by E L Thorne
I chewed on my lip. I wondered if that visit included me, then at the same time questioning why the hell I had wondered that. One day I’d wanted him to get out of town, and now I didn’t want him to get out of my life.
I’m a mess.
“We should get Astra home. She’d probably love a little less action and some electricity.” Doc glanced down at his hand. His scratches and wounds had mostly closed.
It never ceased to amaze me how little wounds affected shifters.
I glanced at the two dead shifters, their decapitated heads and gory bodies marring the once peaceful whiteness of the valley.
“What about those?” I indicated the dead rovers.
“I’ll take care of that,” Grant said. “I’ll call Mae. She’s got a few options.”
I looked at Kane, who was studying me silently, his expression unreadable.
Was he leaving now? Was this it? It couldn’t be.
I didn’t want it to be.
I felt in my core that what we had was unfinished.
Chapter Thirty
Kane
This was my moment.
I had to spend some time with her. I wasn’t ready to let Astra leave my life. Except that her father—or at least the closest thing she had to a father—was ready to take her home. Would that be it, if he did? And what about Grant? He was like her uncle.
I had never been one to back down from a challenge, and I wasn’t about to let her slip from my grasp.
“Grant.” Might as well tackle the first part of the problem first. “About the cabin.” I shoved my hands into my front pockets and straightened my shoulders. “Mind if I stay a while longer?”
Grant shook his head. “Not at all. Stay as long as you want. If you’re still willing to. It’s pretty bare and rustic.”
I nodded my thanks and turned to Astra.
Her eyes were clear, that beautiful light green that looked like dew on grass, reflecting light through to the green blades. I turned my gaze to Doc, then back to Astra.
“I was hoping to have company.”
My bear felt her pulse quicken, and it made mine quicken too.
A glimmer lit her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Anyone in particular, shifter?” A smile threatened to erupt, but she managed to contain it.
I looked at Doc. “If you don’t mind.” I put my hand out to Astra.
Astra took my hand, hers tiny in my grip. I pulled her close, making it clear I would protect her. I would always protect her if she’d agree.
Doc nodded sagely, understanding.
She leaned in, her back against my chest and abdomen, and I wrapped my arms around her. To think this woman was willing to risk death at the hands of rovers to save the ones she loved—and me. I hoped she was developing those kinds of feelings for me.
I knew I was. And so was my bear.
The beast within me growled.
Fine, the bear had known first, I agreed. But I wasn’t far behind.
The bear reverberated a satisfied rumble deep in the recesses of my mind.
“Dad?” Astra’s voice burst with confidence and strength. “That okay?” She reached for his hand.
Doc leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You can’t be my little girl forever.”
“I have some questions.” Astra tensed in my embrace, turning a glittering gaze on Doc and Grant.
I knew she had a lot of questions. Her recent memories of her earlier life, knowing that she was special and could see shifters...
Yes, I acknowledged, his woman would have questions.
“They can wait for now,” I told her.
Chapter Thirty-One
Astra
Doc and Grant left with promises to send Joe and a wrecker up with Doc’s truck for us to use, and to take my Jeep away to be fixed. They said they’d send groceries and a cooler with Joe.
What more could a girl want?
“Chocolate,” I’d murmured to Doc, knowing that no matter how much I lowered my voice, Kane and his bear would hear.
I caught the smile on his lips and wanted to kiss him!
In the warmth of the cabin, sheltered from a chilly wind and the world’s worries, I nuzzled Kane’s chest, the top of my head tucked in under his chin.
Kane stirred the spaghetti with one hand. His other hand was around my hip, pulling me close. The sauce bubbled in a pan on the other burner. The last time I’d made spaghetti...
Wow, it hadn’t even been a week since the night I’d gotten the call from Grant to come by for dinner—and examine the shifter I wanted nothing to do with.
We’d been here two days and I was tingly from being around him. I sighed, then breathed in deeply, inhaling his maleness, relishing his scent, desire stirring deep within me. I couldn’t get enough of Kane, and he didn’t seem to be able to get enough of me.
His hands were always on my curves, my hips, my shoulders, the small of my back... It was as if he couldn’t stand to not hold or touch me. I could live like that forever.
It was like I’d never known any other life but Kane. Everything I’d done and been had been overshadowed by the last couple of days with him.
The phone buzzed on the counter.
