Her lack of reaction to my gift left me restless. Was she growing discontent here? Did she want something more for her brothers? With the work on the apartment finished, I had no outlet for my helpless frustration.
Jim saw me coming down the stairs and convinced me to go for a run. I’d grown so used to solo runs while away, I’d forgotten how good it felt to have a companion, even if the companion was my pain-in-the-ass brother who ambushed me and sent me flying into a swamp.
“What the hell was that for?” I said, shifting so I could stand. I immediately sank in the knee-deep, rank water.
“You need to pay attention to more than just Michelle,” Jim said from a safe distance away.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m trying to pay attention to everything. But having her so close, knowing she’s meant to be mine, and just waiting is killing me. It’s eating at my mind. It’s clawing at my—”
“Yeah, I get it. You’re desperate. But you can’t let her see that.”
I shook my head at him. Maybe if I did let her see that, she’d be nicer.
“I can’t wait until you find your Mate. I hope she has other ideas and gets in at least one nut shot,” I said, wading out of the water.
“Not a chance. No Mates for me. I know my path.”
I snorted. “You just need to convince Winifred and the rest of the Elders.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but I was within arm’s reach and sent him sailing into the same water from which I’d just climbed.
“You should have seen that coming,” I said with a grin.
I took off and for the next hour we chased through the back country like we were cubs back home.
Still reeking of brackish water, we trotted into the yard well after midnight. A soft, ambient glow came from Michelle’s balcony doors.
“She couldn’t have liked it too much if she left it in the kitchen,” Jim said, following the direction of my gaze.
“Where else is she supposed to put it?”
“She could have taken it to bed with her and dreamed of you.”
“Shut up.” I halfheartedly pushed him away and went inside for a shower.
He was already snoring from his room when I finished. Shaking my head, I went to the apartment door and stood there for a moment. Everything was quiet. Restless, yet knowing I needed sleep, I went to lay on the couch. I lightly dozed until dawn then got up to start making a big breakfast.
Jim didn’t sleep past the first whiff of bacon. As soon as he was up, he showered and joined me in the kitchen.
It wasn’t long before I heard Aden’s little voice carry down from upstairs.
Jim beat me out the door. After his stunt last night, I hurried to catch up. We reached the top just as Michelle asked the kids what they wanted for breakfast. I knocked briefly and opened the door before Jim could.
Whatever I’d thought to say disappeared as soon as I saw Michelle. Her skin was pale, there were dark shadows under her eyes, and she didn’t look like she’d slept at all. Had yesterday been too much?
“Come on, boys,” Jim said, waving Liam and Aden to the door. “Eggs, bacon, potato pancakes, and orange juice are waiting.” Still in their pajamas, the boys ran out the door with Jim close on their heels.
“You didn’t sleep,” I said when she didn’t move.
The tablet was on the counter, along with a piece of paper covered in her handwriting.
She blinked slowly and looked at the paper, too. I could see she wanted to get back to whatever she’d been doing. But she could barely stand. In two steps, I had her up in my arms, and started toward her bedroom.
She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and leaned against me. It was hard to be upset that she wasn’t taking care of herself when she did that.
I gently set her on the bed and covered her with a sheet. It was already too warm outside for more than that.
When she realized where she was, she moved to sit up. I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“But I have stock information for Nana’s friend.”
“It can wait until you’ve slept a bit.”
“But…”
“Sleep, Michelle. I’ll be listening.” After covering the windows so it would be dark enough for her to sleep, I shut the door.
The scent of her contentment drifted out with me, telling me just how much she liked having someone take care of her. And, I really did like doing it.
Stopping at the island, I studied the paper. I’d half expected travel plans or other notes about leaving. Instead, there was a bunch of random stuff about businesses. Why would she research stock information for Sam?
