by Ally Summers
I picked up the basket and started for the car.
I didn’t feel like I needed to say anything about dinner tonight. We both knew I wouldn’t be back.
I slid behind the wheel and started the car. Case watched me drive away, and as hard as I tried I never took my eyes off him in the rear-view mirror until I made the last turn and he was gone.
13
Case
I ran the sander over the top of the counter one last time and stood back to admire what I had done. Two weeks of kitchen construction and it finally looked fucking awesome. I knew my grandmother would be proud.
I wiped off the dust with a heavy cloth, working a shine into the surface. I needed to seal them next and then I could move on to the cabinets.
I tossed the rag in the sink and headed for the workshop. Over the past two weeks I had stocked it with almost every conceivable supply I could think of for the kitchen. The countertops were huge slabs of wood I had reclaimed from an old farmhouse.
Working with my hands wasn’t something I was used to, but it came naturally. I thought I was better at destruction, but I had found something that calmed the darkness when I built with my hands. It channeled the raw hurt I felt.
I walked across the yard, knowing I breathed lighter. I didn’t look for shadows to crawl into. I was focused on getting the house back to the way it should be.
The sealant was in gallon containers against the back wall. The kittens jumped from one pail to another. I scowled at them, but they had stopped running from me.
I hauled two gallons in my hands back to the house. When I was inside, I realized I had left the brushes in the barn. I jogged outside again just as my phone rang.
It was Donovan.
“Tell me.” I stopped outside the doors. One of the kittens tried to bat the laces on my boots.
“We have confirmation. It is the Litchfields.”
I looked at the sky. I knew it. They had been eyeing Charleston too long to let someone else try to engage with me instead.
“I want Eli and Ronan working with you day and night to get a definite count.”
“Got it,” Donovan confirmed. “I have moved my guys to the perimeter of the city to try to see who comes in at night.”
“They are going to attack from the inside out.”
I knew how the Litchfields worked. They would lie low as long as they could. Maybe even years, creating a stronghold inside Charleston and on the border of the city. They would start an attack that ran inside and out. It was tactical brilliance.
What they didn’t recognize was that I had studied more strategies and had training surpassing anything they knew.
I had an army at my disposal. With Donovan as regent, I had another advantage.
“I’m going to send Noah down there.” That meant I was leaving Dare’s city under Trevor’s watch, but things were becoming more serious in Charleston. I could move more guys around if I had to.
My brother was playing house. I could easily pull him into this.
“He’ll be useful here. Caroline is trying to work the perimeter contacts she has.”
I realized I didn’t flinch when he mentioned his panther mate.
“Do you need anything else?”
“No. I wanted to fill you in. Now that we know it’s the Litchfields for sure, I think we can make headway cutting them off.”
“Exactly.”
A second kitten had joined in on the game to grab my boot laces.
I searched the workbench for the brushes I had bought for the counter sealant.
“Thank you, your majesty.”
“No problem, brother.” I smiled. It had been a while since I had felt like using that expression.
“I’ll call you later.”
We hung up. I needed to get Noah on the phone and let him know he had to get to Charleston by nightfall. He also had the responsibility of telling Trev that his party planning business would have to become second to keeping an eye on the town.
He’d groan and complain, but he would do it.
I wondered if Trev and Cadence would want to work together. What would she think about the jag who spent his time designing center pieces? I could only imagine how he would critique her food presentation. I chuckled, thinking about it.
I stopped in the middle of the yard. What in the hell was I thinking? What was I doing going down a road where Candence and Trev would collide?
It had been a couple of weeks since I had seen the pretty blonde. I almost called her a few times. More than a few times.
Last night I fell asleep thinking about her gorgeous eyes and those cute little sounds she made when I kissed her.
I almost called her right then.
But something stopped me.
I wanted to see her again, but it wasn’t the right time. I walked into the kitchen and used a screwdriver to open the sealant.
I didn’t know when I would see her.
14
Cadence
God, how many éclairs could one girl make? I iced another dozen and slouched on the barstool, exhausted and cranky.
Apparently, Keen didn’t know what in the heck he was talking about. The clan had put in another order for this month. I was working my ass off to get the desserts ready before I delivered dinner to them tomorrow night.
I set the timer on the oven and decided I could take a thirty-minute break. I had been on my feet all day. The problem with breaks was they gave me a chance to slow down. And slowing down meant I could think. Think about Case.
It had been almost a month since I left the Maddox house.
And silly me thought Case would come to his senses. He’d figure out that he’d let the best thing in the world walk away. He’d realize he was being an ass and call me.
I had these ridiculous day dreams where he showed up at my door with flowers and a sexy grin, telling me how much he missed me. That after watching me drive away, he realized he was a complete idiot and he needed me.
I sighed. I was the idiot. He was a king. I was a caterer—and a human. Where did I think this could possibly go?
I prepped another batch of pastries. Sitting was bad.
