Autumn Sacrifice
A Phases Story
By Bronwyn Green
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
http://www.resplendencepublishing.com
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Autumn Sacrifice
Copyright © 2011 Bronwyn Green
Edited by Michele Paulin
Cover art by Les Byerley, www.les3photo8.com
Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-424-6
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Electronic Release: October 2011
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.
To Kris -This one is for you. You know…until you find your own Caleb.
To Gigi - This is for you, too. Your support means the world to me.
To Chel – Your friendship, love and patience keep me sane.
I love you guys!
Chapter One
“Hey, brat.”
A warm body slid onto the hard, wooden pew next to Brenna Alten. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the sharp smell of autumn leaves and the spicy musk of warm man. Caleb Mahingan. She’d recognize that voice and scent anywhere, and they still sent desire fluttering through her middle. So much for outgrowing that particular reaction. She hadn’t seen him in nearly three years, but apparently, the sound of his deep, gravelly voice and masculine rumble still caused a screaming case of insta-lust. In church, no less.
He pulled her into his embrace, tugging her firmly against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, returning his hug.
“Hey,” she said, pulling back slightly. Not the brightest of replies, but really, it was all she could come up with when she looked at him. She wasn’t sure it was possible, but he was even more gorgeous than she’d remembered. Keeping up with him via email and phone calls hadn’t prepared her at all to see him in person again.
He stared at her, curiosity and surprise clear on his face.
“What?” she asked.
He studied her for a moment more then shook his head as if dismissing a stray thought. “I was hoping you’d make an appearance,” he murmured, his voice carrying slightly over the sound of the arriving guests.
She had the feeling there was more to it than that, but she shrugged. “How could I miss Roxy’s wedding?”
He arched a brow and glanced pointedly toward where her father sat several rows ahead of them. “Well, you’ve managed to miss just about everything else around here in the last few years. Email’s just not the same as actually seeing you and having you nearby.”
She shifted in her seat and faced forward. “Let’s not go there, okay?”
He opened his mouth, but before he had a chance to answer, Caleb’s younger brother, Ethan, slid into the spot on the other side of her, and strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Jake—the youngest of the Mahingan boys.
“The prodigal daughter returns,” Jake whispered, his lips skimming her ear.
“Hey, guys.”
Her gaze shifted and she glanced quickly at Ethan then turned to peek at Jake. The sharp jolt of lust she’d felt when she’d seen Caleb, increased exponentially. Hell, all the Mahingan men were too damn gorgeous for her own good—tall, broad shouldered, tightly muscled with black hair and copper skin, their Native American heritage evident in their high cheekbones and dark eyes. Their gazes were bright with amusement and something else she wasn’t sure she wanted to examine too closely. They all watched her.
She quickly faced the front of the church again. This wedding couldn’t be over soon enough. She needed to get out of here, preferably before she made a fool of herself with these guys.
“You’re trying to figure out how soon you can take off, aren’t you?” Caleb murmured in her ear.
Color rose to her cheeks. Was she still that easy to read? Thankfully, the soft strains of the piano began, quieting everyone as the bridal party made its way into the small church. Was it too much to hope that the wedding would distract everyone long enough for her to hug her cousin, meet her new husband and make her escape?
Brenna’s father glanced over his shoulder, his expression growing cold when he saw her. He turned away, dismissing her as if she were a stranger. She tried to ignore the sharp stab of pain, and her eyes burned with tears she’d swore she’d never cry again. She’d thought he’d lost the power to hurt her with nothing more than a glance. Apparently not.
She didn’t know why she’d expected, no matter how briefly, anything else. He’d lost interest years ago when it had become apparent that she’d never be what he wanted. From the corners of her eyes, she glanced at the men on either side of her. They were what he wanted—wolves—shape-shifters. From the time they’d come into their power, considerably earlier than most shifters did, she’d known she’d been replaced in her father’s affections. Not that she’d ever had all that much to begin with. Maybe things would have been different if her mom was still around. He’d definitely gotten worse after she’d died.
Blinking rapidly, Brenna willed away the tears and looked toward the front of the church where the bridesmaids and groomsmen had assembled.
“Are you okay?” Caleb asked.
Nodding, she forced a smile she was far from feeling and stood as the bride walked down the aisle. Caleb’s hand settled warmly at the small of Brenna’s back, chasing away the lingering sadness. Or at least overshadowing it slightly. Her stomach flip-flopped nervously. She wasn’t sure if it was the anxiety she felt at being home again or the sensation of Caleb’s thumb brushing rhythmically along her spine.
A slow, languorous heat spread throughout her body. How was it that such an innocent touch could make her want all the things she couldn’t have—namely Caleb and his brothers? And a life in her hometown. Pushing aside her ill-timed melancholy, she focused on her cousin and the reason she’d returned home.