I thought back to the last few times she’d talked to Winifred about it. Michelle’s reactions had been odd, but frankly, all of her behavior had been a little off since arriving. Running scared from an unheard-of species would do that. But, she wasn’t running scared anymore, so I couldn’t place blame for her odd interest with stocks on that. Unless maybe she was still trying to deal with who and what we were? Sighing, I looked back at her room. There wasn’t anything I could do until she woke up.
I left the apartment door ajar and went down to stake claim on my portion of breakfast. Jim had the boys at the kitchen island, and they were just divvying up the bacon under Winifred’s supervision. She handed me my plate with a wink.
After the cubs finished eating, I helped them sneak upstairs to change while Jim and Winifred cleaned up. Both boys were eerily quiet as they went into the room to find their clothes for the day. I wondered how often in their lives they’d needed to dress silently like that.
We went outside and played for a while. When they grew bored with the swing set, Winifred sat on the porch while Jim and I stood side by side and tossed balls to the boys.
“I want to run to town to get some furniture for the new apartment,” I said in a normal tone. Jim and Winifred heard me, but the boys were busy heckling each other.
“Jim should go with you. Although his taste is deplorable, it will look more realistic with two men loading furniture rather than one.”
“Good,” Jim said with a grin. “We can hit a buffet for lunch.”
It wasn’t long after that I heard noise from the third floor. A shower. I frowned. She hadn’t slept more than a few hours.
A couple of minutes after the water shut off, a wad of paper came sailing out the balcony doors. Jim and the boys laughed. I picked up the paper and saw her business notes. She’d stayed up all night for these then threw them out the window?
“I’ll be right back,” I said to Winifred.
Taking the steps two at a time, I found Michelle at the island. She was bent over the tablet and mumbling incoherent fragments under her breath as she made notes on a piece of paper. I moved closer and looked over her shoulder. It was the same stuff. Well, a little different. The business she was researching was new.
Suddenly she stopped and stared at the paper.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
She yelped and spun on the stool to stare at me with wide eyes.
“Obviously, four hours of sleep isn’t enough. Why are you doing this?” I asked, looking at the paper. “And why did this one fly?” I held up the wrinkled sheet on which she’d obviously worked so hard.
Her shoulders slumped. “I know investments and stocks. Richard invested. It’s the only way I can pay you back.”
I glanced at the crumpled paper again.
“Another thought woke me. That one wasn’t right.” She nodded at the wadded paper I held.
This was about repaying me?
“Back to bed.”
“I’m not five. I don’t need to be told to go to bed,” she said with a stubborn tilt of her head.
“Of course you’re not five. A five-year-old would listen.”
Her hurt expression had me stepping close to hug her. She leaned into it, melting some of my concern.
“I’m just worried,” I said. “Last night you seemed fine with everything that happened yesterday, but then you didn’t sleep.” I recalled Jim’s words about not looking too desperate and knew I was walking a fine line. “Are you planning on leaving?”
She raised a hand and set it on my side. The heat of her palm branded me through my shirt.
“No, Emmitt. I’m not leaving.”
I cleared my throat and stepped away before I gave into my impulse to pick her up and carry her back to bed.
“Since you don’t want more sleep, do you want to come outside? Jim and I were talking about going into town for a few things.”
“Sure. Hold on.”
She disappeared into her room for a moment then came back with some money.
“Could you pick us up some milk and fresh veggies?”
That wasn’t what I had in mind. I mean, I would have picked up anything she needed without the money, but I would have rather had her come with me. Hiding my disappointment, I followed her from the apartment.
When we walked outside, she and Winifred took over playing catch. Liam didn’t say anything about the change, but Aden pouted until Jim promised he’d bring back something cool.
As soon as Jim closed the truck door, I started down the driveway.
“She didn’t want to come along, huh?” he said.
“She’s still afraid to leave here, I think.”
“It’s funny.”
I glanced at him in question.
“She doesn’t want to leave, and you didn’t want to come back, both of you because of what we are.”
“You talk too much.”
He laughed. “Winifred says the same thing. People just don’t like hearing the truth.”
“Or maybe you talk too much.”
