She was at a loss for words as his deep brown eyes stared at her unflinchingly.
"I'm Noah."
Relief washed over her like cool beach waves.
"Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Cara." She stepped forward and offered her hand. He took it in his large, calloused grip.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am."
She gave a small laugh and smiled, brushing a curl behind her ear. "Ma'am? Wow, I don't think I've ever been called that before."
He pulled away and blood rushed back into her fingers.
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry." He gave her a tight smile.
"Are… are you hungry? I was going to make some spaghetti."
"No, thank you. I keep myself on a pretty strict diet. Pasta isn't on the menu anymore I'm afraid."
"Oh." She nodded trying to make words form. "Uh… I could make something else…" She couldn't seem to pull herself away from his deep brown eyes. The guarded sadness that they held struck her deep inside.
"No need. I can fend for myself. Thank you for your offer, ma'am."
"Okay." She held up her hand. "You have got to stop calling me ma'am. You're what? Only twenty-four, twenty-five? I'm twenty-one. It feels weird to be called ma'am by someone older than me."
"I'm sorry. It's what I've been taught. To be respectful."
The stillness he possessed sent an eerie chord through her. As if he were afraid of moving.
There was a knock on the front door, then it opened. Liam stepped in, followed by Natasha.
"Hey." Liam nodded when he caught sight of her by the bedroom door.
"Hey." She wrapped her arms around herself and fiddled with her wolfsbane bracelet.
****
The vibes rolling off Liam were enough to keep Noah standing right where he was. As a Marine he was taught to fear nothing. He'd seen more death and destruction than most people, but Liam's… aura was the strongest presence he'd ever felt. Only one word could describe him. Alpha. Dark haired with piercing eyes he was a couple inches taller than Noah and just as wide.
"Thank you," he managed. "For giving me a place to stay."
Liam stalked forward, like a giant predator. Noah's jaw locked and his fists clenched. He was unable to control the pounding of his heart as panic scratched his skin. He dug into his pocket and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his KA-BAR knife. His fingers twitched over the cover as he slowly pushed the blade in and out of the sheath.
"Do you have everything you need?" Liam asked.
Noah managed a curt nod. "Yes sir. I need to get to a grocery store but other than that, I should be fine. Thank you, sir."
Liam waved his hand. "Don't call me that."
Noah's eyes traveled to the beautiful brunette, Cara, who stood just behind Liam. She was tall and slender with light chocolate curls that fell to her shoulders. Her soulful, oak colored eyes were surrounded by a sprinkling of sunny freckles and framed by long, thick lashes. The perfect blend of seduction and innocence, which pulled at his gut and made him shift in his fatigues. His spine snapped straight. He needed to keep his crap together. He couldn't get involved with anyone. Especially a werewolf.
How many months had it been since he'd thought of a girl that way? Not since he'd gotten back, that was for sure. He hadn't even looked at Brigette the same since returning home. It had been the right thing to do, breaking it off with her the month after he came home. She deserved to move on with her life.
Liam nodded. "You're not to go upstairs, that's Cara's area–"
"Liam–"
He held up his hand and Cara fell silent.
Noah's grip around his knife grew tighter. "Where I was raised we don't silence woman like they're hired help."
Liam's knuckles cracked and Cara stepped forward.
"It's all right. Liam's like my brother. Sometimes he's just a bit protective." Cara stepped between them. "I'm getting ready to make some spaghetti. Do you and Natasha want to stay for dinner?"
"Thanks for the offer," said Natasha. "But Liam has a class tonight." She grabbed Liam by the arm, pulling him away. "Noah, I'd be happy to give you a ride to the store tomorrow for anything you might need, after my classes."
"Thank you, but no. I have a truck so I can find my way I'm sure." He fought the urge to call her ma'am.
She was shorter than Cara with classic California girl looks. Blonde hair, blue eyes, sun kissed peachy skin. But the air about her spoke of both power and privilege.
