“Good. I don’t want you afraid of me. I want the sex kitten I met last night,” he murmured against her mouth, sending his tongue out to taste and arouse when she made an attempt to answer. “I want the woman who argues with me and talks to me and seems to be brilliant on too many topics to count,” he thought about listening to her and her friends during lunch, the animation and enthusiasm when she talked holding him captive even when he didn’t have a clue about electronics.
“Eli…I’m not sure you’re thinking rationally here,” Lexi had to work to find breath to form words when he kissed her like that. “I’m not…you and I…we’re not…”
“Who do you think will care, Lexi?” He paused the barest of moments. “Why would we allow anyone that kind of power over our lives?”
“I’ve already brought enough trouble here, Eli. The purists will zero in on your pack and…I’ve heard from friends who…they’ll know,” she stopped when he lifted his head, the pale green of his eyes filled with a heat she knew had nothing to do with them. “They’ll know and hurt people who get in their way.”
“Do you honestly believe our town is made up of people who…”
“It isn’t the town, Eli,” Lexi let her hands slide over his shoulders, struggling not to moan at the strength she felt rippling beneath his shirt. “They…don’t you read the papers? Listen to national news?” If his hands hadn’t been holding her in place she would have stumbled back at the deep, genuinely amused laughter.
“We’ll continue this talk after you meet my folks tomorrow,” Eli kissed her nose and set her back with a long, wistful sigh.
“I…your folks?” Lexi knew her voice was high enough to join a choir.
“Got a text before we started this. Summons tomorrow at noon. Mom’s cooking and they can’t wait to meet you three. Evidently news spread through the town like it was on fire,” Eli went into the kitchen for a long, cold drink of water. “Get what you need and we’ll head to Lucas’s.”
“I…tomorrow…your mother? Jesus, you guys are flat out nuts,” she informed him before storming up the stairs to the room she was using and where he’d dumped things from her car before it was taken away.
She didn’t even have transportation to escape!
Chapter Twelve
Lily sat in the far corner of the large SUV, deep green eyes studying the man easily maneuvering the vehicle over the dry roads. She was still trying to figure out how she ended up on the sofa.
On the sofa! That’s a joke! Most of her was lying sprawled over Jess Daniels!
Her best friends were shifters but she’d been very careful not to get involved with one before. She’d seen too many people hurt by the purists. Too many people who thought their pack was strong enough to deal with them. They operated in small insidious groups all across the world.
“Lily, what’s wrong?” Jess slowed the SUV, overhead street lamps kicking in above them and a chill filling the evening. “You haven’t said a thing since we woke up.”
“I’m working on what to say.”
“About what?”
“About…I don’t know,” she finally said in exasperation. “About you and me. About this…attraction.”
“Why does it bother you?”
“Why doesn’t it bother you?”
“I’m a really laid back sort of guy.”
“Who believes in fate,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Who believes in not missing a chance at something special.” He listened to the little groan, her feet on the edge of the seat and her head between her knees. “Lily, I think you should relax.”
“Relax?” Her voice was muffled. “I’m about to break my own most important rule and you’re telling me to relax.”
“A rule about what?” Jess felt the corner of his mouth lift. “Me?”
“I’m thirty-three years old, Jess. I have never…ever…felt something…no, not even just something,” Lily shoved her hands into her hair and pulled, blond curls falling around her face when she laid her head back and dragged in a deep breath.
“It frightens you,” Jess said softly.
“Why doesn’t it frighten you?” She asked, distress evident in her voice.
“I suppose it does, in a way,” Jess pulled up to the gate and tapped in the code. “Maybe in the same way something new might…it baffles…it dazzles…it delights…and yes, it’s a little frightening, Lily. I don’t want to look back and call myself a coward because I was afraid to explore what’s between us.”
“Damn, you’re good with those words,” Lily shifted to the side and stared at him. The girl in her whimpered. She snatched up the pack from the floor and threw the door open, jumping out of the SUV and striding toward the house. “Damn college educated, smooth talking shifter.”