We shared a grin. Jim always had been the talker between the two of us. Usually, he was the one who got us in trouble.
The drive to town didn’t seem to take as much time with Jim along. Furniture shopping was a different story. He wanted to recline and lay down on everything. He even climbed up on bunkbeds to make sure they would hold his weight, just in case. By the time we had everything we needed for Michelle’s new apartment, I was more than ready to head back.
“Hold up,” he said, before we’d even made it a mile down the road.
“What?”
“There’s a buffet.”
“I want to get back.”
He snorted. “It won’t take long.”
It didn’t. We stuffed ourselves in a way that had management looking worried and then tipped well before leaving.
“I wish we could eat like that every day,” Jim said, opening his door.
“You do.” I shook my head at him as he scratched his belly and leaned into his seat with a sigh.
He napped on the way back, which gave me some quiet time to think about Michelle. I glanced at the truck bed and trailer full of wrapped furniture. While in the military, I’d sent money home to Mom and Dad for improvements to the Compound. I’d also sent a good portion to Winifred for the house. Whatever was left, I’d saved. Since we were young, we’d heard stories about how Mom had made a home from nothing. Though the chances of me finding a Mate had been slim, I’d wanted to be sure I’d set aside something, just in case. Every dollar I’d saved was now in the back of the truck. Would Michelle know what I was giving her? Probably not. But, I just hoped it was enough to convince her to stay.
As soon as we pulled into the driveway, Jim sat up with a yawn and a stretch.
The kids stopped playing to watch as I backed the trailer up to the house. Winifred and Michelle stood on the porch, waiting.
When Winifred signaled I was close, I stopped. Jim and I got out to unload. It wasn’t much, and I knew it wouldn’t take long. Michelle and the boys stayed back as we brought up the leather sofa, love seat, recliner, queen bed, bunk beds, and dressers. Winifred took some of the smaller items and directed us where to put everything. The other three stayed outside until we had the last heavy piece off the trailer.
While I put Michelle’s room together, Jim started on the boys’ room. Winifred pitched in and got to work on the kitchen and living room. I’d just left Michelle’s room when I heard her and the boys on the steps.
“Get in here and help me,” Jim said. “How can one bed have so many parts?”
He was looking down at the instruction for the bunks. Both dressers were assembled and in place.
The boys came running into the room.
“Can I help?” Aden asked, hunkering down next to Jim.
“Yep. You hold these.” Jim put some screws into Aden’s small hand. “You might have to help me with the directions, too.”
I looked up as Michelle glanced in the room. She studied it for a moment, a sad smile on her lips, then she turned and stepped toward her bedroom.
I ruffled Liam’s hair and followed Michelle. She stood in the doorway, taking it all in for a moment before walking to her bed and lightly touching the comforter. I eyed the space, noting everything. It had taken some time to pick out just the right things. After watching her and asking her about her favorite color, I’d settled for natural shades of brown, green, and blue, hoping it would remind her of being outside. I never wanted her to feel caged here.
The scent of her worry caught my attention, and I stepped into the room. She turned to look back at me.
“You worry too much,” I said. The need to take her worry and ease her fears rode me hard. If only I knew how.
She smiled slightly and touched the comforter again.
“Thank you for this.”
I nodded and was about to ask why she was worried when Liam called out.
“Emmitt, can we work on my bed?”
“I’ll be back,” I said and turned to help Liam.
Before I could get Liam situated, Michelle left her room and started moving stuff over from the old place. It didn’t take her long. As soon as she put the last of Aden’s shorts into his dresser, Winifred called for Michelle’s help in the kitchen.
The day Winifred had gone rummaging, she’d managed to pick up boxes of houseware items. All of it needed to be washed, dried, and put away. Once we finished, the apartment would be a fully equipped home. Finishing would take a while, though. Liam and Aden loved helping, but holding screws wasn’t enough. They wanted to use the hammer and the screwdrivers. They wanted to help lift anything that needed lifting. By the time we finished, Jim’ stomach was making noises.