"Well, we'll get going then." Natasha pulled Liam toward the door, whose eyes stayed fastened on Noah and for an instant, they flashed golden.
"It was nice to meet you, Noah. You get some rest and we'll come by again." Natasha waved. "Cara, I'll be by in the morning to pick you up for class."
Cara waved. "See ya bright and early."
"Don't forget the assignment for English," said Natasha.
Cara nodded.
The door closed behind Natasha and Liam, shutting Cara and Noah in. He released the knife and rubbed at his left thigh.
Cara turned her eyes on him; sadness etched the corners of her downturned lips. "He didn't mean to be so…"
"Alpha?"
Cara chuckled. A musical sound that hit him in the gut.
Keep it in check boy. She's off limits.
"He doesn't know me. If I had a little sister that looked like you I wouldn't want a guy like me shacking up in her condo either."
Her cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of rose. "He's just a bit overprotective because we had a break in about six months ago and you're the first relocatee we've had since the incident."
Noah opened his mouth to ask if she was okay but the phone buzzed in his pocket.
"I'll let you get that. It was nice meeting you, Noah. And despite what Liam warned, I'm right upstairs if you need me."
"I'll do my best to keep out of your hair till I can find my own place."
She gave him a smile that warmed him down to his toes. "It's no trouble at all. It's what we're here for, to help if you need to talk or have questions. Transitioning into this life can be tough, but once you get into a routine it'll get better."
Noah nodded. Help. Everyone wanted to help. But all he wanted was to get as far away from humanity as possible.
"Hello?" He pressed his phone to his ear.
"Noah? It's Griffin."
"Oh, hey, Grif. How are ya man?"
"I'm assuming a little better than you at the moment."
Noah scratched his head. "Yeah, you could say that."
"I'm in town for a couple days and thought maybe we could grab a beer."
Noah had no desire to drive down into Los Angeles and he didn't drink. But Griffin had saved his life in Afghanistan by pulling him from the rubble after the explosion. The least he could do was buy the guy a beer.
"Sure. Sounds great. Where and when?"
"We could meet at the 3rd Street Promenade."
Too many people. The very thought made Noah tip toward the edge of panic.
"Or somewhere more subdued," Griffin offered. "I'll ask Tate for the name of a good bar and I'll text it to you."
Griffin knew Tate? Made sense. How else would Griffin have gotten his phone number? "Sounds good."
"Great. I'll see you this evening."
Noah hung up the phone. Maybe, if he met with Griffin, he could get some of the answers he'd been looking for.
Noah sat at the last table in the back of the almost empty bar and stared at the front door, waiting for Griffin. The smell of beer and greasy food permeated his nostrils. He swished a lollipop from side to side in his mouth, trying to focus on the movement.
Five or six older men lounged at the bar, chatting and joking. In the low light he tried to blend into the shadows, hoping the encounter wouldn't last too long.
A pain shot from his knee to his thigh causing his muscles to spam. He pounded on the muscle several times and then rubbed at them. He’d need to use his TENS unit when he got back to try and relax the muscles.
The
door opened and Griffin, the Navy medic who'd gone greenside, and been assigned to Noah's unit, walked in. He hadn't seen Griffin since the day he'd been injured but Griffin hadn't changed a bit. Tall, dark haired and of Native American descent, Griffin was as rugged as they came.
He spotted Noah and strode over. "Hey."
Noah crunched on his lollipop, finishing it. "How are ya?"
"Doing okay." Griffin gave Noah a genuine smile that exposed his ever white teeth.
The waitress walked over. "Can I get you something?"
"A beer and fries. Whatever is on tap."
She nodded and looked to Noah.
"Water please."
She tried to hide an irritated expression, but wasn't successful.
He waited for her to walk away before looking at Griffin again. "So what are you doing down here? I thought you were in Boise."
"I am. Donovan called and asked me to fly down. He knew I was in your unit and figured if anyone you might be willing to talk to me about what happened."
