Her Guardian Shifter
Her Guardian Shifter
Karen Whiddon
Some boundaries are made to be crossed…A rare Vedjorn bear shifter, Eric Mikkelson lives on his own terms. So allying with wolf shifters, even gorgeous Julia Jacobs, goes against his loner instincts. Yet Eric must protect his infant son from the dangerous shifter cult stalking him. Keeping JJ at arm's length proves nearly impossible. She gets under Eric's skin, exposing them to new risks as their staggering attraction defies Pack laws and JJ's own dark secrets lies between them.When the safe haven of their shifter-friendly town is violated, lying low is no longer an option. Julia and Eric must embrace the power of their inner beasts, even if it means sacrificing their forbidden bond!
Some boundaries are made to be crossed...
A rare Vedjorn bear shifter, Eric Mikkelson lives on his own terms. So allying with wolf shifters, even gorgeous Julia Jacobs, bristles his loner instincts. But Eric must protect his infant son from the dangerous shifter cult stalking him. However, keeping JJ at arm’s length proves nearly impossible. She gets under Eric’s skin, exposing them to new risks as their staggering attraction defies Pack laws, and JJ’s own dark secrets fester between them.
When the safe haven of their shifter-friendly town is violated, lying low is no longer an option. Julia and Eric must embrace the power of their inner beasts, even if it means sacrificing their forbidden bond.
“You went out to change, didn’t you?” The sound of Eric’s deep voice sent an immediate thrum of need blazing through JJ’s bloodstream. Damn.
Eric dragged his hand across his chin. “So...I was wondering if you’d mind watching Garth sometime, so I can change, too. It’s been a while.”
What she’d give to see him change, or to be more specific, to be there when he exchanged his animal for that of a man, fully and gloriously aroused. A bolt of lust shot through her, so strong she nearly staggered.
“Tomorrow night should be fine.” She hoped she sounded casual.
“Thank you.” He grinned. “I hope I can repay you somehow.”
Oh, she knew exactly how he could repay her. Dang it. Swallowing hard, she managed to smile back.
“Good night,” she said firmly, unlocking her door and stepping inside, her entire body throbbing. Residue from the change, she told herself. Nothing to do with her tenant. Nothing to do with him at all.
KAREN WHIDDON started weaving fanciful tales for her younger brothers at the age of eleven. Amid the gorgeous Catskill Mountains, then the majestic Rocky Mountains, she fueled her imagination with the natural beauty surrounding her. Karen now lives in north Texas, writes full-time and volunteers for a boxer dog rescue. She shares her life with her hero of a husband and four to five dogs, depending on if she is fostering. You can email Karen at kwhiddon1@aol.com. Fans can also check out her website, www.karenwhiddon.com (http://www.karenwhiddon.com).
Her Guardian Shifter
Karen Whiddon
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my dog rescue family.
Your love and support and kindheartedness
help make this world brighter.
Contents
Cover (#ue40c72bb-33d6-52e7-87df-87ba0377ca4c)
Back Cover Text (#u2bcb2335-a77d-5880-a4d3-bff4f682d575)
Introduction (#u1dd32db9-de0a-56ab-bcf8-e47a0b586e67)
About the Author (#uf78707e9-1683-5ad8-9939-75350ed085f0)
Title Page (#u5bbf1602-2ce6-5c3b-b272-6214583284df)
Dedication (#u57f51930-6a90-56d0-913a-e1600ff41d0b)
Chapter 1 (#u307b09c3-bf32-500d-9429-1f76b13770a1)
Chapter 2 (#u752669f5-5600-52dc-a6a1-1ca5cf4a2e49)
Chapter 3 (#u55b9bfa9-a3b6-5441-ae7d-7007bee0a205)
Chapter 4 (#u985ded4e-79ee-5c5e-963c-129b5defd53d)
Chapter 5 (#u37fccbbb-6ef5-55cb-879e-eaca8789f032)
Chapter 6 (#u97a743af-1892-5b23-be60-988028bb5828)
Chapter 7 (#u137f4f68-6709-5471-a617-36f5f47c0201)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. Truer words had never been uttered. Hightailing it out of California with his infant son made Eric Mikkelson feel like some sort of criminal, even though he’d never broken a single law in his entire thirty-six years. Basically, he considered himself one of the good guys. Though his kind, the Vedjorn—bear shape-shifters—were by and large ostracized by the wolves, aka The Pack, since no one went around revealing what kind of shifter they were, his life hadn’t been impacted as much as it could have been otherwise.