“We need some food after all this work,” he said to Aden. “But we’ll have to be quiet about it.”
Aden nodded in agreement, looking very serious. Jim brushed his hands on his shorts then casually left the room. Aden copied every move.
“Do you think they’ll get in trouble?” Liam asked, looking up at me.
“Nah. Nana knows growing boys need food. She’ll let us get away with a snack before dinner.”
Liam nodded and reached for my hand.
* * * *
I lifted Aden and carried him up the stairs. Liam followed slowly behind me. The sun hadn’t quite set yet, but both boys were exhausted. After leaving the apartment, we’d eaten our snack, played, made dinner together, and played some more, and now they were ready to crash in their new bunks.
“Do you think Mimi and Nana are done cleaning yet?” Liam asked.
“Yep. I think so, little man.”
“Good. I don’t want to clean,” Aden said, his head on my shoulder.
I laughed and set him down when we reached the top. Michelle and Winifred were still inside. Everything was neat, and the place smelled faintly like cleaners.
Michelle looked at her brothers with worry.
“They’re just tired. We played hard today.”
“I forgot about dinner.”
“Don’t worry. Jim and Aden didn’t. We all ate downstairs.”
“Thank you. Nana, I better get these two to bed. I can finish the rest on my own.”
“Have a good night, dear. Enjoy your new home.”
Michelle nodded as her stomach growled.
Didn’t you stop to eat? I asked Winifred as I followed her out the door.
No. Time slipped by us.
While Winifred went downstairs, I went into my apartment. It still smelled like Michelle and the boys. I breathed deeply. Her scent wrapped around me, and for the first time in weeks I felt myself relax a little.
Checking the freezer, I found she hadn’t taken any of the food with her. I shook my head, took out a package of chicken breasts, and started thawing them in the microwave.
While I cooked, I listened to Michelle get her brothers ready for bed. Despite their exhaustion, they still had enough energy to fight over who would get the top bunk. I grinned as I turned the meat.
By the time I had two potatoes microwaved and a side of green beans hot, Michelle was in her new kitchen, checking the cupboards. I plated everything, set two spots at the island, and cut off a chunk of cooked meat, skewering it on a fork before going to the door. As soon as she entered the hall, I opened my door all the way and lifted the fork.
“Thought I might see you yet tonight.”
She smiled at me and took the fork, hungrily eating the bite.
“Mmm…” She closed her eyes as she chewed.
Why did that sound have me staring at her neck? Probably because I still wanted to know how she tasted.
“I didn’t think you could hear through closed doors,” she said after she swallowed.
“I can if I’m close enough. Just across the hall from a closed door, I can hear things like footsteps.” I stood aside so she could enter. “Will you eat with me?”
She nodded, and when she passed me, I could smell the familiar sweetness I was coming to crave.
“What do you think of your new place?” I asked, motioning for her to sit.
“I love it. Thank you.” She blushed and focused on her food.
“It was no problem. I liked working on it.” Man, why did conversation have to be so hard? “So, Michelle who is nineteen and likes the color blue, what else can I learn about you?”
She finished chewing before answering.
“There’s not much to know. I mean, before Blake, I remember playing softball and hanging out with friends. But that’s not who I am now.”
“Who are you now?”
“I don’t know who I am. But when I figure it out, I’ll tell you.”
I thought about what she said.
“We’ll figure it out together.”
* * * *
Over the course of the next few days I observed Michelle, trying to figure out what motivated her, what she liked and didn’t like. She excelled at cooking and liked honest praise for her efforts. She liked spending time with her brothers and doing activities with them. She didn’t like bugs, much to Aden’s displeasure. She didn’t like Jim’s singing, but was too polite and amused to say anything. But the biggest epiphany was her desire to be a normal girl.