He should have known. "Talk about what?"
"About us. You. What's happening to you. What your options are. Stuff like that."
"You could have called and told me that stuff."
"True, but I wanted to see you for myself. See how you're doing."
I'm doing crap man. That's how I'm doing.
"So was everyone in the unit a werewolf besides me?"
Griffin shook his head. "Just me and Jefferson. It's odd that two werewolves would end up in the same unit, but it's happened before. Like with Tate and Donovan. They try to keep tabs on all the wolves in the military in case there's a problem."
"So there are lots more like us then?"
"Like you, not like me. You're bitten," said Griffin.
"Yeah, don't remind me."
Griffin shook his head and glanced around but there was no one in the vicinity. It was why Noah had chosen the table all the way in the back.
"No," said Griffin. "What I mean is, you were bitten, you weren’t born a werewolf. Most of the wolves around here are bitten, as far as I know. Or their ancestors were bitten and passed on the mutated genes. Where I'm from we call them skinwalkers or shapeshifters. I was born a werewolf, as were my ancestors. We're a different breed of werewolf called Blood Born. Therefore we are able to change when we want, not just at the moon."
"So the moon doesn't affect you the way it does me."
"No. We can choose to change at the moon or not. Or any other night. Mostly we do it as a pack. It's a bonding thing."
The waitress came back with Griffin's beer and fries and Noah's water and set them on the table.
"How did werewolves even come to be?" Noah asked once she'd left.
"There are many legends," he replied. "Most of them are Native American in origin, but no one really knows."
"Are there other differences between a born werewolf and a bitten?"
"Unfortunately, some believe bitten are lesser than Blood Born. But it isn't true. You are just as strong, fast and awesome as I am, man. Even though you’re a mutt." Griffin smiled, picked up several fries and shoved them in his mouth.
"Awesome isn't a word I'd use."
"Dude. It isn't as bad as you're making it out to be." Griffin wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I know it's an adjustment and it's tough, but you're a Marine man. You can do this."
Noah stared at him for a minute. "I don't know how you deal with it twenty-four seven. Just having these heightened senses for a couple of days makes me want to rip my own skin off."
"I can tell you you'll get used to it but everyone else has probably told you that and you're sick of hearing it. So I won't."
"I appreciate that."
"You guys only go through it once a month so it's more intense. But I was born this way; I go through it every single day. I'm used to it. For instance I can smell the cologne of every guy at that bar. I can tell you what kind of grease they used on these fries and I can tell you this beer has been sitting for about two weeks too long."
"Damn."
Griffin shrugged. "When you don't know any different it's not such a big deal."
"But I do know different." Anger bubbled up inside Noah.
Griffin stared at him for a moment and sighed. "I know man. I know. But that's what Tate, Donovan, your roommate Cara, and Liam are all there for. To help you through this. But if you don't think they'll help, you can always come to Idaho with me," Griffin said. "Change of pace might do you good."
"And what would Dakota think of me coming to stay with you?" Noah chuckled. All Griffin had talked about, their entire tour, was his beautiful wife.
Griffin looked at his fries, then shoved several in his mouth before taking a long swig of beer. "Dakota and I have been separated for a while."
Noah stared at his friend. "Damn man, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Yeah. That's the other wonderful thing about being who I am. She and I are bonded for life. No matter what we do we will always be connected. Even if we divorce." Griffin smiled and waved him off. "But it's all good. I'm in med school and dating a hot nurse so in the end I'm fine."
Noah searched Griffin's face. The lie was written all over it. Griffin still loved Dakota. Whatever they were going through, that much hadn't changed.
"I'm only gonna be in town today and tomorrow," said Griffin. "If you want to go with me back to Idaho, I'm happy to have you. We could leave first thing in the morning and be in Boise by noon; you'd have plenty of downtime. I have a great place up by Bogus Basin ski resort; we can go and run together. I usually go up to Wolf River with my family, but it's no biggie."
