Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4)

by T. E. Ridener

  Big news. Will tell you when we get back. It will change everything. Behave.

  Rolling her eyes, she folded the note back up and tucked it into her back pocket. Who was he to tell her to behave? But more importantly, what did his message mean? What was the big news? Louisa worried at her lower lip as one eyebrow rose slightly higher than the other upon her forehead. Perhaps he’d finally figured out what Sammy truly was, and if so, what importance it held for the small town of Kadenburg.

  “Louisa, do you want to eat before you head out?” Mrs. Bamey asked, rummaging through the refrigerator. “I can make you something quick.”

  “Oh, no thank you,” Louisa smiled. “I really need to get to work. Mrs. Kress is going to kill me for being late as it is.”

  “Mrs. Kress has never killed a thing in her life,” Mr. Bamey snorted. “Come on, Kiddo. I’ll take you to work. We got more snow overnight.”

  More snow? Ugh. Louisa wrinkled her nose. She was all for having a ‘White Christmas’ as the song said, but she was definitely ready for warmer weather and bright sunshine. She needed to shift and roam in the woods, but she wasn’t too fond of doing so in the cold. Then again, it was going to be tough to shift in Kadenburg.....Panda Bears didn’t exist in America unless they were in a zoo.

  By the time she got to work, Louisa felt her heart permanently lodged in her throat. The dream she’d had about Greg was pretty intense-how was she supposed to face him without blushing like a mad woman?

  Just calm down, her bear said in a soothing voice. If you wish for Greg to be our mate, then you must be confident when around him.

  Tell me something I don’t know, Louisa scowled, pushing open the front door and stepping inside. It wouldn’t be so bad, right? She knew Greg liked her in return, and maybe one day they could see where the path took them. In the meantime, however, she would work on getting her head screwed on straight and actually arriving for her shift on time.

  “Good morn-” she called cheerfully, only to lose her voice halfway through the greeting as her eyes landed on Greg near the counter.

  With another girl.

  Kissing.

  ————————————

  It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. When Greg’s mother informed him he had a visitor from Virginia, he had originally hoped it was his best friend Tyler....however, when his mother gave him ‘the look’, he knew it was the last person he ever wanted to see.

  Why in the hell Amber even travelled over three hundred miles just to see him didn’t make any sense; they’d broken up nearly a year ago and he definitely didn’t have any interest in seeing her again. Why? For the love of Urseth-WHY?

  “Oh, Greggy!” She squeaked in that annoyingly high pitched voice he hated. She clapped her hands together excitedly as she ran towards him, full speed ahead, and threw herself into his arms.

  Greg’s skin crawled as a frown anchored his lips down. He patted her on the back gently before pulling himself away from her grip. He stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

  “What are you doing here, Amber?” He asked, his gaze becoming one of suspicion.

  “Awwww, Greggy,” her lower lip jutted out as she batted her eyelashes. “Can’t a girl come see her ex-boyfriend during the holidays? Is there a law against that suddenly?”

  “No,” he replied hesitantly. “But I’m pretty sure I made it clear we weren’t exactly on friendly terms when I told you to get the hell out of my life and stay out.”

  Amber had a tendency to go after anything that had to pee standing up, and unfortunately Greg learned that a little too late. He’d genuinely cared for her and when he found out the news, it shattered him. He’d come a long damn way since their breakup, and he’d be damned if he let her waltz back in as if nothing had ever happened.

  “But it’s Christmas time,” she pouted again, sniffling softly. “I’m on my way through to Louisville to see my brother and his wife, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to see how you’re doing. I was so worried, Greggy. I heard about your accident.”

  “My accident?” He repeated, blinking.

  “Mhm. That’s why your parents came rushing back to this...” she looked around, wrinkling her nose. “This place, right? You got hurt. Oh, my poor baby!” She attempted to touch his hand and he immediately jerked away from her.

  “You need to stop touching me.” He said through clenched teeth as his eyes darkened.

  “What’s wrong, Greggy?” Amber tilted her head to the side. “I just wanted to see you. Why are you being so mean?”