We were on the porch watching the boys run through the sprinkler. Winifred had just returned from a rummage sale with some fashion magazines from the prior year. When she set them on the porch while unloading the rest of the things from her car, Michelle had picked one up and started thumbing through it.
She’d pause every now and again to study an ad. I began to notice a pattern. Ads with everyday girls caught her eye.
She needs to know what it’s like to be a normal nineteen-year-old, I sent to Winifred as I carried a bag of men’s clothes into her apartment. Most likely that clothing would find its way up to the Compound.
And do you know what it’s like to be a normal nineteen-year-old girl? Winifred’s amusement was clear over our link.
I have some ideas. But I’ll need your help.
You will always have my help.
I waited until Jim was home and Michelle had taken the kids upstairs for the night before discussing what I wanted to do.
“I want to take her on a real date.”
Jim made a pained sound.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Emmitt.”
“Why not?”
“Every time she leaves this place to ‘go out’ she comes back drunk. That girl has a drinking problem.”
Winifred stood, walked over to Jim, and smacked him on the back of the head. Just as calmly, she sat back down. Jim was grinning from ear to ear.
“What did you have in mind, Emmitt?” she asked.
“A nice dinner at that fancy place just outside of town.”
“She’ll need nicer clothes than what she has here.”
“I know. I want you to take her shopping on Saturday. A girls’ day. Back on base, the women would get together to have their hair done and go for lunch. The point was to get out and just be with the girls.”
“You hung out with Army wives?” Jim asked.
“Don’t be slow,” Winifred said.
“I didn’t hang out with them, but I observed. I don’t want Michelle to cut her hair, but I’d like for her to relax.”
“And you think shopping will do that?”
“Alone? No. I’m hoping, with you along keeping her safe, she might.”
“What about taking her to get her nails done?” Jim said. “Girls like that.”
Winifred was quiet for a moment.
“Yes. I think it would be good for her to get away for a little bit. While I’m out, I’ll get us all cell phones. Her obsession with the tablet made me realize we are behind on adapting technologies.”
“I don’t need one,” Jim said. “It’s a waste of pack money.”
“I’m stapling yours to your ear so I can reach you at any time.”
The snarl behind Winifred’s words had me discreetly covering my mouth so she wouldn’t see my grin. It still annoyed her that he took Michelle and then wouldn’t say where.
“I’ll talk to Michelle in the morning,” I said, standing.
* * * *
As soon as the boys raced down the stairs the next morning, I opened my door and caught Michelle in the hallway.
“Morning,” I said, taking in her tank top and shorts. She looked good just as she was. What would she look like all dressed up?
“We’d like to give you a surprise tomorrow but need you to leave with Nana for at least three hours.”
Her smiled faded. “Leave?”
“Jim and I will stay with Liam and Aden.”
She looked at the floor for a moment. “I need to think about it. Okay?”
I nodded and watched her walk away.
She’s going to say no, I sent to Winifred.
Think of a way to help her say yes.
While still thinking of how to accomplish that, I heard Aden start begging to play in the sprinkler instead of coloring at Winifred’s place. It didn’t take Michelle and Winifred long to cave. The kids were the answer.
I waited until Michelle went inside to make lunch before conferring with both boys by the swing set.
“I want to do something nice for your sister. Something really special. But, in order to do it, I have to convince her to leave you two here with me and Jim so she’ll go with Winifred.”
“What do you want to do for her?” Liam asked suspiciously.
“Girl stuff.”
Aden cocked his head to look at me. “And we get to stay here with you and Jim?”
“Yep.”
“Can we have cake?”
“I think we can manage that.”
Aden looked at Liam and gave him an eager nod. Liam didn’t look convinced.
“We’re not forcing her to go, just giving her the chance to choose.”
Once I convinced the boys that we wouldn’t be forcing Michelle to do anything she didn’t want to, I had them on my side. Together we started plotting our approach. As soon as Michelle was up the next morning, the boys would come over to my place for breakfast, and we would let Michelle decide if she wanted to go with Winifred or not. From there, the boys came up with some plans of their own.