It was impossible to ignore the wall of men around her, but she still managed to pay attention to the ceremony, discreetly wiping away tears as Roxy made her way back down the aisle with her new husband. Her cousin didn’t even bother waiting for the receiving line before making a beeline to Brenna’s seat and leaning over Caleb to hug her fiercely.
“I was so afraid you weren’t going to make it,” Roxy whispered as she squeezed her.
Guilt swamped Brenna as she returned the other woman’s hug. “I was just telling Caleb, I wouldn’t have missed it.”
Roxy pulled back and gave her a stern look. “And you’d better not take off until we get a chance to catch up.” She glanced at Ethan and the others. “Keep an eye on her, will you? At least, until after the reception. I don’t want her to leave before we get to visit.”
After introducing her husband, she took her place in the reception line, and Brenna moved to exit the pew, but Caleb was blocking her way. “And where do you think you’re going?”
Brenna rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”
“We’ve been given our orders.” A slow, wicked grin spread across his face and she was glad she was still seated. She’d forgotten how tummy-fluttering the sight of his smile was.
Ethan scooted closer behind her and settled his hand on her waist. The tremors in her stomach increased at his touch, and she shifted nervously.
“How about if we walk you to the reception?” Ethan offered.
> “Great idea,” Jake said.
Caleb continued to smile, appreciation shimmering in his gaze has he looked at her. “Yeah. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
Brenna’s breath caught in her chest as she lost herself in the heat in his expression. She needed to get out of here before she jumped the man in the middle of the church and made her cousin’s wedding that much more memorable.
She’d always found all three brothers attractive, but Caleb had made her insides melty since she’d first figured out what lust felt like. And she’d had an unrequited crush on him ever since. Much to her annoyance, she’d compared every guy she’d ever dated to him. And unsurprisingly, none had ever measured up.
Taking her hand, Caleb gently tugged her from her seat and led her out the side door, into the late afternoon sunshine, with Jake and Ethan following close behind. Her heart loosened slightly as she took in the sights of Calumet, the small town where she’d grown up. She hadn’t even realized how much she’d missed her home and her friends until she’d come back. Maybe, this wouldn’t be the awkward homecoming she’d feared.
Still hand in hand with Caleb, Brenna rounded the corner and nearly ran into her father.
Heart in her throat, she backed up a step and tried to pull her hand free of Caleb’s, but he refused to release her.
Having no choice but to stand her ground, she forced a smile in her father’s direction, hoping he’d surprise her. Maybe enough time had passed that he was ready to move on, too. It wasn’t as though she didn’t want to have a relationship with him. “Hey, dad. How are you?”
Her father eyed her up and down. “I’m surprised you bothered to come,” he finally said.
Hope deflated like a balloon in her chest. So much for thinking that maybe things could be different. He turned and walked toward the parking lot.
“Good to see you, too,” she said, finally finding her voice. She had no idea if he heard her or not.
She made the mistake of glancing at Caleb. He looked confused and more than a little horrified.
“What the hell?” he demanded.
She shook her head, blinking back the stupid burn of tears.
“What was that all about?” he demanded again.
She scowled at him. “Don’t act like you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
Brenna studied him. He really did look genuinely confused.
He stepped closer to her and brushed her hair from her face. “I know things weren’t great with you two before you left—”
“It’s not up for discussion.”
“Brenna, I—”
“Please, just…don’t.”
Glaring after her father, Caleb started to follow him, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him back toward her.
He stopped and frowned but put an arm around her, pulling her against his side. “We’re talking about this, later,” he murmured into her ear.
Ignoring his pronouncement, she watched her father get in his car. “So…do you think the reception has an open bar?”
* * * *
The music from the reception drifted out to where Brenna wandered along the beach that lined the wave-tossed shore of Lake Superior. She picked her way along the stone-strewn path toward the woods that separated the water from the narrow strip of road. If she were smart, she’d get back in her rental car and hightail it for the airport. And not the ridiculously tiny Houghton County Memorial Airport airstrip. The likelihood of running into Caleb there was huge. He was one of the few pilots who flew out of Houghton Memorial. And that would lead to a conversation she had no intention of having.
She’d been avoiding uncomfortable conversations all night. The guys, of course, wanted to know what was up with her father. Frankly, she was stunned that they didn’t seem to have a clue. After all, their abilities and her lack thereof were one of the main reasons she’d left in the first place. Was it possible they hadn’t figured it out?
