someone who can warn you if they’re going to come. But either way…be ready for war. Have wards to protect those who can’t fight, and train those who can. Have a plan in place so everyone knows which is which.”
Zack might know someone left in Memphis who’d be willing to pass on information about the pack’s movements, but even asking could put the would-be spy in mortal danger. “We have to expect them at any time. I’ve got some contacts through my job, but using them is a tricky, messy business.”
“You’re local law, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“That’ll help with the other problem, hopefully.” Keith shook his head. “You’re not as remote as I’d like, certainly not remote enough to be hidden away from humans like Red Rock. That’ll be trouble if more refugees keep showing up.”
It was a small town, and people had already been talking. “This place is a farm. Farms need labor, and little boutique organic outfits have been popping up all across the South over the last decade. As long as we keep our noses clean, we can make it work.”
Keith smiled slowly. “Yeah, Stella told me about the alpaca business plan. She’s a city girl with wide-eyed dreams about life on a farm. Don’t shatter all her illusions on the first day.”
“She’s not our only former city dweller,” Eden told him with an answering smile. She nudged Jay’s foot with her own, rubbing their calves together under the table as her bright, innocent gaze stayed fixed on Keith. “I’ll turn them all into country girls in no time.”
Minx. “And if that fails, we’ll keep them away from the creatures,” Jay promised.
“At least the ones that might bite them,” Eden said cheerfully.
Keith eyed her for a moment, then snorted. “Yeah, I forgot this part of the bonding too. I suppose it’s inevitable.”
“Lunch.” Jay stood, keeping Eden’s hand in his. “Can you at least stay for that before you have to head back?”
“Sure.” Keith rose as well. “Where’s Fletcher hiding himself? I haven’t seen him in a year or more. Wanted to catch up before I roll out.”
“He was out there with Shane earlier. Should still be.”
“Good. You two get used to that bond now, while you have a chance.”
Keith started for the door, and Eden must have had a moment of guilt. “We can walk you,” she blurted out, giving Jay a helpless look. “It’s only polite.”
Keith snorted again. “Ancheta, time to teach yo
ur Initiate about priorities and pack…and how little use werewolves have for polite manners.”
The door slammed behind their guest, and Jay picked Eden up and deposited her on the table. “What he means,” he said slowly, “is that there’s a time and place for everything…except when you’re newly bonded.”
She heaved out an unsteady breath and tangled her fingers in his shirt. “So the fact that I’m all tingly isn’t just my own sexual frustration?”
“Common side effect.” His voice came out too thick, almost hoarse.
One of Eden’s hands squirmed under his shirt to brush his abdomen. “Are you tingly too?”
He’d been tingly for days, and he didn’t bother to shield the edge of his lust from her. Instead, he slipped his hands into her hair, held her still—his gaze fixed on hers—and let her feel every pulse. Every heartbeat.
Her eyes flared gold. “You’re under my skin,” she whispered. Her fingers slid up his chest and brushed one nipple, and she sucked in a sharp breath when he let her feel his pleasure along with his lust. “Oh, this is dirty.”
“Fringe benefit.” He tipped her head back and scraped his teeth over her jaw. She shuddered and scratched his chest, her moan filling the kitchen.
He bit off a groan. The kitchen table was no place to seduce a woman—especially not for the first time—but it didn’t matter. Not enough to make him stop.
Jay dragged her to the edge of the table, sliding her halfway astride his thigh. “Nothing dangerous about this now. Kiss me, and show me how you let go—”
Eden’s mouth crashed into his, swallowing the last word. She rocked forward, riding his leg as her tongue drove in search of his.
He steadied her hips with one hand and slid the other up over her breast. Her top was made of some kind of thick chambray, but her nipple tightened in a heartbeat. She moaned again, a soft, hot sound that Jay coaxed into a lower, deeper noise by slipping free the first button on her shirt.
Two buttons later she tore her mouth from his, throwing her head back as she squirmed against his leg. “Oh God, oh God. This is insane. Why are you not as crazed as I am?”
