by Jane Jamison
She swallowed, forcing the burn in her eyes to not transform into tears. Lifting her chin in defiance, she met her gaze in the mirror.
I’ll be fine. No matter what happens, I’ll be just fine.
At least the attack had solidified her belief in her sister’s good nature. Pamela had risen to the occasion, not simply hiring a private nurse to care for Mona but canceling engagements and staying by her side day and night. Pamela’s help had taught Mona that even the worst of life had a silver lining.
She closed her eyes and, once more, saw the huge wolf hurling its body at her. Later, others had described the wolf—an enormous black beast with one eye surrounded in white—and called her a hero. She shivered then opened her eyes, almost expecting the see the beast in front of her, ready to attack again.
Strangely, the wolf had seemed familiar. But that idea, of course, was ridiculous.
The knock on the front door startled Mona, pulling her away from the terrible memory. Jerking the blouse back onto her shoulders then hastily buttoning it, she hurried down the hallway. “I’ll get it, Sis.”
“Okay.”
Mona rushed past her sister, who was relaxing on the battered old couch and swiping through magazines on her tablet. “Don’t bother getting up.”
Pamela’s famous startling, bright blue eyes jumped to Mona. “You told me you’d get it.”
“Yes, I did.” Mona had a good hunch that Pamela wouldn’t have moved a muscle even if she’d asked her to get the door. But that was Pamela, forever willing to have everyone wait on her. Mona swung the door open, ready to tell off whatever paparazzi had followed them to the lost town of Forever. Instead, a very pretty brunette held up a cake pan.
Okay. This is a new one. Is she hiding a camera in the cake?
“Hi, I’m Emma Carr.”
The name sounded familiar. Mona tilted her head to the side then drew in a long, slow breath. The fragrance of chocolate warmed her nostrils, but another aroma accompanied it. She couldn’t place the scent, but still, it was both exhilarating and oddly comforting.
Pamela reached around Mona and pushed open the screen door. “Carr? As in Jackson Carr? The man who rented me the house?”
“That’s right. I’m his—” The woman’s smile brightened. “I’m his wife.”
“Hi, Emma. Come on inside.” Pamela bumped against Mona. “Sissy, let the woman come in.”
Mona mentally shook herself and backed up. She’d gotten lost in the scent. “I’m sorry. Please, come inside.”
The three women made their way into the small, but bright kitchen with yellow walls and white cabinets. Emma glanced around as she moved as though seeing the place for the first time. She placed the cake on top of the wooden table.
“Is everything all right? You got our payment for the first month’s rent, didn’t you?” Although Mona knew Pamela was rich and didn’t have to worry about money, she still had to fight back the fear of not being able to pay the rent. After her father had left them, she had struggled to keep a roof over their heads. If their church hadn’t stepped in to help them out more than once, they would’ve been homeless.
Emma blinked at her, not understanding. “What? Oh. I’m sure it has, but I don’t handle business matters. Jackson does.” She rested her hand on the edge of the cake pan. “I just wanted to stop by and make sure everything was good here. Are the groceries I brought in okay? If you like, I can run to the market and get some more things.”
“No, no. What you brought in is great.” Pamela put on her most engaging smile. “You saved Mona a trip.”
Mona waved, offering Emma a seat at the table. “Yes, thank you for that. If you like, I can pay you for them right now.”
“No, no. We always stock the house for a new renter. It’s our pleasure.”
“Great.” Pamela plopped onto a chair, showing no grace. Whenever she was at home, she acted more like a kid than a model. “Mona, why don’t you make a pot of coffee to have with the cake?”
“Sure thing.” Yet, irritation flared in Mona. Although she was Pamela’s assistant, she wished Pamela would treat her more like a sister than her assistant when they were off duty. Then again, when was she ever truly off duty?
“No, no. Don’t bother. I just dropped by to check in and introduce myself. And to let you know that if you need anything, you can always call me.”