No, this journey had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with protecting his son. He wasn’t sure why he felt as if he’d gone on the lam. After all, he’d been granted full legal custody of three-month-old Garth in a court of law. Without restrictions. So if he wanted to drive across the country to New York in the middle of winter, infant son in tow, there was absolutely no reason why he shouldn’t or couldn’t.
He had his reasons, of course. Even before Garth had been born, he’d asked for and received permission to take a sabbatical from his job as a college professor. As soon as his then-wife, Yolanda, had begun showing, so had her disdain for the thing she carried inside her.
The more she’d ranted and raved, the more worried he’d grown. She, too, was bear, and their kind were dwindling. A pregnancy would normally be a time for celebration. Not with her. Instead, she appeared to be coming unhinged.
In her third trimester, she’d finally come to him and asked for her freedom. She hadn’t meant she only wanted out of the marriage. She wanted out of motherhood, as well. He’d negotiated with her carefully. Since he’d offered her a hefty settlement, she’d carried their son full term. Once Garth had been born, she’d refused even to look at the tiny, red-faced infant. She’d handed over the baby to Eric, checked herself out of the hospital and took off to have fun without being tied to anyone or anything.
The divorce had gone through without a hitch. Eric settled into his new life as a single father with bemused dedication and love. He’d been shocked to learn how much he loved his newborn son, and vowed to be the best parent he could.
He’d researched everything about babies. Heavily. Some things, such as the ingrained habits borne of years spent educating others, wouldn’t be changed. He’d felt competent and prepared, until the first time Garth came down with a high fever that wouldn’t break.
But he’d managed, and now, three months in, he would lay down his life for his son. Which was why, when his unstable ex-wife started showing up on his doorstep unannounced, insisting something was wrong with the baby and she needed to take him somewhere to have him fixed, he’d realized he needed to leave California for a while.
While he made his preparations, he’d received phone calls from colleagues and friends, informing him that Yolanda had been declaring to anyone who would listen that Eric had stolen her son from her and cheated her out of motherhood.
After he’d placated numerous people, the news got worse. Now it seemed that Yolanda not only wanted her son back, but she also wanted Eric dead. She’d gone twice to the Wolf Pack authorities, the Pack Protectors, and tried to convince them that Eric was a Berserker, a form of insanity unique to the Vedjorn. When a Berserker shifted from human to bear, he or she became a crazed killing machine. If Eric had truly been one, he’d be a danger to not only her son, but others. She also had hinted a few times that Garth might be a Berserker, as well. It was this last claim that worried Eric. He could defend himself against her attacks. His son could not.
The infrequent gene mutation among the bear shifters was the reason the others—especially wolves—avoided them. Since they were the largest group, the Wolf Pack had an entire division, called the Pack Protectors, devoted to ensuring humankind didn’t learn about their existence. True Berserkers with their indiscriminate killing would endanger not only the bears, but all the others, as well. This could not be allowed. Anyone even seriously suspected of being a Berserker was brought in and contained, until the accusations could either be verified or denied. True Berserkers, though few and far between, were exterminated.
And Yolanda had named Eric a Berserker. Since this accusation was serious, one might have expected her to have some proof. Something to back her up, incidents of killing and maiming. Since she didn’t, no one took her seriously. Including Eric.
Then, without warning, Yolanda had shown up on Eric’s doorstep demanding to see her baby. She hadn’t been even close to sober. He’d turned her away. She’d finally left, shouting about how their son needed healing. And how she was the only one who could provide it.
After that, she’d had an attorney friend contact him. Even though she’d willingly signed away all parenting rights, she’d now decided she’d changed her mind. Except she hadn’t really. He knew all this was somehow related to her intense need to heal her son. From what, he wasn’t sure. Maybe she truly did believe little Garth would grow up to be Berserker. But everyone understood those signs wouldn’t start to exhibit themselves until Garth was able to shape-shift, which would be in his early teens. And if he truly ended up being Berserker, there was no cure.
With a bone-deep certainty, Eric knew his son wasn’t Berserker. Unfortunately, Yolanda appeared equally convinced he was, despite having no evidence to support her.
