by Jane Jamison
Miss Clara.
Jackson Carr.
Even Molly.
Descriptions of the people who were supposedly werewolves included strange, long teeth and amber showing in their eyes whenever their inner wolf wanted to rise to the surface.
Amber in their eyes. Shit.
Yet werewolves couldn’t be real. They simply couldn’t be.
At last, she couldn’t stand not knowing a minute longer. She’d thought the idea of werewolves to be ridiculous, wild tales to scare children. Now she wasn’t so sure. Instead of spending years finding out the truth as the man with the website had done, she vowed to find out that very day.
I’ll either look like a damn fool, or my entire world will change. Either way, I have to know.
* * * *
Byton pulled the truck into a parking spot in the back area of Milly’s Coffee Spot. Maybe he should’ve parked in the front where most folks parked, but he hadn’t wanted Malia to see the truck before they could get inside.
He turned the ignition key then shifted to look at Mike seated in the passenger seat. He wouldn’t have to look at Darrold in the back. He was sure he’d hear his answer. “Are you sure we should do this right here? Right in the middle of the damn town?”
They’d gone by the rental house and had found it empty. Short of breaking into the house, they hadn’t been able to tell if Malia had actually left town or had simply gone somewhere for a short time. But if she was anywhere in town, more than likely she was at Milly’s.
Mike’s lip lifted in a snarl. Yet Byton knew it wasn’t anger that prompted the gesture, but nervousness.
“We’ve talked about this already,” added Mike. “We can wait a week and see if that gives her more time to get used to the idea of us, of the possibility of werewolves, but what’s the point? One short week isn’t going to make a difference. If she’s going to run, she’s going to run. Let’s get this done. Now.”
“Yeah, we decided to tell her, so stop second-guessing it.” Darrold already had his door halfway open.
“But maybe we should do this someplace other than right in the middle of town,” argued Byton. He didn’t like making scenes, and if she freaked out, that was going to be one hell of a bad scene. What were they supposed to do if she did? Grab hold of her and force her to stay? Not that some of the folks in Milly’s wouldn’t agree with doing exactly that, but he’d rather have his mate stay because she wanted to, not because she had to.
Mike shoved his door open and hopped out. “Stop being a pussy. She’s our mate, and she knows it. Maybe not logically, but she knows it where it counts.”
Darrold was already striding toward the rear door of Milly’s. Mike slammed his door and started after his brother.
Byton reconsidered one last time, but what choice did he have? They were already halfway inside by the time he pushed his door open and slid out of the truck. He strode toward the door, grabbed the handle, yanked it open, and almost ran straight into Mike and Darrold.
Malia was standing in the middle of the café, her hands fisted on her hip, an angry glare in her beautiful green eyes. “Okay, people, let’s stop fucking around. If anyone knows about werewolves living around this town, I want to hear about it. Speak up and speak up now.”
Aw hell. He hadn’t expected anything like that. She was confronting everyone in Milly’s. Judging by his friends’ and neighbors’ expressions, they were none too happy about it.
“What the hell do we do about this?” he asked.
“We get her the hell out of here, that’s what.” Darrold didn’t wait for Mike or Byton to agree. Instead, he charged toward Malia.
She glanced behind her, her face frowning in irritation, but the irritation was quickly changed to surprise when she saw Darrold barreling toward her. “Oh, no, you don’t.” She started backing up, and then, spinning around, she tried to maneuver her way around the tables to the front door. But it was too late.
Darrold grabbed hold of her arm, his face an angry mask. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She tried to get free, but she was no match for the werewolf. “I was trying to get answers. Now I’m trying to leave. Turn me loose.”
He was relieved to hear a few people chuckle. Hopefully, more would see the humor in the situation. He hoped like hell he’d see the humor in the situation, too, once everything was back to normal. At least, as normal as it ever got in Forever.
