by Dannika Dark
Why get involved with someone he didn’t feel an immediate connection to? He always managed to find something that turned him off. Maybe it was an unrealistic checklist no woman could match, but they were either too brassy, too conceited, too slutty, too loud, too controlling, or too fake.
Denver was an audacious flirt who enjoyed a good time. But most Shifter women were brutally selective and sought out the rough and dangerous men—like Austin. He’d been told he was too handsome for his own good and that no woman would ever feel protected with a man like him around. Maybe it was primal, but Shifter women looked for the big bad wolf. They believed the more dangerous the man, the more deadly his animal. Jericho had game because he was the rocker, Reno had game because he was the private investigator, but Denver was just a bartender with a sense of humor.
The only person who had ever loved him completely and unconditionally was a little human girl, and even she had left him in the end. Being her watchdog was the only thing in this damn world that had made him feel needed and important.
Maybe nice guys finish last after all.
Chapter 1
There’s something indescribably comforting about coming home, as if a stretch of land and old buildings can somehow wrap you in their familiar embrace. That’s exactly how I felt when I stepped outside the airport and the Texas sun warmed my shoulders like a mother’s touch and said, “Welcome back.” The feeling only intensified the closer I got to home.
“You from around here or just visiting?” the weathered-looking cab driver asked. He was an older man; in his fifties, if I had to guess. His taxi license said his name was Mike.
“I grew up here.”
“Ahh. Locally grown,” he said with a raspy chuckle. Mike tipped the tweed cap on his head and coughed a few times. “I’ve lived here for fifteen years.”
“Where are you originally from?”
“Detroit! Born and bred. Home of the best football team.”
“What brought you all the way to Austin?” I wondered how a man could move far away from home so late in life.
“Met a woman while on a cruise and we kept in touch. She lived here in Austin and said she’d never move because of her kids, so here I am.”
I broke off a piece of frayed string hanging from the end of my jean shorts. “You don’t miss home?”
“Sure I do,” he said in a boisterous voice. “But not enough to leave the love of my life. I was a single man without kids, and now I have a ready-made family. Home is where the heart is, right?”
After that, Mike let the conversation die, leaving that last sentiment floating around in my head. I’d never felt more at home than with the Weston pack, and yet at the same time, I didn’t belong. Going out into the world had made me realize that even more. I loved the pack and they’d visited often, but my mom always reminded me that my life would soon take a different course. She was older and had made the choice to live with them, but I was young and would eventually want to marry and have children. So I took advantage of traveling and became independent, knowing how fortunate I was. How many people get an opportunity like that in their life?
I hadn’t been home in more than three years, and even then I hadn’t been able to relax. Mom kept me on the go with shopping, and Lexi showed me around the two Sweet Treats locations so I could see all the changes since my last visit. Trevor played a few songs for me in the back of the store, and Austin took me out to dinner to ask about my studies, although eventually he grilled me on my dating situation. He wanted to ensure it was nonexistent. On my last night in town, we went to Howlers to watch Heat—Jericho’s band. Reno snuck me a beer even though I wasn’t quite twenty-one, but drinking was never a big deal to me so I politely sipped it before giving it to Wheeler. We had a good time and I even danced with someone I’d never met. The only thing that had been missing was Denver.
As soon as the cab pulled up the long driveway and I caught sight of the large house at the end, my knees began bouncing up and down with excitement. I hadn’t told anyone I was coming, and they definitely had no idea I was planning to come home for good.
“Thanks for the ride, Mike.”
“You take it easy,” he said with a friendly nod.
I grabbed my bag and hauled it out, dragging it behind me as I approached the house. Everything looked the same, but a little smaller somehow. The old horseshoe pit was still there, and it looked as though Austin had finally built a real garage in addition to the carport. Judging by the cars in the driveway, I could pretty much guess who was home. Mom had planted pink and white flowers around the base of the house, and the little flowers danced in the breeze.