She’d shown up twice more at his front door, cursing, screaming and crying. And threatening. He began to understand his son was in real danger from the woman who’d birthed him. When he caught her breaking the window on the back door in order to gain entry to his home so she could grab the baby, he’d realized it would be better to disappear. In fact, his Pack Protector friend Jason had strongly suggested it.
So early one morning Eric had quietly packed his SUV, locked his house and taken off cross-country with Garth securely strapped in his infant car seat in back. The rest of his belongings had already been picked up by a moving company and would be delivered a week later, including his painstakingly restored 1969 classic Camaro SS.
His destination was the tiny town of Forestwood, New York, where he’d rented the bottom floor of a house from a website he’d found on the internet, hoping it would look the same as the pictures that had been posted. He no longer would be teaching college. Instead he would open his own business doing something that until now he’d considered only a hobby. He planned to start an entirely new life, focusing on his son and keeping his head down.
* * *
Though her new tenant was supposed to pick up his keys today, Julia Jacobs eyed the blizzard raging outside and figured he’d call her to reschedule. According to the stern yet clearly excited weatherman on TV, officials were advising people to stay off the roads. Whiteout conditions and extreme cold didn’t make for safe travel.
JJ didn’t mind. She’d been anticipating the snow with the eagerness of a child. She’d dreamed it, after all. And snowfall brought her joy. In all kinds of ways. At the first sight of big, fat snowflakes drifting down from the leaden gray sky, she was filled with the excited anticipation of a kid on Christmas Eve.
Though she knew she was out of sync with the rest of the world, winter was her favorite season. The crisp bite of the cold air, her breath pluming as she exhaled. She loved the bundling up, the sweater and scarf and coat and hat and gloves and boots. Stepping out into the white wonderland and making the first set of footprints to mar the unblemished perfection. The way the world went absolutely still and quiet the morning after a snowfall, and how wonderful it felt to sit inside her warm house by the fire drinking cocoa and watching the snow fall. Snow always felt like a new beginning, a chance to start over.
She sighed, glad once again that she was alone, that she’d left Shawn and the hustle and bustle of New York City behind. Even before his true abusive nature came out, her ex-boyfriend had ridiculed her love of all things winter, one of her many character traits that he’d found distasteful and disgusting. Of course, he’d been a summer person, while heat and blazing sunshine had only depressed her. That had just been the beginning and she’d finally broken free. This blizzard, already being ominously forecasted as the storm of the century, brought her nothing but joy.
She felt sorry for her new tenant, though. When he’d rented out the bottom floor of her house, his Norwegian accent had intrigued her. Of course, she’d Googled him after getting his name, noting he’d immigrated to California. She’d been impressed by his academic credentials. A college professor on sabbatical, he’d said. With an infant son.
The last might have given other landlords pause. After all, babies cried, and even though he’d be on another floor entirely, sound drifted in older houses like hers.
But JJ had never been a landlord before—heck, she was a brand-new homeowner—and she adored babies, so she’d immediately granted Mr. Eric Mikkelson the lease. He’d paid for two months up front, along with a perfectly reasonable security deposit. He didn’t smoke or have pets, so she privately thought she might have actually managed to find the perfect tenant.
Even the few fuzzy photos of him she’d seen online jibed with his career. He looked the part, a stereotypical professor, round wire glasses and hair in a ponytail. She hadn’t been able to tell if his hair was blond or gray, but supposed it didn’t matter. He had a baby, which made up for a whole lot of other things, including any lingering intellectual snobbishness. Lord knew she’d had enough of that with Shawn and his Wall Street friends.
Again, she quickly put the thought from her mind. Enough time had passed that she ought to be able to relax, but she still jumped every time someone moved too fast or she heard a loud, unexpected noise. At least she’d retaught herself not to keep her gaze trained on the ground anymore lest she be accused of flirting.
And the nightmares featuring Shawn had finally stopped. The horrible, awful dreams had her questioning her own sanity.
Heaving a sigh, she walked to the window to watch the beautiful snow fall, knowing this would instantly put her in a better frame of mind.
Meanwhile, meeting her new tenant would have to wait until after the storm. Which meant she was free to putter around the house, put a pot of butternut squash soup to simmer on the stove and go out and play in the snow.