Malia jerked her arm, but she still couldn’t get free. Nonetheless, she continued to ask questions, trying to elicit some kind of response from the diners. “Come on. Someone give me an answer. These guys aren’t telling me anything, and I have to know. Werewolves. Do you really believe they exist?” She turned toward Milly. She scoffed. “I read that you’re one of them. But you’re not, are you? You can’t be because werewolves don’t exist.” She laughed. “This is so stupid. I mean, I can’t believe I’m standing here asking about this. Werewolves aren’t real.”
Was she trying to convince them? Or herself?
The complete silence was deafening in the café as everyone waited to see if someone would finally answer her. Not that they would. Keeping their secret safe was the most important thing to the citizens of Forever. Still, the truth was evident on their tight faces, especially when they darted their gazes away from Malia.
She stared at them, obviously thrown by their refusal to deny such a silly thing as the existence of werewolves. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Does everyone believe in this nonsense?”
“Why don’t you ask them?” said Milly. “After all, they’re your mates.”
“My mates?” Malia’s eyes were full of questions. And fear, too. “Are you—”
“Okay. That’s it. I’m putting an end to this.” Darrold picked her up and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of seed. Pivoting on his heel, he headed toward the rear door with Malia hanging over his shoulder, squirming as she pounded her fists against his back.
Byton groaned and followed them out to the back of the building. Malia was doing her best to fight against Darrold, but the struggle was wearing her out.
“Put me down, damn it.” She kicked and hit, but it was as effective as a fly fighting against an elephant.
Byton couldn’t see letting his cousin manhandle her any longer. “Put her down, man. We have to face this. Best we do it right now. Isn’t that what we’d said we’d do?” The sounds of murmurs behind him had him twisting back toward the coffee shop. Most of the patrons had followed them outside.
Aw shit.
Mike, apparently, had the same reaction. “Folks, you go right back inside. This isn’t a damn show for your entertainment.”
Malia let out a huff when Darrold finally set her down on the ground. “Who the hell do you people think you are? Just because we did what we—” She slammed her mouth shut, barely catching herself before she made the mistake of telling everyone what had happened at the ranch.
“Okay, sugar, you want to know what’s going on? I’ll tell you what’s going on.”
Byton wasn’t sure he wanted Darrold telling her. Next to Mike, Darrold was almost as impatient as his brother. Who knew what the angry shifter would say? Darrold was already too angry to deal with her.
He stalked over to Darrold and put his hand on his chest, hoping to calm him. “Let me do this.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on now? Or are we going to keep playing stupid games? First, you say you’ll tell me, then you won’t. Make up your damn minds. I have to put this stupid shit behind me once and for all.” She seemed to have calmed down a bit, but she was still pretty angry. Still, he wasn’t going to risk her attempting to take off again.
Byton looked around him, unwilling to speak in front of all the others. “Everyone, would you all excuse us for a while?” Darrold and Mike wouldn’t have asked so nicely.
He thought he’d gotten through to a few of them when they turned to reenter the building. But he hadn’t counted on Miss Clara. The matriarch of
the town pushed her way to the front of the crowd. “Oh, no, you don’t, young one. This girl interrupted our lunch, so I figure we deserve to be a part of this.” The thin lips stretched into a wicked smile. “Besides, ain’t nothing going to make me miss the show.”
He could argue with Miss Clara—which was next to impossible—or he could try to make Malia understand. He figured getting his mate to understand would be a whole lot easier. Drawing in a slow breath, he faced Malia again. “I want you to try and keep an open mind.”
Her eyes narrowed, suspicion clouding her face. “As long as you tell me the truth, I can. But if you’re lying, I’m out of here. Tell me the truth.”
Byton glanced at Mike and Darrold, waiting for them to say something, hell, anything, and when they didn’t, he took the leap of faith. “You felt something for us. Between us. Something that connects us. It makes you feel like you’ve known us your entire life.” He wasn’t asking her to agree. He was simply stating a fact. Surely, she’d have to accept what she was feeling. How could she deny it?”