“Hi, Lily,” Scarlet said as she stormed past her into the house. She looked toward Jess, one brow up. “What happened?”
“I’m not really sure,” he said slowly, but grinned, his attention on the pick-up truck coming through the gates behind him. Two males watched the door of the truck slammed with amazing force.
“You Daniels’ boys have amazing finesse with women,” Scarlet murmured when Lexi came tearing up the stairs and into the house, her head shaking and long, tanned hair sweeping behind her, dark mutterings making Scarlet frown. “I’m…” she gestured to the inside with a little nod at Lucas. “Going inside…”
Lucas leaned against the porch rail, both brows arched.
“I think she’s…I mentioned the thing at mom’s tomorrow…” Eli rubbed one hand over his neck.
“Hmm…I didn’t…maybe I should have mentioned it.” Jess watched the door fly wide, a blonde whirlwind glaring at him, hands on her hips.
“Your parents? Are you fucking insane?” She whirled and disappeared into the house without waiting for an answer.
“I think it’s safe to say she knows now, Jess,” Lucas clapped him on the shoulder with a long sigh. “Let’s go inside, guys.”
“It’s his house,” Eli mumbled. “You should go first.”
“It’s alright,” Scarlet called out from the living area. “It’s safe. She’s not armed.”
“I am too…they’re in my pack,” Lily lifted the bottle of wine and filled her glass.
“I thought this would be a relaxing evening,” Lucas stopped and lifted a stuffed mushroom from the plate Scarlet had laid out.
“You are brilliant!” Scarlet put both hands on his face and kissed him, hard and thorough. “I think we should begin the evening with a long, relaxing run.”
“I’ll wait here,” Lily tipped the glass up, eyes closed and mind churning.
“I don’t run,” Lexi poured wine into her glass.
“Since when?” Eli bent over the back of the sofa. “C’mon, kitty…I’ll be bait. I’ll even run slow so you can catch me.”
“Have a nice run,” Lexi told him. “I don’t run. I stalk. I pounce. I hiss and snarl and shred…”
“Afraid you can’t keep up?” He taunted with a chuckle.
Lexi turned and put her nose against his, her voice low. “All I have to do is stand out there buck naked and you’ll forget how to do anything but drool, wolf-boy.”
“She’s got you there, Eli,” Lucas headed up the stairs behind Scarlet. “I think a long run would be good for us. I’ll set the locks, ladies, when we go.”
Lily watched the four return, the color variations amazing. She stood in the kitchen, backed against the sink when the large animal came toward her. Pale lashes narrowed.
“Don’t…Jess…” his cold nose touched the palm she held out. Slim fingers itched and surrendered to the urge to stroke along his nose and onto the large head.
With a soft, delicate touch, she let the coarse, thick hair tickle the center of her palm. His body didn’t move even when her fingers gently stroked over his ears.
“They’re waiting for you,” she said softly, peering into the expressive green eyes. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
She watched him turn and fall into line behind the others, all of them going through the door Lexi held open. The one she was familiar with, Scarlet, was the most distinctive in all black and almost gold edges to her fur.
Lily and Lexi watched the long, strong legs take off through the gate and out into the woods that bordered the back of the ranch.
“Are you afraid, Lily?” Lexi closed the door and went to sit in front of the fire, blue eyes staring into the flames.
“Terrified. I never thought about forever before, Lex…Jess…I can see tomorrow in his eyes. I can feel such…such belief…” Lily slipped her shoes off and curled against the corner of the sofa, her head falling back and knees drawn up to be circled by her arms. “That’s not something I ever, ever dreamed of in my life.” She pulled in a long, deep breath. “You?”
“He’s a dog, Lily,” Lexi stood up and moved to the other end of the wide cushioned sofa. “I…but he’s human, too…Just like Jess. I’m not sure any of us ever did more than dream about happy ever after kind of things.”