Until she’d moved in with Shawn, she’d lived all her life in an apartment in New York City with her parents. If she and her friends had wanted to make a snowman, they’d gone to the park. Now, thanks to a distant great-aunt she’d barely known leaving her this house upstate in Forestwood, New York, she could make a snowman in her own front yard. The prospect excited her, probably more than it should considering she’d just turned thirty-four. She’d have to wait to build it until after the snowfall stopped, but still wanted to go outside and check out the snow.
After bundling up—two pairs of socks inside her snow boots, scarf, and wearing a soft knit cap under her hood—she took a deep breath and stepped out into the swirling storm.
Wow. Stopping just outside the front door on her stoop, she stared. This was coming down fast and furious. She guesstimated already six to seven inches had fallen.
And so beautiful. Slowly she turned, squinting as she tried to see down the street to the other houses. Other houses! She’d lived her entire life surrounded by tall buildings, in the crowded city. She thought she could get used to this new life. Everything moved slower here. The pace suited her just fine.
One month and she’d unpacked nearly everything. Of course, she hadn’t had much to unpack. Luckily, all her great-aunt’s furniture had come with the house, since JJ had none of her own. When she’d moved in with Shawn, he’d convinced her to get rid of her own few eclectic pieces. After all, they’d clashed with his sleek, modern furniture. Bohemian, he’d called it, with the same disparaging intonation one would use with a curse word.
Shawn. She hated how her thoughts kept returning to him when they shouldn’t. That part of her life was over. He no longer had any hold on her. He would never find her here. Even her mother had been sworn to secrecy, though she hadn’t been told why. Pushing him and her former life out of her head, JJ returned her focus to the perfect snowstorm.
Unable to resist, she dropped to the ground and made a snow angel, even though fresh flakes would fill it in quickly. With her face lifted to the sky, she felt like a kid. The icy flakes stuck to her eyelashes and her lips, even her teeth, since she was grinning. The cold air hurt her skin, which meant she wouldn’t be able to stay outside much longer, but she planned to enjoy what time she had.
The sound of a car door slamming made her sit up and blink away the snowflakes stuck to her lashes. What the... Someone had pulled up to the curb in front of her house. Driving some sort of compact SUV that she’d never in a million years have believed could make it more than a mile in this snow without snow tires and chains.
A tall, bare-headed man came around from the driver’s side. As she stared, her first thought was of the mythological Norse god Thor. She forgot about the icy wind, the snowflakes swirling like dervishes. Because as he strode toward her, his long, wavy blond hair swirling around his shoulders, her entire body came alive. He moved with a confident, easy stride, as if the snow and ice didn’t exist for him.
Damn. Realizing she was still on the ground, she clambered to her feet, dusting as much snow off her as she could before she looked up at him. And she meant up. This guy had to be way over six feet tall. Shawn had been six-two, and she’d bet this man would tower over him. Norse god, she thought again. Odd that she hadn’t had a single dream of him. She’d bet she would from now on.
“Um, hi?” she squeaked.
“Ms. Jacobs?” he rumbled, his bright blue eyes sharp. Oh heck, his voice definitely suited him. Made her go weak in the knees. And that accent...
Belatedly she knew who this must be. “Eric Mikkelson?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief from showing.
“Yes.” He tilted his massive, unbelievably gorgeous head. “You weren’t expecting me? I believe I confirmed I’d be here this afternoon to pick up the keys.”
“I know, but...” She gestured helplessly at the storm raging around them. “You drove up here in this?”
“This?” Frowning, he didn’t appear to understand what she meant. Before she could elaborate, he turned back toward his car. “I need to get my son. Do you mind if we continue this discussion inside?”
His son. Struck dumb by both his recklessness and his masculine beauty, she nodded. Then, because she loved babies as much as she loved snow, she followed him over to the car and tried to peer around him as he unbuckled his son’s infant carrier.
She caught a glimpse of bright blue eyes peering out from a tiny, bundled up face. As she leaned in closer, her tenant, clearly not realizing she’d moved in so close, caught her with his elbow under the chin and sent her flying backward.
“Oof.” Down she went, right on her behind. Luckily, all her layers plus the several inches of fluffy snow provided lots of padding. Nothing got hurt except her pride.
Her tenant glanced back over his shoulder at her, clearly unaware what had happened. “Are you all right?” he asked, his cautious tone telling her he’d begun to consider the possibility that she might be nuts.