After Jim came home, Aden and Liam shared their ideas with him. Tomorrow would be a “boy day”—breakfast followed by cake and a hike through the woods to find cool bugs and other wildlife. The boys were so excited that, when Michelle called them in for the night, they went racing up the stairs without a whine of protest.
It didn’t take long for them to quiet down and fall asleep. I sat on the couch in my apartment, listening to Michelle move around. Tomorrow she’d buy a dress. And, if everything went well, next week we’d go on our first date.
* * * *
I was at my door as soon as I heard movement across the hall. Breakfast was started and all I needed were the boys to back me up. I couldn’t wait for date night. Michelle might think she didn’t know herself, but I knew she did. She just didn’t trust herself. Especially when it came to what she wanted. Me.
At the sound of footsteps in the hall, I opened the door. It wasn’t Liam or Aden, but Michelle.
Her pulse accelerated. At first I thought I’d startled her. Then, her gaze dropped to my shirt and stayed there for several long seconds. I fought not to grin as she struggled to meet my eyes.
“How did you sleep?” she asked.
“Fine. The bed still smells like you.”
As I expected, she blushed and her scent sweetened. Everyone wanted me to move slowly with Michelle, but she was giving me all the physical signals to pick up the pace.
She hesitated in the hall, as if wanting to say something but unsure how to say it. From her apartment, I heard the boys and grinned. They were up and hurrying to get dressed. Liam appeared behind Michelle first.
“Want some breakfast, buddy?” I asked.
“Yep,” Liam said before turning to look behind him. “Hurry up, Aden.”
Aden ran down the hallway from their bedroom as he pulled a shirt over his head.
“What are you up to, Liam?” Michelle asked.
“Nana Wini said if it was okay with you, we could spend the day with Jim and Emmitt so you could go do girl stuff with her.” He looked up at her pleadingly. “Can we?”
She looked at me with worry. “Emmitt…”
I could hear the “no” coming.
“They’ll be safe,” I said, stepping close and speaking softly. “Everything’s been quiet, and you’ve left them before.”
“I know. But that wasn’t right.”
I ducked down a little to catch her gaze. “Do you trust us?”
Her expression softened. “Just three hours?”
I knew I’d won and stepped back to allow Liam and Aden to run into the apartment.
“You’re going to want something on your feet before you go down to Winifred’s.” Humans had silly rules about shopping barefoot.
* * * *
Jim and I fed the boys breakfast, then cake, before helping them with their shoes so we could go on our wildlife trek. It was cooler in the trees than in the yard, and both boys enjoyed the freedom of running. Their wonder over every rock, twig, and creature we pointed out reminded me of the confinement in which they’d lived before coming here.
When our time was up, we made our way back to the house and played in the yard.
“Can we do that again tomorrow?” Liam asked me.
“Any time you want.”
Jim pushed them both on the swings while I made a stack of sandwiches. We sat in the shade of the porch and ate. Jim stole my sandwich twice and had Aden laughing so hard the little man’s face turned red. It was such a good day that it made my stomach hurt. I needed to know they’d stay here forever. That we’d always be able to keep them safe and make them laugh. I needed Michelle to say yes to just one date.
I took everything back upstairs and was washing the dishes when I heard Winifred’s car turn onto the driveway. Excitement coursed through me.
Did Michelle have a good time?
She enjoyed herself but had frequent bouts of worry, which I expected. After what she’s been through, trusting her brothers with anyone had to be hard.
I wiped my hands and was just moving toward the door when I heard Michelle on the porch with Jim.
“Hold on. You can’t sneak in without showing me,” he said.
“What are you doing?” I asked, knowing he’d hear me. Silently, I started down the stairs.
“Very nice. Now the dress,” he said.
“How did you know?” Michelle sounded amused. I wasn’t.
“Jim, you’ve ticked Nana off way too often recently for her to intervene when I start kicking your tail,” I said when I hit the second landing.