  “I’m not being mean, Amber. I told you-we’re broken up. I have no interest in seeing you. You should’ve just kept driving.”

  “Ouch,” she quieted for a moment, dropping her green-eyed gaze to the floor. “I see you’re still sore over what happened.....”

  Was she actually serious? Still sore? He’d gotten over her a long time ago, but the fact remained she’d cheated on him and that wasn’t something that settled right in an ursithrope’s bones. Loyalty was important. Faithfulness was important. Even though he’d gone in fully aware she was a human, he still had hopes she’d at least be decent about their relationship. What a foolish teenager he’d been!

  “I think you need to leave.” Greg said quietly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “But I just got here,” Amber laughed, staring at him with a hard gaze. “At least let me eat something. I’m starving. Besides, I miss your dad’s great cooking. Where is he?”

  As she tried to step around him to enter the kitchen, Greg’s massive body stopped her. He narrowed his eyes at her once again, jawline tight and anger boiling inside.

  “You need to leave.” He repeated.

  “Holy shit, you’re serious,” her lips twitched. He knew that meant she was getting annoyed-well, good for her. “Honestly, Greg. Can’t we be like adults about this? I made a mistake, okay? I’m sorry.”

  “This isn’t even about that,” Greg replied as his skin began to tingle. It wasn’t because he was mad-it was because he could sense the arrival of the most beautiful girl in the world; a girl he didn’t want to introduce to his nightmare of an ex. He wetted his lips, shifting his weight from one foot to the other anxiously. “Please just go.”

  “No,” she said firmly as she placed her hands on her hips. “Greg, you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I made a mistake, okay?!” Oh boy. The waterworks really came on then. She mustered her best alligator tears possible as she sobbed. “No one’s ever treated me better than you did, Greg. I want it back. I want you back. I was hoping we could work it out. Together, you know? Please? I’m so sorry!”

  “Amber, I—” he was cut off by gloss covered lips and the blood in his veins became hotter than hellfire as he immediately gripped her arms to push her away. He didn’t want anybody’s lips on his own aside from Louisa Xiong’s. The dinging of the bell above the door told him that things were about to go from bad to worse.

  He shoved Amber backwards, lifting his eyes over her head to see Louisa standing there, horrified. Her mouth was open and the expression on her face was nothing compared to the heartache he was certain she felt.

  No! His wolf and bear growled simultaneously in his mind.

  “Louisa, wait...” He started in a pathetically weak voice. He took a step towards her but it was too late. The bell dinged again to signal her departure as a blur of black hair and a bright red sweater disappeared from view. Oh, hell.

  “Who was that?” Amber asked in a tone that was seriously uncalled for. It hinted at possessiveness and jealousy-two things she had no frigging right to feel towards him anymore.

  His throat went dry as his cold gaze landed on her again. It felt like his heart was being torn to shreds and the nausea coursing through his lower abdomen was gut-wrenching. His pulse thundered in his ears as his nostrils flared.

  “When I get back, you need to be gone,” he whispered hoarsely. “And I mean that, Amber. Get the fuck out of my town and don’t you ever come ba
ck.”

  He heard the small gasp escaping her lips, but he didn’t stick around to hear anything else she had to say. He was out the door in an instant, chasing after the scent of the girl he wanted more than anything else in the world. The girl he’d probably lost for good and it wasn’t even his damned fault.

  Seven

  “Mm, what are you doing?” Presley mumbled tiredly as she felt another kiss against her shoulder. She blinked slowly, attempting to wake up as Lorcan’s palm slowly slid over her stomach. “Baby, it’s early.....”

  “It’s after twelve,” Lorcan chuckled. His voice was deep and husky. She could practically hear his desire as tiny sparks of pleasure soared through her veins. “It’s time to wake up, Beautiful.”

  “Mmf...do I have to?” She asked, burying her face against the pillows as she stretched her legs out.

  “You don’t have to, but I think you’d enjoy this more if you were conscious,” he snickered, grazing his teeth over her pulse point. Arousal sparked in her abdomen, sparking through her thighs as she giggled.