For a split second she debated telling him what had happened. Pushing to her feet, she once again dusted off snow, the cold dampness beginning to seep through her layers to her skin. And then she caught sight of Eric’s son, and completely forgot what she’d been about to say.
The instant the baby locked eyes with her, he grinned and wrinkled his cute little nose. All bundled up in his snowsuit, cap and mittens, he looked like a precious baby seal with bright blue eyes. As his daddy lifted him up, he cooed.
Like his father, his cuteness factor was off the charts.
“Come on,” she said, conscious of the freezing temperature and icy wind. “I don’t want him to get frostbite.”
Eric Mikkelson stared and shook his head. “He has Norwegian blood,” he said, as if that explained everything. “This snowstorm is nothing compared to the ones I grew up with in Norway. I dressed him warmly. He’ll be fine.”
Fine? She managed to refrain from shaking her head while she tromped her way through the deepening snow to her front door. When she turned back to look for him, for a second she couldn’t see him, the baby or his car due to the blowing, swirling snow.
Chapter 2 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
An instant of panic disappeared the moment JJ caught sight of her new tenant striding up her walk, his son clutched securely to his massive chest.
Again with the striding? As if the snow wasn’t even there. Maybe it had something to do with his height.
Then, before she had time to pretend she wasn’t gaping, he reached her. Fumbling, her hands cold even in her lined ski gloves, she opened the door. “Come on inside.”
As she began the laborious process of removing her many layers of warm clothes, she watched him shrug out of his coat and then get busy undressing the baby. In disbelief, she processed not only the fact that Eric wore just a black sweater under his parka, but that his infant son did, too.
Unable to tear her gaze away, even though she knew her stare might be rude, she exhaled.
Eric Mikkelson was a big man. Not just tall, not just broad, but an appealing combination of the two. Throw in some killer muscles, a narrow waist and lean hips, and he was the stuff of which feminine fantasies were made.
She frowned. Since when did she need to even start thinking about another man, never mind fantasizing about one? If her relationship with Shawn had taught her anything, it had shown her she clearly needed to live alone and figure out how she’d let herself become so...
Since leaving Shawn, she’d tried out several different adjectives and discarded them, because no one single word could adequately describe how much of herself she’d let Shawn destroy. Thankfully, she’d finally gotten the courage to flee.
No, she thought, eyeing the gorgeous masculine specimen in front of her, a man was the last thing she needed.
Still, she’d have to be dead not to appreciate this man’s appeal. And of course, there was his baby.
The infant made a curious snuffling sound. She wondered exactly what species of shape-shifter Eric might be. His aura, like hers, revealed him to be a shifter, though not what kind. And while she hadn’t met too many others, she knew there were many different types of animals besides her wolf. In fact, this little town had recently gained notoriety among shifters for revealing another rare species of shifter, the Drakkor, or dragon shifter. They’d welcomed several into life in their town, even though most of the residents of Forestwood were Pack, or wolf, like JJ.
She’d bet Eric Mikkelson wasn’t wolf. Still eyeing him, she figured he might be a big cat, like a lion or panther. Though his movements and size reminded her more of a grizzly. She swallowed hard. The Vedjorn bear shifters were as rare as Drakkor, and for good reason. They were unstable and frequently dangerous. They kept to themselves and, unlike the other species of shifters, rarely if ever intermarried outside of their own kind. Not that anyone else wanted anything to do with them.
“Are you all right?”
Crud. She’d been standing staring at him, most likely with her mouth wide-open or a big, dopey smile on her face. Flustered, she nodded. “Yes, sorry. I’m fine. It’s just that...” she began. Horrified, she realized she’d been about to breach the most sacred etiquette between shifters. Yikes. There was no way she could ask him what kind of animal he changed into.
“Yes?” he asked, his tone patient, a smile playing along the edge of his sensual mouth. Once again she’d gotten lost in thought. Obviously, her social skills had also vanished with her previous life.
“I’m sorry,” she finally repeated, wincing as the second apology crept out. “It’s just, I wasn’t expecting you today and now that you’re here, you aren’t at all what I expected.” As she wound to the end of her rambling, her entire face flamed.
“But I confirmed that I would pick up the keys today,” he said, his expression puzzled.
“Yes, but...” She waved her fingers at her large picture window. “With the storm, I thought you’d reschedule.”