"I'll think about it."
"You do that. I mean it brother. I'm here for you. Whatever you need."
Griffin ate fries for several minutes while Noah tried to absorb the information he'd gotten. He wondered if the bond Griffin had mentioned was something only Blood Born experienced.
Griffin looked at Noah for a minute and smiled.
"What?" asked Noah.
"I was just thinking that it's great to see you not half unconscious and covered in blood."
Noah's chest squeezed. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."
"Nah. You're tough. You would have pulled through no matter what." Griffin laughed and punched Noah in the arm. "Ooh Rah!"
Noah sipped his water. Idaho. Now that would be a big change of pace.
CHAPTER THREE
Cara stared at her bowl of uneaten cereal. The nightmares she thought she'd finally moved past, haunted her afresh for the first time in over a year. Visions of running through the cornfield, her mom at her side, stalks whipping by. The smell of dirt and dew. The scratch of the already cut stalks as she trampled over them. The sound of gunfire behind them.
"Morning."
Cara dropped her spoon in her bowl and jumped.
Noah held up his hands. "Sorry. Maybe I should have knocked."
He looked amazing in olive fatigues despite the fact that deep shadows hollowed his eyes and she’d been woken up at two a.m. by him stumbling though the kitchen. A black t-shirt stretched tight across his broad chest. Bulging biceps that strained the edges of his t-shirt to the point of bursting, had her so flustered she couldn't form words.
His brow furrowed and he hooked a finger over his shoulder. "Should I go?"
"No," she finally blurted. She sucked in a breath and shook her head. "Sorry. Rough night. Do you want some breakfast?”
He shook his head. “I hope I wasn’t part of your rough night. I should have warned you I don’t sleep well.”
She rinsed out her bowl and put it in the dishwasher. There was no way she'd be able to stomach soggy cereal.
“It’s all right,” she said. “I am prone to not sleeping so well myself. Nightmares.”
He scanned her face. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"About what?" she asked.
He arched an eyebrow and her stomach sank.
Damn. She'd been yelling in her sleep again. H
ow embarrassing.
She shook her head. Anything she had to say would, most likely, be more upsetting and the last thing he needed was to be burdened with her problems. Obviously he had his own.
"Well… if you ever need an ear, I'm here. At least for a while. I know what it's like."
"You're a veteran right?"
"Got back from Afghanistan about seven months ago."
"Thank you for your service."
He shrugged. "Just doing my duty."
"A duty most guys don't have the guts to do. You were out there saving lives and preserving freedom every day. That's more than duty."
His cheeks flushed and he looked away. His strong jaw worked hard. Then he sniffed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a lollipop.
She laughed. "I thought you said you were on a strict diet."
He looked at the lollipop before popping it into his mouth. "I had to quit smoking and needed something to take its place."
"Well I'm glad you did. Quit smoking, I mean. It'll kill you."
He gave her a tight smile. "Sometimes I wish it had."
His words were a punch to the kidneys.
"Sorry." He rubbed his hand over his head. "I know this is your life, but it's not what I signed up for."
She swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't love being a werewolf either and she'd been born one. "I get it."
There was a honk from outside and Cara looked out the window.
"That's Natasha. I gotta go." She grabbed her bag from the counter and headed for the entrance of the kitchen. He stepped to the side, pressing into the refrigerator, but his enormous frame still took up most of the space.
She shimmed through, her body brushing his. The scent of sweet strawberry wafted off his lollipop and she licked her lips. Heat flushed through her as her gaze connected with his.
His mahogany brown eyes stared into the depths of hers, hard yet vulnerable.
"I'll be back after work." Her voice came out huskier than she'd anticipated.
"Do you need a ride?"
She shook her head, trying to think. "No. Thank you. Malibu isn't that big so the bus usually gets me home pretty quick."
Cursed by the Moon (Shifter Rising Book 2) Page 2