“But if we could have happy for five years…ten years…”
“That isn’t what you see when you look in his eyes,” Lexi told her. “I know…because I see the same thing in Eli. I don’t know…maybe we wouldn’t be so…disturbed…if this behavior happened a month after we met them. It seems so intense.”
“Vital,” Lily supplied, letting the silence settle around them.
Lexi was up from the sofa an hour later when the gates sounded.
Lily relaxed when she nodded and opened the patio door, four large wolves running into the house, through the living area and up the wide stairs. The rich, warm scent of earth and fall following in their wake. She followed the instructions Lucas had given her and quickly reset the outside and inside alarms.
Lily set out wine glasses and filled them all before bringing food from the fridge that Scarlet had prepared and wrapped. By the time the first appeared, she had a large buffet set up in the living room on the low table in front of the warm fire.
Eli came down first, sinking to the floor in front of Lexi, his head tilted back and a saucy wink offered when she pretended to ignore him.
Was she a coward? That was a question Lily had never asked herself before.
They left the lights out, some on the floor and some on the sofa.
“You had a nice run?” Lily looked over at Scarlet, sitting cross legged and occasionally feeding Lucas something from her plate.
“It’s beautiful in the woods,” she answered with a sigh. “There’s a nice wide stream and the most gorgeous ferns. You’d love it, Lily.”
“You like the woods?” Jess leaned against the sofa and glanced to the side at Lily.
“I like plants,” Lily answered, taking a swallow of wine and one of the sandwiches he offered. She sighed. Suddenly she looked like she needed taken care of? He had enough optimism in him for both of them. She looked around, realizing they were waiting for something more. “Landscaping and plants.”
“How did you all meet?” Lucas looked from one to the other, watched them exchange silent glances.
“My parents died when I was about eight,” Lily began quietly. “We lived in a nice little town and Lex was my best friend.”
“I wouldn’t let my parents have any peace. I knew she didn’t have anyone to take care of her,” Lexi shrugged. “So we became kind of like sisters. We met up with Scarlet when we were eighteen…just starting in a junior college outside Las Vegas. We just all clicked.”
“We pooled money and bought that stupid little wagon she has,” Scarlet laughed at the face Lexi offered. “Then we made a pact to help each other finish their school. Lexi is a genius with computers. Lily has a degree in design and botany. And I doubled in business and culinary skills.”
“Next question?” Lily asked, her sigh content as she sat up, one leg on each side of Jess. She leaned over his shoulder, one hand holding out an empty wine glass, the other palm stroking gently over his head.
“Have you always been armed?” Eli reached for food off Lexi’s plate and got his palm slapped. “Stingy cat.”
“Moochy dog.”
“Such a cute couple,” Lucas chuckled.
“I started shooting when I was six,” Lily said quietly, leaning back and staring into the white wine in her goblet. “I’ve always lived in shifter towns. My parents were teachers who didn’t believe in segregation. They loved teaching. They loved…each other…and kids who wanted education as much as you love running. The only thing wrong with that is a lot of shifters look at me like I’m food. Nothing personal…but they’re not all like you.”
“There are very few places with just...” Lexi closed her eyes. “Some places make it easier to fit than others. Even for humans.”
“That’s the funny thing…” Scarlet looked at her friends. “I never thought of either of you as anything but my friends. Not a…a species. Weird, huh?”
“Not so much,” Lily let a little smile tilt her lips. “It’s what made us fit together.”
“Did you all live here growing up? In Devil Hills?” Lexi set the empty glass down on the table next to the sofa.
“Eli and I did four years in the military. You want to know diverse,” Lucas shook his head and reached for the wine bottle he’d just uncorked. “It’s just as crazy, to be honest. Some just blindly accept all. Others are as bigoted and pig headed as ever.”
“I spent most of my time in medical school and internship in Seattle,” Jess recalled thoughtfully. “People and shifters of all kinds migrate to big cities. Some to hide, some to blend…some to cause trouble. That’s not something that’ll change in a million years. We used to have in-depth debates about people. Why some are predisposed to greed, some to lack compassion, some to lack ethics…there just isn’t an easy answer. It’s not species driven. That would be too easy to understand.”