Tilting his big, shaggy head, he considered her. Then he grinned, his blue eyes sparking with amusement. And just like that, he went from great looking to absolutely drop-dead sexy.
So help her, her knees went weak again and her breath caught in her chest. Damn.
“You’re joking, right?” His good-natured question prompted her to agree.
“Of course I am,” she managed to reply, attempting a wobbly smile. Thank goodness she at least didn’t sound breathless. “What’s a little blizzard to someone from Norway, right?” Even if that someone had been living in California for years, according to his application.
“Exactly.” The warm glance he sent her invited her to share in his amusement. He swung his large head around to check out the central foyer, while expertly rocking his son’s carrier. The stairs to her place were to the left. His front door was underneath the staircase.
“Would you mind showing me the way to my place? It’s been a long day and I’d like to get settled in as quickly as possible.”
“Of course.” She matched his brisk tone. “Follow me.”
When she’d arrived to claim the house she’d inherited, she’d been surprised to see it had been built as two separate living areas. Both the top floor and the bottom were self-contained dwellings, each with their own kitchen and bathrooms. She’d claimed the top floor. Years of living in the city had taught her she’d be safer there. And the bottom floor she’d rented out to him, her very first tenant ever.
Luckily, the top floor had its own separate entrance, so they’d both have plenty of privacy. And she would have some income to tide her over until she figured out exactly what she wanted to do.
“You’ll have the entire bottom floor,” she said, opening his front door and stepping aside. “Here it is. All yours.”
Still bouncing the baby, he pushed past her and stopped, turning in a half circle to take it all in.
“Wow.” His deep laugh reminded her of hot cocoa spiced with Kahlúa. “When you said it came furnished, I was relieved. I confess, I actually pictured Ikea or maybe an eclectic mix of garage sale and discount store. What I didn’t envision was this. It’s very...” Words seemed to fail him.
“Old lady-ish?” she suggested helpfully, unable to keep from smiling. “All of this stuff belonged to my great-aunt Olivia.” She didn’t tell him the reason she’d kept the fussy, outdated furniture was because she not only didn’t have any of her own, but currently didn’t have the funds to replace it.
“I see,” he said, eyeing a particularly delicate looking chair. “To be honest, I’m afraid I’ll break that if I sit in it.”
She had to admit he was probably right. “I’ll switch it out with something else,” she said, trying to sound businesslike. “Here are your keys.”
When she went to hand them off, her fingers brushed his. Damn. A curious swooping pull swept through her, momentarily making her head spin.
“Are you all right?” he asked yet again, watching her closely, as if he expected her to fall over in a dead faint at any second.
“Yes.” Biting back her second almost automatic apology, she forced a smile. Life with Shawn had compelled her to apologize for everything, even stuff that wasn’t her fault. She’d been consciously trying to break the habit ever since she’d gotten free.
“I guess I’d better leave you to it,” she continued brightly. “I’m just upstairs if you need anything.”
He nodded. “I’ve got your number, as well. Thank you for everything.” As she moved back out into their shared foyer, he firmly and quietly closed his door. A second later, she heard the sound of the dead bolt clicking into place. She couldn’t help but wish she’d dream of him once she went to sleep.
* * *
Exhaustion had Eric wishing he could undress and crawl into bed, but little Garth would need a diaper change and some formula first. Shame about the landlord woman. Though she really was stunning with her fiery red hair, large green eyes and curvy body, she seemed a little daft in the head. The way she’d eyed his baby—as if she’d like to eat him up—had worried Eric. Had he escaped one crazy woman only to relocate with another?
Surely not. Most likely, he was overreacting out of fear. Still, just in case, until he knew her better, he’d make sure to keep his distance.
After he got Garth cleaned up, fed and burped, and put down for a nap, he finally rummaged in his backpack for the sandwich he’d bought at the last gas station. It had gotten crushed and didn’t look the least bit appetizing, but was still cold. He wolfed it down in four bites, wishing he’d had the foresight to buy two. Tomorrow, he’d stock up on food, but for now he had enough of the two things that really mattered—formula and diapers. He had a portable crib in the back of his SUV and the rest of his things would be arriving as soon as the transport company got there.
The one thing he worried most about was his other car. The one he didn’t want to take a chance on damaging by driving cross-country. And he sure as hell wouldn’t be taking it out on icy roads recently coated with salt. He’d park it until the winter season had long passed. Late spring, at the earliest.