I’d kept it charged using Doc’s truck, which Joe and the wrecker had dropped off for me. The Jeep was in town, in the hands of Doc’s capable mechanic, and the cooler was full of chocolate, along with a couple of beers and some perishable foods.
“Ignore it,” Kane said, his lips against my temple, right at the hairline.
I did exactly that.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Astra
The insistent text had been an invitation to dinner at Grant’s.
Kane’s stomach grumbled with hunger, and mine did the same. We’d never gotten to the spaghetti. It had cooled, then hardened, while we yielded to more pleasing pastimes. But now, hunger was kicking into high gear.
Kane pressed his foot on the gas. “I hope that Grant and Chelsea don’t intend to have a long social visit before they set the table.”
He pulled in, held the car door open for me, and before we could make it up the staircase to the front door, Grant opened it.
Chelsea beamed a huge smile.
Mae was behind them, also with a smile on her face. I felt like I was on the outside of a joke that everyone but me was privy to. I glanced at Kane.
His face gave nothing away, so maybe he wasn’t in on this... whatever this was.
A few moments later, we all sat down at Grant’s picnic-style table. Chelsea and Mae had put together quite a spread: a roast, potatoes, an apple pie, fresh bread.
I thought of the last time I’d sat here, the attraction I’d felt for Kane, the animosity I’d felt toward shifters. So much had changed. I chanced a look at my hunky shifter.
His gaze was focused on my face, and his expression told it all. He loved me, thoroughly and completely. His hand slid over my thigh and grasped my hand, enveloping my fingers in warmth and security.
Doc watched us both, a happy expression on his face. He gave me a slow wink.
I couldn’t contain my curiosity anymore. I felt like a child who had been invited to my own surprise party. “So is everyone in on this? Am I the only one who doesn’t know?”
Mae tried for an innocent look.
Doc looked away, probably so I couldn’t read his face.
Chelsea giggled, her face turning a pretty blush pink.
Grant’s face was stoic.
Mae gave in first. “I had hoped that Kane would be good for you.”
Kane put his hands around my shoulders, pulling me tight against him.
“Why?” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Mae put her fork down, the bite still untouched on the tines. “I’ve missed having shifters in Bear Canyon Valley. It’s been lonely for far too long. Since Brad...”
Brad, Mae’s long-dead mate. I had heard about him from Doc.
�
�It was time for us to be what we used to be. A valley teeming with shifters. I bought the B&B across from the salon. That’s a good place to start the rebuilding.” She reached across the table, put her hand on mine. “And you’ve been far too isolated and living inside yourself since you lost your mother. You needed something—someone. And Vax knew of Kane. I’d met Kane once, when he was much younger. I’m not sure if he remembers...” She glanced at Kane.
Kane shook his head. “No, sorry.”
“I don’t expect you to. You were young, and you had a lot going on in your life. But when Vax called and said you needed a place to stay, and possibly some help...” Mae shrugged. Tears glistened in her eyes. “It seemed the logical next step. I hoped it would turn out well.”
At the mention of my mother, I couldn’t help but think of all the questions I had. “About my mother. Did you know her?”
“Of course,” Mae said. “She was a dear friend of mine.”
“Did you know about—” I didn’t know how to phrase it. Or if I should phrase it at all.
“Her gift?” Mae looked at Doc when she said that.
I nodded.
“You have it, don’t you?” Doc asked. “I wondered if you had it when I saw your reaction to Kane the first time you met him. All these years I thought it had skipped a generation.” He shook his head. “Maybe I hoped it had skipped a generation, if only to save your life.”
My head snapped in his direction. “To save my life?”
“That’s why the shifter hunted her down. Her gift made it impossible for shifters to hide their nature around her. It’s a powerful and dangerous gift to have.”
“I don’t want it.” I was firm on that. All I wanted was to be an animal doctor. I didn’t want to be involved with the supernatural beings, even if I was bonded to one.
“You don’t have to use it.” Kane tucked a lock of my hair away from my face. “You don’t have to tell anyone you have it.”
I bit my lip, worried it, chewing until I tasted blood. “Will anyone—does anyone know about it?”
Grant looked at Doc.
Doc turned to Mae.
Mae shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. I’m thinking not. It’s been more than a decade since your mom was taken from us. We haven’t seen any signs of anyone suspecting.”
I had another question. “What about Anya?”