***
I pulled up to the clan den. The van was loaded with all the house favorites. I hopped from the driver’s side and slammed the door.
There were two young guys I hadn’t met before in front of the house.
“Gigi sent us out here to help you.”
I smiled. “Thanks. I have a lot of trays. I can go inside and set up the burners if you want to start bringing them in,” I instructed.
I grabbed the bag that held all of the gel canisters and the frames for the pans. Tonight’s party was particularly spicy. I decided to steer clear from Italian for a while.
The kitchen was empty. I started filling the base pans with water and assembling the frames. I turned and almost dropped the first one on Lauren’s feet.
“Oh, you scared me.” I caught the pan just in time before it hit the floor.
She laughed. “Sorry. I heard you were here and wanted to see if I could help.”
“Thanks. I’m getting the frames set up while the guys bring in the food.”
Lauren assembled one. “Like this, right?”
I nodded. “That’s it. Easy peasy.”
I wasn’t used to seeing Lauren in the main house. She and Van had their own place on the clan compound. I realized this meeting might be pure coincidence, but she was the perfect person to run into. Human, really.
I’d known Lauren most of my life. We were never close friends, but we’d always been friendly. I was getting ready to dive headfirst into something extremely personal.
“Hey, Lauren, can I ask you something?”
“Hmm?” She turned from the silver posts. The guys made another trip from the van and we were alone.
I bit my bottom lip. I didn’t know how to phrase it exactly. “You’re human.”
She laughed. “Sure am.”
“Obviously. U
mm, what I mean is … I’m human and we live in a town of weres. And you actually are with one.”
Her eyes lit. “Ohh, do you have your eye on someone in the clan?”
I shook my head. “No.”
She looked disappointed. Crap.
“But I do have my eye on someone. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind giving me some shifter advice.”
“Who is he?” She sat forward. Her blond curls bouncing on her shoulders.
“You know the old Maddox place?” I asked.
She nodded. “Him?”
“How did you know someone was there?”
“The Abrams know everything.”
Why should I expect anything less? “Of course. So it’s him. Case.”
Her eyes widened. “The jaguar? Wow.”
“It is wow, isn’t it?”
“So you know him? How far has it gotten?”
It didn’t take long for our friendship to become intimate. We were girls talking about boys. Nothing brought women together faster. I was at work, and this was completely unprofessional, but I needed her perspective. I needed help from one human who had a thing for a were to another.
“I started making dinner for him and delivering it to the house,” I started my story. I told her about the conversations we had. The kiss on the front porch. The make out session on the back porch and in his bed. I conveniently skipped over the part where Case had killed Shepherd.
“But he was hurt badly by a panther. She broke his heart. And I don’t know what to do. Do I give up? Do I pursue it? Am I crazy for wanting to be with him after all this time has passed?” I was desperate for a compass. I needed direction.
I could tell Lauren was considering how to respond. She waited while the bears brought in another few trays of food. I might have overcooked this time. There was more food here than last month.
“That sounds complicated.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“Ok. So here’s what you do.”
Thank, God. I needed advice.
“I’m listening. Anything you suggest I’ll try.” I was eager for wise human relationship tips on how to deal with a jaguar.
“You’re going to have to let him get over the girl.”
I twisted my lips together in a frown. “That’s it?”
“Yep. You don’t want him if he’s still grieving his broken heart. And if you’re talking about two mates—that’s another mess you don’t want to be in the middle of. He needs to be over her before he can even think about claiming you.”
“Claiming me?” I realized how horrified I sounded. I covered my mouth in case someone else in the house heard me.
She giggled. “That is what you want isn’t it? You want him.”
“What does claiming involve?” I sounded like a complete virgin. But shifter rules when it came to this stuff was foreign to me.
“I don’t know anything about jaguars. You’re going to have to ask him.” She eyed me and leaned closer. “But as far as bears go—it’s amazing.” She smiled. “And I wouldn’t want to be with anyone other than Van.” She winked.
“Oh.” I got everything she implied.
Did I want that? Did I want Case to claim me? Did I know after a month that he was someone I wanted that level of commitment with? And what did it mean for a jaguar? My head spun with all the questions.
“And don’t forget, honey.” She leaned in close. “He has to come to this all on his own. If he wants you, you’ll know it. A man will take the mate he wants. Does that help?” she asked.
The bears had started to file in for dinner. Our conversation had to be over anyway.
“Yes. Thank you.” I hugged her. It felt like the right ending to our talk.
“Good luck.”
“Thanks, Lauren.”
I made sure the rest of the food was set up, before heading to the van. After our girl chat, I suddenly had a lot to think about.
15
Case
I sat on the new swing and pushed off the porch. I didn’t try to rebuild the old one that had plummeted over the edge. I ordered this one online and installed it yesterday.
I took a sip of my coffee.