Pamela reached out and put her hand on top of Emma’s. The move was one of Pamela’s standard gestures whenever she was trying to butter someone up. Mona almost giggled when Emma eased her hand out from under Pamela’s.
Emma caught Mona’s eye then looked away, obviously aware of what Pamela was trying to do. “Are you both single?”
“That’s right,” answered Mona, wondering why Emma wanted to know. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.” Emma smiled. “Or snoopy. Whichever word you want to use. Either one or both fit.” Emma’s attention jumped between the sisters then landed on Mona. “You two are so pretty. I would’ve thought some men would’ve snapped you up by now.”
Pamela giggled, the sound light and airy. By comparison, Mona’s laugh sounded like a donkey braying. It was simply one more thing about her sister for everyone to love. And one more thing for them to compare.
“Nope. No men.” Pamela held up a hand and crossed her fingers. “But let’s hope for not much longer.”
Small bits of amber flared in Emma’s eyes. “I’m sure it won’t be. Especially if you have the same kind of luck that other renters have had in this house.”
Suddenly, Pamela’s interest was real. She leaned forward even more. “Really? So you’re saying that the house is lucky?”
Emma’s laugh could rival Pamela’s. “Yes, but I wouldn’t say there’s any magic or anything. I think it’s more of a Forever thing than a house thing.”
“So people find love while visiting Forever, huh?” Mona doubted it was true, but it made for interesting conversation.
“Seems so,” asserted Emma. “We’ve had several previous renters who fell in love. Most of them fell for more than one man. In fact, a woman named Shenna Cox who rented the place before you found her true loves. All three of them.”
“What?” Pamela glanced at Mona. “Three men? For one woman? Seriously? Talk about lucky.”
There could really only be one reason for an entire town to encourage more than one man with one woman. “Is Forever a polygamous town?” She’d never heard of a Texas town being involved in ménage-style marriages.
“I guess you could say so, Mona. At least, in a way. Except the woman can legally marry only one man. Plus, unlike other places, people choosing these kinds of relationships around these parts don’t choose them for religious reasons.” She frowned. “Not for any other reason other than love. And before you ask, no, Forever isn’t a cult, either. We don’t have a leader telling everybody who they can marry. Or taking multiple wives for himself.”
“So women fall in love with more than one man—”
“Usually two or three,” added Emma. “Although I do know of one woman who fell in love with five men.”
“Five? Wow.” Pamela sat back in her chair. “So, wait a second. The people in this small Texas town are into ménages? That’s what you’re talking about? I would’ve thought everyone here would be as conservative and straight-laced as you can get.”
“Looks can be deceiving.” Emma met Mona’s gaze again. “You never know what kind of passion is stirring inside a person.”
Mona felt the strange pain again. At least, this time the pain wasn’t too bad.
After waking up in the hospital the day after the wolf attack, she’d begun having a strange stabbing sensation inside her. Almost as though something had burst to life and was stirring around.
Yet, there was another side to the sensation. It felt more like a tug, a pull, a yearning to act. But to do what? She didn’t understand the feeling and wasn’t certain she wanted to. Instead, she fought against it, knowing instinctively that if sh
e gave into it, her life would change. But would it change for the better? Or for the worse?
“Tell us more about the ménage thing. This is so exciting.” Pamela squirmed in her seat. “Is it an open kind of thing? Does everyone talk about it or just you?”
“Sis, don’t push.” In fact, Mona wanted Emma to leave. If the pain grew stronger…
“It’s okay.” Emma brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. “It’s not like it’s the topic of the day every day, but, yes, most folks are aware that we tend to find love in more than pairs. Not that there’s anything wrong with love between just one man and one woman, of course. Forever is a far cry from the typical conservative town you were thinking we were.”
“I guess it is.” Pamela swiped a little icing off the side. “Mmm. This is so good.”
