Her Guardian Shifter

by Karen Whiddon

  Oblivious, she smiled. “It’s going to be okay. They’ve revised the forecast. The arctic front went back up north. No more snow is predicted for the next week at least. I know they said it would only take a week, but the weather has managed to double it. Your stuff will be here before you know it.”

  He hoped she was right.

  After a rather uneventful evening, Eric claimed exhaustion and went to bed early, letting Rhonda know Garth was an early riser. She smiled sweetly and told him not to worry, but he still sensed something off about her. JJ, too, though he knew his overactive imagination had probably kicked in.

  In the morning, he woke to sunshine pouring through his window. He jumped up and rushed to his window. Since the city had finally cleared the last of the snow dropped by the “storm of the century,” Eric had been hoping Mother Nature would take a break for a while. Today, it appeared the skies would remain clear and sunny, with the weather cold, but dry.

  Fortunately, he had a lot to do that would keep him out of the house. JJ informed him she had to stay there to meet the insurance adjuster.

  He’d had Greg rush the closing, which was doable since it would be a cash deal. It was scheduled for that day, so he hadn’t had to lease the space until the papers were signed. He’d be able to store most of his belongings there, until JJ’s house was deemed livable again.

  Last he’d heard, the moving truck with all his stuff on it had gotten stuck somewhere in Ohio. The nearly three thousand mile trip, originally projected to take a week, had already stretched into two weeks due to crazy winter weather all across the country. He made a quick phone call on the way to the closing, and the moving company promised him the truck would arrive tomorrow as long as the good weather held.

  Luckily, all the forecasters continued to agree it would. He swore they sounded disappointed when they delivered the “no snow expected” forecast.

  Relieved, Eric hummed as he drove. As if picking up his father’s good mood, Garth waved his chubby fists and chortled from his carrier in the back seat, which made Eric smile. His son would never remember living in California, or experience the pain of knowing his mother had abandoned him. So far, no one but Frank DeLeon and his merry band of Pack Protectors knew Eric’s story. And for at least right now, Eric planned to keep it that way.

  This whole experience of moving East had been different than he’d expected. In so many ways.

  Chapter 13

  With Eric gone and the claims adjuster not scheduled to appear until that afternoon, JJ decided to take advantage of the good weather and roads and head into town herself. She climbed into her car, feeling odd when she realized she actually missed having a baby to fuss over in the back seat. Before starting the engine, she sat and looked next door at her poor house. Soon, she told herself. Soon repairs would begin and before too long everything would be back to normal.

  While she was sitting in her car, her cell phone rang, startling her. When her mother’s name came up on caller ID, she felt a nugget of worry. Just a tiny one, but it was there nonetheless. Her mother never called twice within a month, never mind within two weeks.

  “Hello, Mom,” JJ answered. “Is everything all right?”

  “No, everything is not all right.” Anita sounded both furious and afraid. “Shawn has been calling me. A lot. At all hours. I finally had to block him, but then he called from a different phone. I’m going to have to get a new number.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “He’s been threatening me,” Anita continued, as if JJ hadn’t spoken. “He says unless I tell him where you are, he’s going to hire a hit man and have me killed.”

  Briefly, JJ closed her eyes. She knew Shawn, and sensed that while this was terrible, he’d only escalate it from here. Next he’d be talking dismemberment, and how he’d dispose of the body parts. She shuddered. How she’d ever thought she loved such a man astounded her now.

  Of course, he hadn’t revealed his crazy side until she’d been deeply involved in the relationship.

  “Have you gone to the police?”

  “Yes. And I’m going to have my number changed next. I’ll make sure it’s unlisted, if they do such a thing for cell phones.”

  JJ had no idea. “Mom, he’s not going to hurt you. You’re all the way over there in Australia. He’s just using scare tactics to try to get information out of you.”

  “Well, it’s working.”

  A shiver of foreboding skittered down her spine. “You didn’t tell him where I was, did you?”

  “Of course not.” Anger vibrated in Anita’s voice, pushing out the earlier fear. “I’m not an idiot. Judging from the horrible things he’s been threatening, I’m really glad you got away from him. At first I thought you’d made a mistake. He seemed like the perfect man.”

  “I know. But that’s all on the surface.” Though she tried, JJ couldn’t keep the shudder from her voice. “He’s dangerous. I have no doubt that he’d eventually have killed me if I’d stayed with him.”

  Her mother went silent. When she spoke again, hurt rang in her voice. “Honey, why didn’t you ever tell me? I’d have done what I could to help you. You could have flown here to Australia to live with me.”

  Which was probably what Shawn thought she’d done. Not wanting to frighten her mother, JJ kept this thought to herself. She wasn’t even sure if she should mention the fire.

  “Do you have a restraining order against him?” Anita asked shakily.

  “I don’t. Because if I did that, it would only make him angrier and more determined to make me pay. He considers me his belonging, not my own person. That’s why I was so relieved to be left this house. I made sure to put the deed in my real name.” Which wasn’t Julia. Julia was her middle name. Her first name was actually Anabelle.

  “He doesn’t know your name?”