I heard a clacking sound and glanced over my right shoulder toward the old oak tree out front. A wooden swing knocked against the trunk from a strong gust of wind, and wooden wind chimes that Austin had carved many years ago swung from another tree closer to the driveway.
I quietly ascended the steps in my sandals and surreptitiously snuck up to the front door. After I set my bag down, I touched the wooden sign next to the door, smiling and tracing my fingers over the letters: Weston. Memories of this place were etched in my mind and heart, and coming home seemed to breathe life into them—into me.
I drew in a deep breath and rapped my knuckles on the door instead of using the doorbell. After a few seconds, I knocked again.
“Can someone get that?” I heard Naya shout from a distance.
The sound of feet sliding on the floor grew nearer, and I tucked my fingers in my pockets.
When the door swung open, Denver filled the entranceway. My God, he looked exactly the same as I remembered. With humans, there were always subtle changes in age as time went by, but Shifters aged slowly, as if time had forgotten they were there.
He leaned his left arm on the doorjamb and crossed his bare feet at the ankles. A soft gust of wind ruffled his dark blond hair, which was in need of a trim. His indigo eyes brightened as he swung them down to my legs and then back up. I’d never had Denver look at me like that before, and a flutter of butterflies whirled around in my stomach.
“Hey there, honeypie.”
“Denver?”
“You’re early.” He waggled his brows. “I was just talking about you a minute ago. Naya said you were gorgeous, but that was an understatement.” His eyes skimmed down to my shorts and sandals. “Looks like you’re going for casual. I’m down with that. Let me go grab my wallet and we’ll head out.”
After he turned around and jogged up the stairs, I stood there with a befuddled expression. What the heck just happened?
I lifted my bag and hauled it through the open door. Home had a familiar smell—one I couldn’t describe. I took in a deep breath and smiled. When the door slammed behind me, Naya drifted into the room from the hallway up ahead.
Her eyes widened. “Oh, chickypoo! What are you doing here?” Before I could blink, she jogged over and squealed as she gave me a hug. “I’ve missed you so much!” Then she held me at arm’s length. “Let me get a look at you. I can’t believe how much you’ve changed just since the last time I saw you. Hot tamale!” she said with a sexy growl. “You’re a woman!”
I chuckled and looked down at myself. “You think? I guess I filled out since last July.”
“Your hair…” She touched the long wavy locks.
“The bangs weren’t really me, so I let them grow out. I think that’s why I look older.”
I’d grown out my blond hair and preferred the tousled look, keeping it parted in the middle and past my shoulders. My good friend Nora called it bedhead sexy. I just called it easy to manage and avoided curling irons, straighteners, and sometimes even a hairbrush. It was a little bohemian, but I was a no-fuss kind of girl.
My breath caught when I looked down.
Naya bent over and scooped up a black cat, although he looked as though he was at the last stages of kittenhood. “This is Spartacus. He’s the newest member of the Weston pack.”
“Uh…” He was a special one, all
right. “What’s wrong with his tongue?”
She kissed him on his ear and Spartacus stared at me with wide eyes but made no attempt to scamper off. It was unnerving, as if he were staring into my soul. His pupils swelled into black orbs, making his eyes look like two gold rings.
“Isn’t he handsome?”
“Naya, you always had a heart of gold. What does Wheeler say about it?”
“Wheeler says whatever makes his woman happy is all that matters,” a voice boomed from behind. “Even if I have to put up with that little shithead.”
Wheeler strode up and wrapped his tatted arms around me. “Missed you, sweetheart. Damn, you look—”
“Grown?” I answered with a bright laugh. “I know. It’s the hair.”
“No,” he said, pinching his chin and looking me over. His eyes settled with irritation on my breasts and something dark flickered in his eyes. “You’re different. Have you been dating? I’m going to have a real problem if I hear about some—”
Naya pressed her palm on his chest. “The girl just walked in the door three seconds ago. Let’s not interrogate her over her love life.”