The swipe would be just the beginning. Once Emma was gone, Pamela would sit down and eat a fourth of the cake in one sitting. Mona envied her sister being able to eat as much as she wanted and never gaining an ounce. She crossed her arms, hiding the swell of her stomach. While Pamela could eat and eat, Mona had to watch her weight carefully. Even as hard as she tried to keep it under control, the weight stayed on. She’d tried to love her curves and, for a while, had even succeeded. But then she’d watch her sister at a photo shoot and had realized what the rest of the world felt about her curves. She’d lost herself in her thoughts when she finally noticed Emma watching her.
“Do you believe in paranormal creatures, Mona?”
Mona started to laugh, but Emma seemed too serious, way too fast. “Talk about a change of topic. Where’d that question come from?”
“Just curious again.” Emma shrugged, but the gesture didn’t feel sincere.
“What are we talking about now?” asked Pamela, a smudge of chocolate at the corner of her mouth. “Vampires and werewolves and stuff? Like in the movies?”
“Exactly.” Emma shrugged again. “Except they aren’t out to eat everyone.”
Mona felt lost as though Emma had picked up the world and shaken it. “I don’t understand. Why would you want to know if I believe in werewolves and things?” Before Emma could say anything, she added, “Just curious again, is that it?”
A soft knowing smile lifted the corners of Emma’s mouth. She stood, surprising both Mona and Pamela. “I guess I’d better get going. I have lots of errands to run and daylight’s a burnin’.”
Before Mona could get to her feet, Emma was already almost to the front door. “Hang on, Emma.”
Emma did a full circle as she kept moving to the front door. “No, don’t bother showing me out. I’ll let you two get back to settling in. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do for you, okay?” She paused, her hand on the doorknob. Her intense gaze settled first on Pamela, who was behind Mona, then rested on Mona, the amber flecks in her eyes now more pronounced. “Welcome to Forever, ladies.”
“Emma, wait.” Why was she trying to keep Emma there? Yet, the part of her that wanted to act, to do something, sensed Emma knew more than she was saying. But Emma was already rushing down the front steps, leaving the front door open.
“What got into her?”
Mona watched Emma as she hopped into a pickup, waved, then put the pickup back onto the road leading into Forever. “Beats the hell out of me.”
Werewolves? Did Emma believe they existed? Did she?
Her first response was to deny them. How could anyone believe in such nonsense? Yet another part of her silently disagreed.
“I sure hope people in Forever aren’t weirdos.” Pamela shrugged. “Oh, well, back to the cake.”
Shit. Did we make a mistake coming to Forever?
Chapter Three
Troy Wilder grabbed Shenna Cox’s arm, keeping her from going into Milly’s Coffee Spot. She spun around, yet instead of glaring at him, she put on a bright smile.
“Sorry about that, Shenna, but I need to ask you a question.” Troy’s attention didn’t stay on the pretty woman’s face for long. Instead, his gaze jumped back to the woman walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. She was new in town and one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen.
Her black hair shimmered under the afternoon sun, dancing around her shoulders. Men and women turned to look at her, yet, although she acknowledged their obvious admiration with a small smile and a nod here and there, she didn’t seem at all surprised by the attention. Then again, a girl who looked like her was probably used to people staring at her.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
He thrust out his chin toward the young woman. “Who is that?”
Shenna chuckled. “I figured you were going to ask about her. Don’t you recognize her?”
“Should I?”
“Only if you look at magazines. She’s been on the cover of a lot of them, including that swimsuit one men drool over.”
“Is that so?” He cleared his throat, suddenly aware of how intrigued he’d sounded. “Not that I look at those things.”
“Oh, of course not. You only get the magazines for the articles.” There was a clear disbelieving uh-huh in her tone.
“That still doesn’t tell me who she is.” He felt drawn to her, as though he’d known her forever. Yet he’d never met her. No one who’d ever met her would’ve forgotten her.
“Her name is Pamela Frost. She’s a model. In fact, she’s quickly becoming a supermodel.” Shenna tilted her head at him, making him glance her way. “Why do you want to know?”
“Just curious like everyone else.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What’s she doing in Forever?” Why would any woman who had both amazing looks and fame come to their small town?