  “Nope. He doesn’t know a lot about me. That used to bother me, but now I’m just really grateful.”

  “Me, too.” Anita’s heartfelt response made JJ smile. “You know what? I’m glad you’re not hiding stuff from me anymore. I can take it, you know. I think maybe I don’t give you enough credit sometimes. You’ve gotten really good at handling whatever challenge life throws at you. I’m proud of you.”

  JJ winced, glad her mom couldn’t see her. Now she had to tell her about the fire. “Uh, Mom?” she began, then hurried through the rest of the story.

  Anita was silent for a few seconds after JJ finished. When she finally spoke, her voice was heavier. “Julia, you weren’t going to mention any of that, were you?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry.” Truth, but a pitiful excuse.

  “I’m your mother. It’s my job to worry about you.” Anita stated the words matter-of-factly. “But it sounds like, once again, you have this under control.”

  “I do.” And with a dawning sense of wonder, JJ knew that she did. “I was worried about my tenant, but he’s worked out everything, too. Now all I need to do is get the place repaired so I can move back in.”

  “Good. I’ll call you with my new phone number as soon as I have it.”

  “Okay. Stay safe, please. And, Mom? I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  After ending the call, JJ started the car and put it in Drive. She needed some retail therapy, though she couldn’t spend too much money. Maybe a new top or a new pair of jeans. Or boots. She’d always loved boots.

  As she drove slowly up Main Street, she tried to decide where to go first. The local bookstore, Nook of Books, caught her eye. There! She’d been planning to visit ever since she’d seen the place. There was nothing she loved better than perusing stacks of books looking for her next read. And she’d noticed an alarming absence of books in Rhonda’s house. Maybe she could even get Rhonda reading. Heck, that was what friends were for, right?

  After parking r
ight in front, she killed the engine and, with her spirits up for the first time since the fire, went in. A little bell tinkled above the doorway, signifying her arrival.

  Inside, the place even smelled like books. Paper and ink and...heaven. JJ stopped, turned in a circle and inhaled appreciatively.

  “Can I help you find something?” An older woman, her silver hair arranged in a neat bun, approached. Her softly glowing aura proclaimed her a shifter. One thing JJ had noticed about this place was that just about everyone she met seemed to be. As far as she could tell, shifters outnumbered humans five to one.

  JJ smiled. “No, thanks. Searching is half the fun.”

  The woman blinked. “You’re new here. Are you visiting or...?”

  “I just moved here. My aunt was Olivia Jacobs. I inherited her house.”

  “Oh, Olivia. We all loved her. I’m Gracie Cordell.” She held out an elegant, long-fingered hand. “Welcome to Forestwood.”

  “I’m Julia Jacobs, but everyone calls me JJ.” After shaking hands, JJ gestured at the well-stocked shelves. “I’m so glad to find an independent bookstore here. I didn’t want to have to drive into Kingston and visit a chain store at a mall.”

  Gracie smiled and nodded. “Everyone’s been really supportive of this place. We only opened up six months ago, but we’re doing well. I’ll leave you alone to browse,” she said. “I’ll be up front if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.”

  Time flew by. JJ couldn’t believe the selection, which rivaled the big-box bookstore she used to visit in the city. By the time she headed to the cash register, she’d settled on two novels, one hardcover and one paperback. Though she hadn’t read anything by the authors, the stories sounded interesting. A nonfiction, self-help book had also caught her eye, so she decided to get it, also since it was about making a career out of the things you loved doing. JJ figured she needed all the help she could get with that. While she’d truly enjoyed walking other people’s dogs—and made quite a bit of money from it—that had been in the busy city. She wasn’t sure there’d be a market for that in a small town. So she’d need to figure out some other way to earn a living, even though she’d have income from having a tenant.

  “Good choices!” Gracie exclaimed as she rang up the two novels. When she got to the other book, she studied it for a second, before ringing it up and putting it in the bag. “Are you looking for work?”

  Startled, JJ nodded. “Not actively, but I’ll need to start soon. I’m just not sure what I want to do.”

  “I need a part-time clerk,” Gracie told her. “I can’t afford to pay too much, but it would give you spare time to look for something full-time.”

  “That’s very kind of you. Working in a bookstore would be my dream job,” JJ blurted, stunned. “Though I’d have to be careful not to spend all my paycheck on books.”

  “Then it’s settled. I’ll need you on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, ten until six, with an hour for lunch. Will that work for you?”

  “Of course.” Though JJ knew she shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, she had to ask. “I’m wondering why, though. You don’t even know me. How do you know whether I’d make a good employee?”

  Gracie smiled. “I’m an excellent judge of character. Plus anyone who speaks about bookstores the way you do is meant to either work in one or own one. Since you can’t do the latter, you might as well take the job.”

  “Thank you. I will.” Bemused, JJ paid for her purchases and turned to go. “I’ll be here at ten.”

  “Sounds good.” Tilting her head, Gracie considered, her brown eyes sharp and assessing. “Every winter, one or two times when the weather permits, all of the Pack residents residing in Forestwood have a major hunt. I can see from your aura you’re a shifter, though I don’t know if you’re Pack—nor do I want to know. But if you are, we’re all meeting in the woods at the hill north of town on Saturday night. You’re welcome to join us. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbors.”