“I guess part of me wanted to think your…the optimism…you all seem to have was because you haven’t seen the world, but I’m wrong,” Lily yawned and closed her eyes, a relaxing move that was abruptly taken away with the brilliant flash of lightning.
Lucas and Eli both tightened their arms around the women in front of them, while Lily launched herself from the sofa. She crossed the room and quickly pulled the blinds closed. But nothing she did could stop the sound that ripped through the house.
“Storms moved fast through here,” Scarlet’s breathing was ragged. “I’d forgotten that.”
“Slow your breathing, baby. It’s okay…” Lucas held her close.
Eli tightened his arms. While Scarlet was breathing too quickly, Lexi seemed to almost stop. He moved his face next to hers and saw the thick, pale lashes close.
“We were camping one spring,” Lily said softly, looking from Eli to Lucas. “A large group from school. About this level…not quite mountains. I don’t know who picked the spot, one of the advisors, probably. There wasn’t a lake or river near,” she met the knowing look from Lucas.
Scarlet’s questions about water beginning to make sense to him.
“Lightning struck a very old, very big dried tree stump. It’d been a real dry summer. There was a terrible fire…we lost a few friends who panicked…tried to run…but it happened at night and so fast,” Lily shivered, no protest when Jess leaned her against him. “We were trapped in a cave…about a dozen of us.”
“I’m okay,” Lexi said firmly. “We were okay through the fire,” she said quietly. “It didn’t get to us until later. Maybe even the next storm. It was like the whole nightmare happened over and over in my head.”
“I could hear them,” Scarlet whispered with a shiver. “I tried making them stay. Tried making them not shift but they wouldn’t listen to me…to us…one of them hit Lily and said she’d never understand their fear of fire,” she closed her eyes tightly.
“It was a mess,” Lily agreed gently, shrugging. “They panicked.”
“Lily tried standing in front of them,” Le
xi looked over at her friend, her head shaking. “Boots and attitude didn’t work that time.”
Eli held her close, his palm stroking gently over her head. He liked having her arms around him, her head against his chest, long legs stretched along his.
“I…need to clean things up,” Scarlet was up and carrying things into the kitchen, her hands shaking as plates clattered to the counter when another rumble of thunder echoed through the house.
Lily was up from the sofa, gathering things and carrying them into the kitchen for her. “I can clean this up, Scarlet. Cover and fridge. Go upstairs. Lucas, take her upstairs.” Lily took the shaking hands and held them. “It’s okay. You’re not alone now. I can’t cook worth crap but I can clean up. Eli, get Lexi upstairs, please. I, personally, love storms,” Lily announced cheerfully.
“You’re still bossy,” Lexi mumbled, but didn’t protest the palm holding hers firmly. “Are you sure, Lily?”
“Go. See you for breakfast,” she nodded and went to collect glasses and plates, Jess helping take things into the kitchen for her.
“You’re not so tough,” Jess said when they were alone, everything cleaned and put away.
“I told you…it’s attitude and boots,” Lily stepped back from the sink and nodded.
“You really can’t cook, huh?”
“I make a killer scrambled ham and eggs…oh, and there’s toast,” she met the crooked grin he offered in the dim light of the fire. She shoved the doubt aside and reached for his hand. “I’m glad they have your brothers to take care of them now.”
“What about you, Lily?” Jess asked the question. “Who takes care of Lily when she’s a little down?”
“Never met anyone that brave,” she tried pulling her fingers free only to have them tugged until she moved a step closer, his lips touching the soft center of her palm.
“What about right now? What would you like in this space and moment?” Jess felt his heart hammer when she smiled at him.
“To lay on the sofa like we were before. And just talk.”
“Done,” he said with a nod, leading her around the counter and into the living area. He toed his sneakers off and went to the large closet by the front doors, pulled a thick quilt free and carried it back with him. “You get the back of the sofa.”
Devil Hills: #1 Scarlet, Lexi & Lily Page 9