“Well, Emma told me that Pamela and her sister—I think her name is Mona—are renting out one of their places. In fact, I think it’s the one I stayed in.”
“What for?” Not that he would protest. Heat flowed through him, making more than just his cock get excited. Was she the one? Was she his mate? Was what he was feeling the connection? Yet the sensation wasn’t as strong as he’d always heard it would be.
He’d always counted on getting the connection, the invisible bond that would tell him that a woman was his intended mate. But was this it?
“The story is that she’s wanting a little alone time away from the world. Away from her busy life. She needed to go somewhere where she won’t be bothered.”
“Yeah. That would be Forever, all right.” Yet he didn’t really understand. If famous people didn’t want all the uproar around them, why did they keep trying to be famous? It seemed a lot like saying “look at me” while pretending to not want all the attention.
“True enough.” She touched his arm. “Why do you ask?”
He didn’t, couldn’t take his eyes off Pamela. “Like I said, I’m just curious.”
“Uh-huh.”
He mentally shook himself, forcing his gaze to Shenna. He was about to protest that he was telling the truth when something hard bumped into his back. His wolf rose quickly to the surface, ready to take on any would-be attackers, but he shoved it back down. Wolf instincts were great, but sometimes unpredictable.
Will Collinsburg shoved back from him. “Sorry, man.”
“Yeah, man. Sorry.” Will’s brother, Dillon, nodded, but like Will, he wasn’t looking at Troy. Both of them were staring at Pamela as she stopped to study items in the clothing store window. “Who is she?”
Jealousy hit Troy hard, fast, and totally unexpected. “A new visitor in town.” He didn’t want to tell them her name.
“Her name is Pamela Frost. She’s a model,” interjected Shenna. “Troy was just asking about her, too.”
“I don’t blame him.” Will let out a low whistle then finally took his focus off Pamela to glance at his brother. “Do you feel it, man? Do you?”
Dillon was already nodding before Will had finished asking the first time. “I sure as hell do.”
Once again, Troy was caught off guard. Were they talking about
the connection? But how could that be? He’d planned on sharing a mate with his brother, Barrett, and their cousin Justin Breckinridge. Sharing a mate with anyone else had never crossed his mind. The idea made him uncomfortable.
“She’s coming this way,” muttered Dillon.
Troy shoved the uneasy feeling away to find Pamela making a beeline for the coffee shop. His heart beat a little faster, his senses going into high gear. The strange sensation that had struck him the first time he’d seen her was still there. Yet, strangely, it wasn’t getting any stronger the closer he got to her. Wasn’t it supposed to? At least, that was what he’d always heard. But maybe the things he’d heard about the connection were wrong. And if that were true, what would he do then?
Dillon stepped past him and took long strides toward the beautiful model. “Hey, Pamela.”
She stopped, shock registering on her beautiful face. She glanced down at the ground then finally brought her attention to Dillon. For a moment, the curves of her lips lifted just a little, but it was enough to know that the impending smile would be genuine and meant only for him. But then her smile faded. Instead, the next smile seemed practiced as though she’d had many other similar encounters. “Yes?”
Troy couldn’t help but feel sorry for Dillon.
Dillon had his hand out. “I’m Dillon Collinsburg.”
Another wash of jealousy swept through Troy. Yet, again, if what he was feeling was the connection, the sensation wasn’t as strong as he would’ve thought it should be. What the hell was going on?
Her smile faded. Her eyes widened. Recognition dawned. “Oh.”
Will was next to his brother faster than any human could’ve done. Which meant, of course, that Will had shifted enough to bring out his wolf’s speed. “And I’m his brother, Will.” He didn’t offer his hand. Instead, he leaned forward and took hers.
Pull your hand away, Troy silently urged.
But she didn’t. Instead, she took a step closer.
There was no doubt in his mind. Dillon and Pamela were feeling the connection. Will came closer to her, too, and she didn’t back away. Now Troy could feel the attraction between all three of them. Judging from Shenna’s huge smile, he wasn’t the only one who was picking up on their mutual craving.