“No.” Her voice was soft, almost meek.
Even if he didn’t know it already, he could tell she was lying from the way she darted her gaze away from his. Her face lost some of its anger.
She dropped her gaze to the ground. Slowly, almost as if she didn’t really want to tell them, she shook her head. “No, I have a boyfriend. Or, at least, I used to. No, I don’t feel anything for you.” She lifted her gaze and skimmed it over the three men. “For any of you.”
Byton smiled a little. “To quote a very beautiful woman, that’s a crock of shit.”
She blinked, and for the slightest moment, he saw a slight smile. “Darlin’, there’s this thing called the connection. It brings one or more men together with one woman. It brought my mother together with her mates just like it’s brought others together for decades. Hell, for centuries.” He lifted his hand, stopping her from speaking. “Don’t tell me you don’t feel it. A girl like you doesn’t do”—he glanced at the crowd, but had to keep going—“what we did if she doesn’t feel a connection, the connection.”
She darted her gaze around the crowd, embarrassment flooding her cheeks with a rosy color.
“You know what it feels like, but let me remind you. The connection feels like something has grabbed you and won’t ever let you go. And the thing is, you don’t want it to let go. Call it love at first sight or whatever you want, but it’s real.” He pointed to the other men then her, including them all in a circle. “And it’s between us. Like we said at the ranch, you’re ours, and we’re yours.”
She shook her head again. “This is crazy. I don’t know what’s come over me since I came to this town, but as soon as I leave, I’m sure it’ll go away.”
“Is that what you want?” asked Darrold. “Do you really want to leave us behind?”
When she didn’t answer, Mike pushed her. “Answer him, baby. Tell us the truth. If you want the truth from us, you’ve got to give us the truth in return.”
“I don’t know what this feeling is, but I know it’s not some weird kind of connection thing. What you’re describing isn’t any more real than werewolves are.”
Byton locked his gaze to hers. “But that’s just it, darlin’. They’re both real.”
She frowned, confusion darkening her beautiful eyes. “No.”
“Yes, darlin’. Stop fighting what your heart is telling you. The connection is real and it’s brought us together. You know it has because you feel it. As for the other? Yeah, we’re werewolves and you’re our mate.”
She looked around her then back to him. “You’re all out of your minds.”
How could he make her understand? How could he get her to stay if the connection wasn’t strong enough to keep her there? Byton felt dejected, a failure in the eyes of his friends and his neighbors.
“Looks like you’re just going to have to show her, boys.”
* * * *
Malia stared at Miss Clara. She didn’t understand what was going on or why the woman was butting in, but couldn’t fight the feeling that the men were telling her the truth. Not only about how they felt but about being werewolves. Yet how could anyone believe in such nonsense? How could she?
Mike confronted Miss Clara, crossing his arms over his chest as though ready for battle. The odd thing was that Malia wasn’t sure the elderly woman couldn’t take him. “She has to believe in the connection first. We’ve told her she’s ours, but we haven’t said anything about her being our mate until now. If she doesn’t accept us first…” He seemed unwilling, almost fearful, to go any further.
“If I don’t? Then what?” she asked. “And what do you mean about being your mate?”
A sadness enveloped Mike’s face as he turned toward her. “If you don’t accept that there is a real connection between us, I’m afraid you’ll run when we show you what we are.”
“What you are? What does that mean?” Yet, she knew. God help her, she knew. Still, she almost didn’t have the nerve to ask the next question. “Should I run?”
“No,” answered Byton. “Don’t run. And I don’t think you will, either. Maybe you don’t want to admit it, but you believe us about the connection. I know you do.”
“Oh, hell’s bells. She already knows about werewolves even if she doesn’t want to admit it, so let’s go ahead and prove it to her. Just get it over with and stop all this bullshit.” Miss Clara faced the others, giving the crowd a good hard once-over. “There aren’t any strangers in town, and everyone here already knows the truth. It seems as good a time as any to fill her in. I promise we’ll make it short and sweet.”