  “Would you ever really try to have sex with me while I’m sleeping?” She asked, rolling onto her back as her eyes connected with his. His chocolate brown hues were glowing with hunger as he smirked.

  “Would you ever really try to feign a headache just to get out of having sex with me?”

  “Of course not!” Presley gasped, slapping his arm gently. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Well, then. There’s your answer,” he dipped his head down again, pressing kisses against her jaw. “I just can’t seem to get enough of you, Darlin’.”

  “I’m not complaining.” Presley promised breathlessly as his hot tongue lazily swirled around her collarbone. She squirmed beneath him, meeting his smoldering gaze as her heart stopped briefly. He always had that effect on her and she loved it. She hoped they would still be just as in love in fifty years as they were in this very moment.

  Her breathing sped up as he kissed his way down her body, once again stopping at her tummy to say hello to their son. She laughed softly, admiring the beauty that was Lorcan Bamey as his head disappeared beneath the sheets. Oh, she could get used to this.....

  The sound of crying reached her ears long before Lorcan heard it, and she immediately forgot about their afternoon fun time as she sat up in bed.

  “What was that?” She asked, frowning.

  Lorcan pulled the sheets away from his head, staring at her in confusion. “What was what?”

  The crying grew louder and with it came an overwhelming sensation of heartache. It literally made her chest hurt as she lifted a hand to rub just above her left breast tenderly.

  “Someone’s hurt,” she whispered, quickly crawling out of bed and reaching for her robe. “They’re coming this way.”

  “Seriously....?” Lorcan buried his face against the mattress and groaned. “I’m beginning to hate this town.”

  “You are not.” Presley replied as she opened the bedroom door and hurried down the hallway. She hated to leave Lorcan in such a state, but whoever was quickly approaching needed her; she could feel it.

  The sobs soon turned into stranger noises, but Presley recognized them. Whines and growls that only a bear would make. That couldn’t be a good sign.

  Presley tugged the front door open and peered out into the solid white scenery of what was sure to be a wonderfully white Christmas....but there was an uncommon addition to her front yard; a gigantic panda bear.

  “Louisa!” She gasped, hurrying onto the porch. She instantly remembered she hadn’t put on her shoes and the icy surface of the wooden floor caused her to jump this way or that, trying to avoid the discomfort. She needed to get to her. She needed to find out what was wrong. What caused the poor girl to bear out in the first place?

  “What’s going on?” Lorcan asked as he poked his head out the door. “Holy shit...is that Louisa?”

  “Get my shoes, Lorcan,” Presley said, turning her head to glance at him briefly. “Hurry, please.”

  He was back before she knew it. When Mrs. Bamey said he was faster than any car, she’d meant it. Presley quickly slipped her shoes on and carefully moved down the steps, making her way cautiously towards the large panda bear sitting beneath the bare apple tree.

  “Louisa?” She repeated, reaching her hand out to touch the soft fur of her friend. Louisa lifted her head and sad golden eyes gazed back at Presley. Oh. That wave of heartache was crushing. It caused Presley to blink back tears as she heard another whimper sound from the female.

  ‘I’ve got this.’ Lorcan’s voice said in her head. Presley turned to see the massive grizzly form of her mate and took a step away. She couldn’t shift, and if they had any hopes of communicating with Louisa, somebody had to be in bear form.

  “Louisa, what’s wrong?” Presley asked as she watched Lorcan slowly circle around them. His eyes remained on the panda as his humungous paws sank into the snow.

  Several seconds passed by before Lorcan’s voice sounded in her head again.

  ‘She saw Greg kissing another woman.’

  “What?!” Presley gasped. No, that couldn’t be! Greg wouldn’t do such a thing, would he?

  ‘She says she couldn’t stop it from happening,’ Lorcan continued. ‘She says she felt safest here and she’s sorry for intruding.’

  “Oh, honey, no....” Presley lifted her hand to touch the side of Louisa’s furry face again, watching the tears glisten in her beautiful eyes. “You are not intruding-ever. Do you understand me?”