Wheeler bent down and lifted my bag, his voice falling to a harsh whisper. “I better not hear about a love life.”
Shifter women were brought up differently than humans, something I’d figured out while living on my own. Most Shifters—especially girls—didn’t begin dating until they went through their first change when they shifted into their animal, which usually occurred in late teens to early twenties. But I wasn’t a Shifter, and I suspected Wheeler was wondering if that meant I’d slept with men. Could he look at me and sense the absence of innocence?
Denver tromped down the stairs and his brows slanted at a confused angle when Wheeler walked past him with my bag.
Naya took my hand and held it, looking me over again. “Isn’t she all grown-up, Denver? Your little Maizy is—”
Denver’s wallet slipped from his hand and hit the floor, his eyes wide with surprise. My heart sped up a notch when I realized he hadn’t recognized me until just now. I wanted to dash into his arms, but the enigmatic look in his eyes gave me pause.
Naya let go of my hand, petting the cat she cradled beneath her right arm. “My, isn’t this interesting? You didn’t even recognize her?”
“I thought… You’re not Nadia,” he said, his voice faraway.
“Who’s Nadia?” I asked.
Naya’s brow arched and she gracefully set down Spartacus, who scrambled so fast toward the kitchen that he ran in place for about three seconds. “Nadia is a client of mine. I set them up on a blind date, and the only thing he knows about her is that she’s a blonde. She’s not coming by until later, Denver. I’ll go tell everyone the baby is here!” she said excitedly, taking off toward the kitchen.
Silence fell like a heavy snow.
“You’re… different,” was all he managed to say.
“It’s been a long time. Can I have a hug?”
Denver tilted his head as if to say he didn’t mind.
Why is he so standoffish? I thought.
I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his strong shoulders, but he didn’t reciprocate. Deciding to break the ice, I lifted my feet off the ground. Either this would force him to hold me, or I was going to hang there like a complete idiot. I squealed a little when I thought I’d fall, but he stood up straight and encircled my waist with his arms.
Wow. I wasn’t prepared for that feeling either—his body against mine. I slid down to the floor and enjoyed that he was still taller than me.
“I missed you, Denny.”
He cleared his throat and stepped back. “You don’t need to call me that. Just Denver.”
“Why?”
He huffed out a quiet laugh. “You’re not a kid anymore, that’s why. I’ll uh… I’ll go tell everyone upstairs you’re here.”
Denver picked up his wallet and climbed the stairs. I hadn’t seen him in years and had imagined our reunion so many times in my head, but never had it gone like this. So cold. So distant. So unlike the Denny I loved.
Two boys with russet-colored hair jogged down the stairs, each with a matching smile on his face. “Hi, Maizy!”
“Oh my God! You’re kidding me!” I exclaimed. “You grew like little beanstalks! I just saw you last summer. What the heck happened?”
They laughed, eating up the compliments about how big they were getting and how old they looked. I gave them each a hug, which they accepted with reluctance since preteen boys like to pretend they want nothing to do with hugging anyone of the female persuasion. I mussed their hair and then reached in my purse.
I swear, I still couldn’t tell them apart.
I held my closed palm in front of them. “This is for Hendrix.”
The boy on the left eagerly reached out with his palm up, and I dropped a large chocolate coin in it.
“Imported chocolate. I know how much you like it.”
“Wow. Thanks!”
When I pulled out the other gift, Lennon already had his hand out. “Gum, right?”
“Not just any gum,” I said. “The kind with all that gooey liquid inside.”
“Cool—my favorite! I love this stuff and Mom never buys it.”
They appreciated the simpler things, which was nice since I didn’t have much money. I’d sold all my personal possessions to help pay for my plane ticket. While Austin had funded my schooling, I’d always been responsible for making my own spending money.
“Where’s Melody?”