Malia repeated her question. “Mike? What’s going on?” Should she be afraid of them? Of everyone?
Yet before any of them could answer her, the people began to remove their clothes. She gaped at them, too stunned at first to speak. At last, however, she found her voice. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “Is this some kind of cult? Some freaky orgy thing?” To believe those things was easier than believing an entire town had gone insane. Or that werewolves existed.
Byton began to undo his shirt. “We’re going to show you what we are. As for the connection? Like I said, I know you feel it. Denying that you do won’t make it go away.”
“Either you believe your own eyes, or you don’t,” added Mike as he, too, began to undress.
“You’re all out of your minds.” Even as she said the words, she saw their hands, their arms, their entire bodies begin to change. Amber flared in their eyes. At first, she thought her vision had suddenly gone bad in a very strange way. Then she heard the cracking of bones, an awful, painful sound, and she realized what was happening. “Oh my God.”
In a matter of minutes, the people began to change. Miss Clara, along with the rest of the crowd, grew fur and fangs. Vicious claws erupted from hands that were no longer hands. Ears elongated, losing their rounded shape. Soon tails appeared.
Only the men she loved remained human.
Love? How can that be? It’s too fast. And yet…
Every fiber of her being told her it was true. She’d felt compelled to them as though they were the missing pieces to her life. Was it love at first sight? Or was there really such as thing as the connection they spoke of?
Oh my God. The connection is real. Which means…
Too many emotions flashed through her to grab hold of just one and understand it. She did love them. She loved them more than she could ever possibly love Bill or any other man. But were they like the rest of the people? Were they werewolves, too? The answer to her question came as swiftly as the realization that she loved them had. The men she loved were werewolves.
Exhilaration and fear mixed, making a beautifully odd combination.
Mike, Darrold, and Byton stayed where they were, now totally naked. She stared at them, still trying to fully comprehend what was going on, still trying to believe in the unbelievable.
“Mike? Please, tell me. None of this is real. It can
’t be.” But there was no denying it. Not when everyone around her was shifting, turning into werewolves. They hit the ground on all fours, their growls drifting on the air. They were a large pack of wolves who glared at her. A few snarls erupted, chilling her to the bone.
Byton took a step forward. “Take it easy, darlin’. No one’s going to hurt you.”
But were the werewolves moving closer? Fear sent chills through her body again as she backed up. She shook her head, still trying to deny the truth. “This isn’t real. It can’t be.”
“Baby,” said Mike, “you have to believe your eyes. But Byton’s right. No one’s going to hurt you. We wouldn’t let them.”
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think straight. Instead, the primal instinct to survive took over. She whirled around and dashed toward the alley.
I have to get to my car. I have to run. Run.
She’d parked in the front of Milly’s Coffee Spot and now hurriedly dug her keys out of her pocket. Having left the car unlocked, she grabbed hold of the handle then stopped. Slowly, carefully, she glanced back down the alley.
At first, relief flooded her when she didn’t see any of the crowd coming after her. The wolves had stayed behind the café. She dragged in a breath and did her best to quiet her pounding heart.
And then she saw them.
The men were coming her way. They strode confidently toward her, as though they knew she wouldn’t run from them. Everything inside her told her to run, yet she couldn’t move. The sensation, electrifying and magnificent, swept through her, compelling her to stay, to go to them.
“Sugar, stay there. Don’t leave.” Darrold picked up the pace, going ahead of the other two men. “Let’s talk about it. Take some time to let it sink in. And to let us answer your questions.”
“We won’t hurt you. You know we won’t.” Mike smiled, as he kept coming toward her.
“You’re werewolves. Just like them.” What did they expect her to do? Did they expect her to fall in love with three werewolves? Yet, hadn’t she done exactly that? But that had to be a temporary feeling. Once she left the town, once she was out from under their spell, she’d return to normal.