“Emmitt told me his contribution to your day. It’s why I thought you’d want your nails done. Better hurry, I hear him coming.”
“I don’t know if anyone will get to see me in this dress,” she said, worrying me.
“Day’s not done yet,” he said.
“We’ll see. Thank you for the lovely day.”
I was on the last flight of stairs and saw them as she stepped forward and hugged Jim tightly. And the ass returned the hug, giving me a thumbs-up behind her back.
I couldn’t stay silent anymore.
“You keep that up, and he’ll be treating you to spa days with Nana Wini every week.”
She released him and turned toward me. “Thank you for the dress,” she said.
Jim moved away from us and headed out to the boys, who were still regaling Nana about what they’d done.
“You’re welcome. Just don’t let Jim see it before I do.”
I didn’t miss that she made no move to hug me.
“I think it might stay in the bag for a while.”
“I hope not. I was wondering if you’d consider going to dinner with me.” Her scent changed with her panic. She probably didn’t want to leave her brothers again.
“Next Saturday,” I said, hoping it would help calm her.
“A date?” she asked, doubtfully.
“If you’re not too busy.”
She shrugged and smiled slightly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
She moved past me, carrying her things inside.
“You coming back outside or going to research again?”
“Both. I’ll bring the tablet out here.”
I watched her walk away, then looked toward the swing set. Winifred met my gaze as she listened to the boys tell her about the things we’d done today.
I know, I sent her. Give it time.
No. I was going to tell you I’d keep an eye on the boys while you hand Jim his tail.
I laughed out loud and went to occupy the boys so Winifred could carry her things inside. It didn’t take her long before she was back on the porch, sipping a glass of tea. When Michelle reemerged, she sat next to Winifred.
Jim managed to stay inside for maybe ten minutes before boredom brought him back outdoors. He knew he was on my shit list because he kept a healthy distance between us when he came over to play with Aden. Still, I managed to get a few whacks in when the boys and Michelle weren’t looking. Winifred caught every single one, but she didn’t say a word.
After a while, Michelle stood and went into the house.
“I sure am thirsty,” Jim said under his breath.
“Not happening,” I said quietly in return. In a normal tone, I told Liam I’d be right back, then went to sit in Michelle’s spot. Winifred saw me coming and picked up Michelle’s tablet. She didn’t say anything to me, but started tapping on the surface of the device.
When Michelle returned, she had a glass of iced tea in her hand.
“May I have a drink?” I asked.
She smiled and held out the glass. Our gazes met as I brought it to my mouth. The taste of her lips still clung to the edge of the glass, a sweetness that heated my blood as I took several swallows. She knew because she looked away after a few moments. Then, she paled.
I turned, following her gaze, and found Winifred watching a video on the tablet. A huge dog was mauling a man. I frowned as I stared at the dog then realized what I was seeing. One of our kind, killing a human in the middle of a city. People on the sidewalks screamed and ran. The wolf looked at the camera then leapt over a nearby fence, leaving behind the body of a middle aged man.
Michelle’s scent spiked a moment before she made an odd noise. I caught her as she collapsed.
Liam yelled, and he and Aden came running.
“Mimi! Mimi!” The panic in their voices tore at me.
“Michelle,” I called, tapping her cheek. “Come on, honey. You’re scaring your brothers.”
“Mimi!” Aden said, reaching for her hair.
Winifred caught his hand as Michelle’s eyes fluttered. “She’s okay. She just fainted. Emmitt caught her. She’s not hurt.”
“Why would they do something so obvious?” Michelle mumbled.
“I don’t know,” Winifred said.
I smoothed my hand over Michelle’s hair, and she opened her eyes for me.
“Nice catch,” she whispered.
Humor after fainting. That was my girl.
“For you, always,” I said.
She sat up slowly, and I kept an arm around her. The paleness in her cheeks slowly warmed as she smiled at her brothers.
“I’m okay. Just got too warm. I think I need to go through the sprinkler.”