  Nearly a minute passed by before Lorcan invaded her thoughts once more.

  ‘She wants to know if she can stay with us for a little while. She feels more comfortable with you, Pretz.’

  Warmth flooded her soul as Presley peered into Louisa’s eyes. She nodded slowly, smiling as she rubbed the tip of one solid black ear in an attempt to comfort her. “Of course you can stay here, Lou. Our home is your home....but you’re going to have to turn back into a pretty girl before coming into my house.”

  ‘I’ll go get some of your clothes.’ Lorcan announced as he turned around, allowing his huge paws to carry him around the house before he shifted back into his human form. They couldn’t very well both be stark naked in the middle of winter, now could they?

  “It’s going to be all right,” Presley whispered, resting her forehead against Louisa’s warm, fuzzy cheek. “Boys suck, Lou.”

  The large panda whined in agreement. Presley needed to find out what the hell Greg Kress had been thinking, and if she didn’t change her mind, she’d ensure he never reproduced.

  ———————————

  “Why am I doing this?” Natalie wondered aloud as she put her car into park and gripped the steering wheel. She stared at the aged sign for Jimbo’s Bar and scowled. Of course this is where Arnold had ended up after yesterday. She’d driven him to drinking, hadn’t she? Oh, Urseth, she was a terrible person.

  You need to take care of him. He is ours, her bear whispered.

  He is not ours, Natalie reminded her sadly as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. He didn’t want us, remember?

  That is not how things looked yesterday.

  Oh, funny. You know the reason for that happening. Don’t try to get my hopes up. There is nothing between Arnold and me.

  So you say. You need to stop lying to yourself. He is our destined mate. You chose him. He will accept it.

  As much as Natalie wanted to believe her delusional bear’s musings, she knew better. Arnold would never forgive her for everything that had happened. Even if Presley insisted it wasn’t her fault...Natalie would never be able to ignore the guilt. No matter what reason stood behind her actions with Breslin Connor, she initially and knowingly allowed herself to be his lover and she’d almost killed her precious niece in the process. It was sickening.

  “Well, good morning, Natalie,” Jim Proffitt stated from behind the bar as he gave her a big, toothy grin. “I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you doing?”
>
  “Hi, Jimbo,” Natalie replied as her eyes scanned the dark room. “Is Arnold here?”

  “Uh, yup,” he nodded in the direction of the game room. “You’ll find him back there. Can I get you a drink?”

  She stared at him as if to say ‘are you serious’? She politely declined before making her way towards the small room with filled slot machines and other various sources of entertainment. As a teenager, the room had been a lot of fun, but now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to go in there.

  The sound of coins clanking together reached her ears before she even set foot within, and she already knew what Arnold was doing to pass the time-or keep his mind off things. It was one or the other, and she was beginning to wonder if chasing after him was a good idea.

  I promised to take care of him, she thought as she poked her head through the doorway, staring at Arnold’s back. He was playing the quarter machines, though how, she wasn’t sure. He couldn’t see what he was doing.

  “What are you doing here?” He asked grumpily. “Ain’t you supposed to be holed up in your apartment? Do you realize how many unattached ursithropes are in this town at the moment?”

  Natalie blinked, opening her mouth to reply before shutting it hastily. What did he care about unattached ursithropes? And who was he to tell her she had to be holed up at her place. Oh, the nerve of this man!

  “I came by for a drink,” she lied. “Jimbo said you were here so I thought I’d say hello.”

  “Hi.” He murmured bitterly as he dropped another quarter into the machine. It landed atop the other coins and he cursed beneath his breath. Honestly, how did he expect to win if he couldn’t see where the coins were in the first place?

  Running a hand through her long hair nervously, Natalie racked her brain in an attempt to think of something to keep the conversation going. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to help him...but how? It was obvious he didn’t want her to get too close to him, and she could understand that; but he didn’t need to be at Jimbo’s at one o’clock in the day, starting a drunken stupor that would lead him to doing things he’d regret.