  JJ didn’t bother to hide her shock. “Um, thank you?”

  This made Gracie laugh. “I take it you’re not used to people talking about what we are.”

  JJ couldn’t help it; she looked around to make sure no one was listening. Since nobody else had entered the shop since her arrival, the two of them were still alone. “You’re right. I’m not. It’s just not done in the city. Though we can see the auras, we might nod in recognition, but it’s never spoken of out loud.”

  “Well, Forestwood is not only small, but shifters outnumber humans something like five to one. Most of us are Pack. Those that aren’t, well, we don’t know what they are and we don’t ask.” Continuing to smile, Gracie twisted an ornate, antique-looking ring on her index finger. “We do this several times a year. The solstices, for sure. And any time there’s a full moon, you can always find a group putting together a hunt. We like the camaraderie. It brings us all closer together.”

  JJ nodded. A sense of community, something she’d always ached for... Longing filled her, though she took care to hide it. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to grow up in a place like this. Where she would have felt she belonged, rather than feeling like an outcast.

  “I might be interested,” she said. “My new tenant might want to go, as well. Is it okay if I mention it to him?”

  “Of course.” Grinning, Grace reached out and patted her hand. “The more the merrier.”

  All the way home, JJ couldn’t stop smiling. Not only did she now have a job, but she had a communal hunt to look forward to. When she was a child, her mother used to regale her with stories of neighborhoods shifting and hunting in a community pack. JJ had always wondered what such a thing would be like. Now she’d get to find out for herself.

  And maybe, just maybe, Eric would join her.

  At the thought, she felt a shiver of longing. The sexual arousal after shape-shifting back to human was well known, and most times—unless by mutual agreement—politely ignored.

  Being aroused around Eric was definitely not something she’d want to ignore. In fact, she could picture him, hard and huge and ready. Her being his friend, and available, might make him put his scruples aside and indulge in a moment of spontaneous passion.

  And then she realized something else. Rhonda was also a shifter. If she attended the hunt, she’d be concentrating on staying close to Eric, JJ knew.

  When she pulled up to Rhonda’s house, she saw Eric’s SUV parked out front. Rhonda’s car was nowhere to be seen, which was probably a good thing, at least for Eric. Of course, JJ figured he could take care of himself. Guys who looked like him had to be used to being propositioned by women.

  Making a mental note never to become one of those women, she went inside. Eric was in the living room with Garth. He was sitting on the couch, watching TV with the sound down really low and playing with his son.

  Unable to contain her happiness, JJ greeted the baby, before showing Eric her purchases. She told him about her new job and also about the communal hunt.

  “Anyway, I’d love it if we could go together,” she finished, trying to ignore the way he’d lowered his brows in a thunderous frown.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t go.” With that, he turned away, suddenly finding something fascinating in a brightly colored plastic baby toy. Garth’s blue eyes followed the movement and he chortled.

  Meanwhile, JJ struggled to process Eric’s abrupt declination.

  “I’m asking you as my friend. This will be my first time changing with a group of people I don’t know.” She wasn’t begging, not quite. “It would really help to have a friend there with me among all the strangers.”

  “I can’t go,” he repeated, his voice hard, his expression closed off. “Can’t. If I could I would. Believe me.”

  Perplexed, she eyed him. “Why not?” she finally asked, daring to push the l
imits of her courage. “What if you only stay for, like, an hour?”

  “JJ.” He rounded on her, his handsome face fierce and dark and something else, something that sent a shudder of raw need snaking up her spine. “I can’t go. Because I’m not Pack.”

  * * *

  After Eric’s dramatic announcement, JJ hadn’t known what to say. She’d mumbled something conciliatory, picked up her bag of books and hurried to her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. She sat down on the edge of the bed, wondering why she felt like crying.

  She should have known. All along, she’d realized he was different. If he’d been Pack, she imagined his wolf would be larger than other men’s, stronger, a better hunter. Beautiful, in the heavy, masculine way of him.

  But since he’d stated definitively he was not Pack, not wolf, the question that begged to be answered was what? What form of beast did he become when he changed his shape?

  She tried to picture him; she knew of many large feline shifters—panther and lion, tiger and cheetah. Most of them tended to avoid large settlings of Pack, and she couldn’t imagine why Eric would want to live here rather than closer to others of his own kind.

  But then she remembered what he’d said about the Drakkor. Their little town had gained a bit of notoriety when a female dragon shifter, or Drakkor, had been outed as living in a lakeside cabin and pretending to be their famed “lake monster” for many years. The entire town had embraced Libby, and her story had been published in several shifter periodicals.

  Maybe he was Drakkor. That would explain his interest and his reasoning for moving here. Anyway, it didn’t matter. Or it shouldn’t. Because despite her best intentions, it seemed she had become one of those women who propositioned men. Even if only to ask him to hunt with her as a friend.

  * * *

  JJ’s crestfallen expression tugged at Eric’s heart. He’d given her the truth, trusted her with part of a secret he hadn’t intended to reveal and managed to hurt her in the process.