Liam wasn’t buying it, but he still allowed Jim to lead them away to play. Once they were out of earshot, I glanced at Winifred.
“I’m assuming that was Richard based on your reaction and question,” she said.
Michelle nodded, and I ached for her. She’d just witnessed how her stepfather had been murdered. Would she ever forgive us?
“This has gone too far. We need to find those responsible. They are killing, and that endangers us all. What we saw…that is not who we are,” Winifred said sadly.
Michelle offered no objection.
Winifred rose and walked into the house. A moment later, I heard her conferring with Sam. After all, Michelle wasn’t the only special human. Sam was in charge of Gabby, a young girl one of our kind had discovered years ago. And then, there was my mom. My mom was more than just a human-compatible Mate, though. She could control a human. Any human. Since I’d been old enough to understand the danger that put her in, I’d understood the need to keep her ability a secret.
That one of our own had killed a human put us all in danger. That one of our kind had held a potential Mate prisoner made me worry about my mom.
After Michelle and the boys went to bed, I met Jim and Winifred in Jim’s apartment.
“What did Sam say?”
“He would like to put out a call asking for the offender to step forward. He agrees that there’s no reason to mention Michelle’s existence or connection. It’s clear from the video that it was a werewolf. And, had we been paying better attention to the news, we would have known about this a month ago.”
“I’d like to talk to Mom and Dad and let them know the full story before you send out the call. Will you ask Dad to call from town? Tonight?”
She was quiet a moment.
“He said he will call within thirty minutes.”
They stayed in Jim’s place while I went to wait for the call at Winifred’s, the number they knew. I picked up before the phone completed its first ring.
“Hello,” I said, the universal polite way of asking who was calling.
“Emmitt, baby!” my mom said with love. “I’ve missed you so much. When did you return?”
“It’s been a few weeks. Sorry for not calling sooner.”
“How was it?” Dad asked, referring to my last few months of duty.
“Good. No issues being discharged.”
Silence hung in the air for a few moments, and I knew they were waiting for the reason behind my suddenly urgent call.
“I met someone,” I said.
“Emmitt,” my mom said on a watery exhale.
“We are so happy for you, son. How did you meet?”
“I stopped for something to eat on my way home, and she walked into the same diner. Before her scent even reached me, I knew she was the one.”
I could hear Mom sniffle.
“When will we get to meet her?” Dad asked.
“That may be a while yet.” I sighed. “She’s human, Mom, and running just like you did. Only it’s not from humans. One of our kind found her and kept her prisoner, and we just learned he shifted and killed her stepfather in public.”
The silence was heavy, and I knew Dad was probably conferring with Winifred via their link.
“She’s beautiful, Mom, and strong. She’s nineteen. The mutt who had her also kept her little brothers locked away. They are five and four and just starting to laugh and trust us. We’re treading carefully and not pushing for more information than she’s ready to give. That’s why I didn’t tell you right away. And why we might not be visiting for a while.”
“Emmitt, your first priority will be to your Mate. But don’t forget the safety of the pack. The fact that someone’s out there breaking rules and not reporting their infractions according to law is—”
“Unthinkable,” Dad finished for her.
And it truly was unthinkable for our kind. One of our rules stated not to kill humans. And the corresponding unbreakable law was that anyone responsible for breaking the rule, or a witness to the breaking of the rule, must admit the deed to an Elder. It was a law that was essentially a direct command from an Elder, and as Jim had experienced firsthand, a direct command was unbreakable. So how, then, did someone break it?
“Winifred filled me in. The call is going out tonight. Keep in touch, Emmitt. Your Mom and I were starting to worry.”
“I’m sorry. I’m home now and will be here if you want to ring us again.” I hung up and went back to Jim’s place.
“Mom cry?” Jim asked.
“Yeah.”
“She’s happy she’ll have a chance to spoil grand-cubs. Well, unless you screw up again. I wonder how many kneeings it takes to crack a nut.”