Mae’s eyes widened. “You remember?”
“She tried to help me and Mom. She didn’t die...”
“No.” A tender smile drifted across Mae’s face. “Anya didn’t die. But the incident affected her. She withdrew from everyone for the most part, stayed hidden. She hasn’t returned to the valley. I heard she went to Europe. The last time she was seen, she was with Vax’s brother. Not with him—not like that. But they are cousins.”
“I’d like to see her again, one day. She was my best friend. I remember playing with her, getting rides on her back.”
“I’ll ask around. I’ve missed her too.”
The pie was delicious, especially with a large scoop of French vanilla bean ice cream on it. My tummy felt like it was going to burst. My heart was equally brimming with satisfaction as Kane and I headed back to the cabin.
“I forgot to tell Doc that we’d be buying some land.” I frowned. “I planned to tell him.”
“He knows. I mentioned to Grant that I wanted to buy some land, and Doc asked if you were involved in the equation.”
Kane patted the bench seat’s empty center.
I scooched over, getting close to him, enjoying the feel of his muscular thighs against my curvy leg.
“Happy?” Kane’s voice was a satisfied rumble, starting deep in his chest.
It reverberated in my body. “Never been happier.”
“I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way. My nomadic ways are done. My heart and my bear have found a home.”
Epilogue
Astra
I looked at my hair in the mirror. I turned to Chelsea. “You’re amazing. And the fact that you can concentrate on my hair, when you’ve got so much going on to get ready for your wedding, that’s just incredible.”
“Thanks.” Chelsea spun my chair back to facing her. “It does look pretty stunning. You’ll look beautiful at the wedding.”
“Getting the jitters?” Kelsey sat in the chair next to her, at the empty station. “Chelsea is good, isn’t she? Though I’m surprised her hands aren’t shaking from the stress of the wedding preparations. The fridge in the back is full of ice cream, the perfect stress reliever. And Mae’s busy with the new Bed & Breakfast.”
I nodded. I’d never met Mae’s distant cousin Kelsey before.
Kelsey’s two-tone blonde and brunette hairstyle looked cute on her. I was sure I couldn’t pull it off myself.
Kelsey kept talking. “Yeah. Am I crazy for agreeing to run it?”
Chelsea gave us an indulgent smile and headed to the back. I wondered if she was getting some ice cream and almost asked her to bring back a couple of scoops.
Oh, what the hell. “Hey, bring me some too.”
In the back, Chelsea let out a guilty laugh. Busted!
Kelsey leaned closer to me. “You know, I heard that the sheriff found a record on that guy Jeff. That he’d changed his name a decade ago. He had a criminal record.” She leaned even closer, and the chair protested with a tiny squeak.
I hoped it wouldn’t give. The salon’s chairs weren’t meant to be leaned in this much.
Kelsey’s whisper was low and conspiratorial. “Murder. And some kind of stalker violations. Ohmigod. We’re lucky that he left town before anything really bad could happen.”
I had met Jeff twice in the time I’d been back in town. I’d never cared for him, had found him creepy, but now I knew he was a hell of a lot more than creepy. “Yeah, I heard he was bothering Chelsea quite a bit,” I said, unsure how much I should share with Kelsey, unsure if Mae had told her anything.
The phone rang, disturbing the serenity of the salon.
I jumped.
Mae came out from the back to answer it. She spoke softly into the receiver, then hung up the phone and turned to Kelsey. “That’s the contractor I hired to redo the B&B. I want it to be phenomenal for the wedding.” She turned to me. “Maybe a double wedding? What are you and Kane waiting for?”
“You’re kind of rushing it a bit,” I laughed. “We’re enjoying each other. Let Chelsea and Grant have theirs, okay?”
“Sure, okay, fine. There he is.” She pointed. “My new contractor, Teague.”
Kelsey gasped and paled.
A hunk of a gorgeous man, dark-haired, dark-eyed, tall, and muscular, stepped out of a pickup. He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled his jacket off, then strode toward the hair salon.
“Teague.” Kelsey’s words were a whisper.
“Yes, that’s his name.” Mae smiled.
I studied the handsome man and the glow that emanated from him. Something vibrated deep in me.
Another shifter in Bear Canyon Valley.
E.L. Thorne is the pen name of author Elle Thorne. These books are closed door romances for those who prefer less language and no sexual content.
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