“She went out shopping with Dad,” Hendrix said, already biting into his chocolate. He gave it a second glance and then wrapped up the rest. “I’m saving the other half for later.”
“Mom!” Lennon yelled, looking at the top of the stairs. “Company!”
I laughed and wandered through the room, feeling a pinch of nostalgia. A romance novel worn at the spine lay on a small table, a bookmark tucked inside. One of Jericho’s black guitar picks was on the floor by the leather chair.
When Naya returned, Lexi and Austin were following her.
Lexi’s eyes widened. “I thought you were kidding!” she gasped, gripping Naya’s arm. “Maizy? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
I shrugged and set my purse in the chair. “I missed home.”
She ran across the room and pulled me into a tight hug. “How long are you staying?”
“I don’t know,” I murmured in her hair. “How long do you want me?”
I felt her body sag and then her arms squeezed harder. Austin came up behind her and cupped my cheek.
“Missed you,” he said. “Your room’s been waiting for you.”
Lexi wouldn’t let go.
“You smell like outside,” I said, wrinkling my nose.
She laughed and stepped back. “Sorry. I was helping Austin dig up Mom’s flower bed in the back. A bunch of blue jays ate up her tomatoes a couple of years ago and she threw in the towel on a vegetable garden. We’re going to try it again, and Austin’s going to put up some kind of a mesh fence around it.” Lexi touched the wily hairs around the nape of her neck that had curled from the sweat. “Where’s your stuff?”
“Wheeler already took up my bag. I didn’t have much to bring.”
I’d never been a girl who accumulated things. I’m not sure why, but when I left England, I decided to stuff the things I really loved into a bag and give away the rest. Turns out the only things I kept were a few old letters, some clothes, and photographs. I had no idea what my plans were, but this was where I needed to be.
Chapter 2
The entire day felt like a carousel reunion. Jericho and William returned that afternoon with Melody, who was over the moon to see me. When my mom got the call from Lexi, she took the entire day off. In fact, I was willing to bet she’d canceled all her appointments with her clients for the full week. April and Trevor weren’t due home from work until later, Reno was doing PI work, and Izzy left at three to cover the last sh
ift at the bakery.
It was just like old times with everyone coming and going. It was as if life had gone on without me, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
A knock sounded at my bedroom door and I peered down the length of my body. “Come in,” I said, a bit groggy.
The hinges squeaked as the door opened. “We need to fix that,” Lexi murmured. She closed the door behind her and sat next to me on the edge of the bed. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Jet lag.”
She nodded. “Sleep all day if you want. Not to pressure you or anything, but dinner is in two hours, and we’d love for you to join us. But if you’re too tired to socialize, we’ll understand. I’ll bring you up a tray.”
“I’ll come down.”
“Feel free to get your bunny-slipper fix on; you know how we embrace casual wear.” Lexi patted my hip and then stared at the table beside my bed. She lifted a small toy and turned it between her fingers. “I don’t remember seeing this in here before. Is this yours?”
I glanced at the tiny princess. “I thought I’d lost it a long time ago.”
She set it back on the table in a pool of warm tangerine sunlight that was filtering through the window. “Are you here to stay, or are you just passing through? I know you must have a lot of friends up north from high school.”
“I haven’t decided yet,” I said quietly. “My life is a little up in the air at the moment. I just wanted to come home and…”
“And what?”
“See if I still belonged, I guess.”
Lexi brushed my hair away from my shoulder. “You’ll always belong with family. Have you thought about what we discussed on my last trip? I mean… have you given it any thought?”
During Lexi’s visit last summer, she’d taken me out for a sisters’ day. We had lunch at a trendy café, strolled through a park, and then she sat me down to reveal a secret that shook me to my core.
Lexi revealed that the birthmark on my shoulder blade wasn’t just a random mark; Austin had seen one exactly like it before. The pattern was the unique shape of a spade, like on a playing card. Austin told Lexi he’d met a woman with the same exact mark who’d once been a human and then became a Chitah.