It had been a week since Donovan’s last report on the Litchfields. Noah, Eli, and Ronan were all working with him closely. I knew something was wrong. I could feel it under my skin.
The birds chirped in the forest. Sitting here in the remote stillness you’d never know there was a war brewing. But there was. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. The Litchfields were going to try to take the Charleston territory soon.
I pulled the phone from my back pocket and called Noah.
“Case,” he answered on the first ring.
“I haven’t heard from Donovan. What’s going on down there?”
“He doesn’t want us to update you until things are confirmed.”
I shook my head and tossed the coffee off the railing and walked inside to rinse out the china cup. “That’s not his call.”
“He is regent.”
“Fuck, Noah. I’m the king.”
“Sorry.”
Noah was one of the few members of the Tribe who treated me as a best friend and not a ruler.
“So what’s happening? What’s the Litchfield count?”
I sat at the kitchen table. Everything in this room was completely new. Refinished hardwoods. Reclaimed countertops. Open cabinets that displayed my grandmother’s china.
“Donovan won’t say more than the three we confirmed last week, but I say twelve,” he grumbled.
“Twelve? What the hell?” I growled. The activity had ramped up. So much for them taking their time to infiltrate.
“Caroline thinks she has identified six on the outskirts of town and Eli and Ronan picked up two. I found one.”
I ran my hand through my hair. “I’m coming down there.”
“No. We’ve got it, Case.”
“Like hell you do. There are twelve members of the Litchfield clan there.”
I didn’t know if I could assemble more of the Tribe quickly enough. Josh and Drew could be there by tonight. They were in driving distance.
“Not confirmed,” he reminded me.
“I don’t give a shit if Donovan confirmed them or not. I’m driving down.”
“All right. You’re the king.”
“It is my territory. Apparently I need to keep an eye on it myself.”
“Come on, he’s doing a good job. He’s trying to keep you out of the details. What if you get here and there are still only three Litchfields?”
“Then I’ll enjoy my time at the beach,” I snapped back.
“I’ll buy you a drink.”
“That I can agree to.” It had been too long since the Tribe had been together. After the war we had all taken time to lick our wounds. Four months later and we needed to get our shit together.
“See you tonight, your majesty.” Noah liked to mock my title. He was the only one who could get away with it.
“I don’t know what time I’m leaving. Don’t tell Donovan. I want it to be a surprise.”
“You sure? He’s going to want to know.”
“I’m sure. Don’t tell anyone. I’ll text on the way.”
Noah paused. “It’s good to hear you like this.”
“What?”
“You’re back aren’t you?”
For an instant I was angry. Angry he was calling me out for ever being anything but myself. However, this time he was right. I had been gone a long time. Searching for peace. Needing shadows. Craving light. I was a jumbled wreck of hope and despair. A heart that stopped beating. A leader that stopped caring.
“Shut up, Noah.” I said it with a grin.
He laughed. “Glad to hear it. See you later.”
I hung up. It didn’t happen all at once. I didn’t flip the switch and cure the pain. It had been months of mistakes. Months of torturing myself. Months of wanting something to be different than it ever was going to be. Months of running
from the truth.
But not anymore. When I wasn’t looking, it had lifted. The pain was gone. The misery had been replaced by certain calm.
I walked to my room to pack the bag I had brought with me. I had moved my room to the top floor a couple weeks ago. I liked the view out of the back windows. I could see the creek that ran along the edge of the property from up here. It also had a private bath.
But I had forgotten to grab the suitcase when I moved all my clothes. It was still in the lower level room. I rushed in the room and opened the cedar closet, stopping suddenly when I spotted the silver earrings next to the bed.
Cadence had left the pair there. I hadn’t touched them since she had spent the night in my bed.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled for the number to Achording to Cadence. I was suddenly hungry for a going away dinner.
16
Cadence
Sundays were my days off. I sat on the couch watching another episode on how to turn a dresser into a half-bath vanity sink. I took notes in my journal. One day I’d have a huge house and I’d devote my extra time to remodeling it.
I wondered how far Case had come with his place. It wasn’t my fault was it that I could picture all the ways to fix it up? He had two extra bedrooms and a sitting room I hadn’t even seen. There was a small staircase that led to an upstairs I was dying to get my eyes on.
I scolded myself for even thinking about it. Another week had crept by and not a word from the broody jag. He had forgotten about me. Totally.
I turned off the TV and padded off to the shower. I had worn my pajamas way past lunch.
I took my time, shaving my legs, and using this new boutique shampoo I ordered online. It smelled heavenly. I lathered my long hair and rinsed it before doing the same routine with the equally expensive conditioner. This stuff cost a fortune, but it guaranteed to make my hair glossy and thick. I needed some luxury in my life.
Even if things with Case were over, I knew he had opened a sliver of doubt in my mind. I’d like to think it was a sliver of dreams. But it had kept me up more than one night. Was I going to be content in Grayslake? Was this the life I truly wanted?