It seemed unlikely that they hadn’t, but she’d never told them about the problems between her and her father. She didn’t want them to feel guilty for his interest in them. Especially, since their mother had had no clue what to do with a house full of shifters, and their dad had taken off when they were little. Maybe her father hadn’t mentioned the difficulties he had with her either. If that was the case, she certainly wasn’t going to tell them now.
As she continued walking, the sand and rocks beneath her feet gave way to sand and dying plant life as she moved closer to the tree line. Taking a deep breath, she let the damp lake air tinged with pine fill her. The scent almost brought tears to her eyes. Nothing in Southern California smelled like this. It was all saltwater, sunscreen and money.
When she’d left Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she’d chosen the west coast because it had seemed like the farthest place she could go to get away from her father without actually leaving the country. It also ended up being a great place to launch her art career. Thanks to contacts she’d made, she’d broken into the children’s book market much quicker than she would have if she’d stayed here. Of course, if she’d stayed here, she might have ended up married to Caleb or one of his brothers and giving birth to the next generation of shifters. It was certainly what her father had been pushing her toward.
She wasn’t sure, but she suspected that most fathers would have been worried with three men showing an interest in their daughter. Nope. Not Joe Alten. He’d let her know that he’d approve of a union with any one of the men as long as she could provide a grandchild or two that inherited shifter abilities. The last thing she was about to do was give her father another misguided opportunity for wish fulfillment by sacrificing her dreams for his. Besides, she’d never been sure if they’d actually been interested in her or if they’d been encouraged to pursue her.
“I thought you were going to save me a dance.”
Heart in her throat, she whirled around at the sound of Caleb’s voice. Either she was completely oblivious to the world around her or he was too damn good at moving silently. She suspected the latter.
“You scared the hell out of me.”
His lips quirked upward, a secretive smile playing across his face. “Sorry.”
He didn’t look at all repentant.
“So were you planning on taking off without saying goodbye?” he asked.
“I wasn’t taking off. I just needed some air.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?” she asked, unable to help the defensiveness in her tone.
“I think that you’ve been looking for an excuse to leave since you got here. It’s been even more apparent since we ran into your dad.” He leaned back against the trunk of a huge birch, and the nearly full moon showed through the trees, glinting off the inky black of his hair. Her fingers itched to run through it, but she pushed aside the urge.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You wanna tell me what that was about?”
Her stomach knotted, and she smoothed her hands over her skirt. “Not particularly.”
“Funny. Your dad said the same thing.”
Maybe her father at least felt some guilt. Or maybe he just didn’t want to own up to subpar parenting. Either way, it looked as if he wasn’t any more interested in dragging Caleb and his brothers into their messed up father-daughter relationship than she was. That was just fine with her.
“Look, it’s no secret that your relationship sucks,” he said.
“Thank you, Dr. Phil.”
“But,” he added, clearly ignoring her. “It might help to talk about it.”
“I’m good.”
A comfortable silence stretched out between them, and she marveled at how easy it was to pick up where they’d left off. They’d always been pretty good friends in spite of everything. However, “friends” didn’t really cover the thoughts she’d been having about him since seeing him again that afternoon. She needed to get out of that mindset right now. As much as she might want to, she wasn’t about to have a fling with Caleb.
>
Shaking his head, Caleb pushed off the tree and prowled toward her. “You still owe me that dance.”
She laughed, the earlier nervousness returning. “Out here?”
“Why not? We can hear the music.” He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Holding her closely, he swayed to the beat of the song. “Are you seeing someone in California?”
It was hard to think when she was pressed against a wall of hard muscle and wanted nothing more than to melt against him. And there was no mistaking the erection pushing against her. Her good intentions were fading fast. What would it hurt? She was leaving in a couple days, and Caleb didn’t do serious when it came to relationships. For as long as they’d known each other, he’d never had a relationship that lasted longer than a few weeks. She highly doubted that had changed in her absence. Finally, she managed to shake her head. “No. I’m not seeing anyone.”
The secretive smile was back, curving his lips ever so slightly as he peered down at her. “Good.”
Chapter Two
Caleb stared down at the woman in his embrace. Slowly, she lifted her arms to circle his neck and began to move with him. In the light of the nearly full moon, he could see the soft gray of her eyes as she watched him warily. If she had any idea what he was thinking right now, she’d be halfway across the country before he knew what hit him.
When he’d sat next to her at the wedding and caught a whiff of her scent, he’d known. He’d known she was his mate. He’d been surprised that he hadn’t realized it years ago. But he’d just been coming into his power and could barely control his shifts, let alone recognize a mate. There had been a few other shifters in the area, but none that he and his brothers had had any kind of personal relationship with. Luckily, he and his brothers had had her father to help them through the adjustment. Though Joe wasn’t a shifter, his father had been, and he was able to help them cope with all the difficult changes.
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