One of the reasons he’d chosen to rent this place over the others was that it came with a garage. According to the lease, his landlord got one side of the two-car, detached garage and he got the other. He didn’t plan to use it for the SUV he’d driven across the country. No. He planned to store the 1969 Camaro SS he’d lovingly restored inside his slot in the garage. That car would be his advertisement for the business he planned to start.
Even in California, where customized hot rods were a dime a dozen, his car turned heads. He’d been asked several times where he’d had the work done. Plenty of people had wanted to hire him when he’d told them he’d done it himself. They’d been shocked to learn he worked as a college professor and that he’d restored the car as a hobby. He’d come to realize he might be able to do something he loved and actually earn a living at it. He’d started saving every penny he could, in the hope that one day he could actually start his own business. He’d just about had enough to get serious when Yolanda had gotten pregnant.
And then his life had gone to hell in a handbasket.
No sense in dwelling on the past. Tonight was the first night in his new home and tomorrow would be literally the first day of the rest of his new life. A life where he could keep Garth safe. A life where, hopefully, he could settle in, make friends, get his business established, and find peace and joy again.
The snow continued to fall all through the night. Eric knew because, restless, he got up several times to peer out the window to where the streetlight illuminated the now impassable street. The little house was snug—he’d give it that. No leaky windows, and the radiators put out plenty of heat. He felt cozy and oddly at peace, something he hadn’t quite expected when he’d chucked his entire life and took off to start a new one on the opposite side of the country.
Now he suspected he knew what people who went into the Witness Protection Program felt like. Adrift, needing an anchor, but afraid to put down deep roots in case they needed to move on again. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the case here. No way would anyone—especially his ex—think to look for him this far from sunny California.
Finally, sometime around six, he got up, blinking at the brightness from the snow outside, and began puttering around his new living space. The old furniture reminded him of his maternal grandmother’s house—fussy fabrics, lots of dark wood and elaborate ornamentation. He suspected there would have been a plethora of knickknacks covering every conceivable service, which Julia Jacobs had most likely cleared out once she’d arrived. The dark wood gleamed, evidently having recently been dusted and polished, and the space he’d rented looked clean.
Garth woke and Eric got busy changing his boy’s diaper and warming formula so the little guy could have breakfast. Early on Eric had felt a sense of pride at the fact that he’d gotten quite adept at these basic parenting tasks, an accomplishment that had once both amazed and amused him. Now, taking care of his three-month-old was routine, second nature.
After Garth had been fed and burped, Eric sat on the couch and let his son play with a set of colorful plastic rattles. He’d brought only a few of the baby’s toys with him; the others would arrive in the moving truck.
Eventually, Garth fell asleep again and Eric gently placed him back in his temporary crib. He stood for a moment watching his son sleep, his heart full. Finally, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
The knock on his door was decisive, yet quiet enough that it didn’t wake the baby. When Eric opened it, he wasn’t surprised to see his petite landlady standing there. If anything, she looked even more intriguing than she had the night before. He’d never been partial to redheads, but he’d never seen one as beautiful as her. Her emerald-green eyes and lush mouth contrasted with her spattering of freckles, giving her a sexy, girl-next-door vibe. Eyeing her, he felt a jolt of lust, which of course he instantly tamped down.
“Yes?” he asked politely, keeping his body between her and the inside of his place.
A shadow darkened her eyes, almost as if his intense need for privacy wounded her. “I just wanted to apologize,” she said softly. “I know I acted a little strange yesterday and I’m sorry.” Her slight laugh sounded a bit forced, though she kept her chin up and her shoulders back. “Anyway, welcome to Forestwood.” She held out her hand. He noticed her fingernails were short and looked uneven, as if she maybe chewed on them.
The two of them shook. She had a nice, firm grip, which he appreciated.
“I made you a map of town, showing you where all the shops are. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Once he’d accepted the folded map, she turned to go.
“Wait.”
Stopping, she turned, one eyebrow lifted.
“Thank you,” he told her. “As soon as the roads are cleared, I need to hit the grocery store. Any idea what time the plows will come through?”
“I watched the news and this storm was pretty bad. They may not. If the plows don’t make it out this way today, they’ll get our road done tomorrow.”
His heart sank. “Tomorrow?” As he spoke, his stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t had breakfast or even coffee. “I have absolutely no food. I don’t suppose you’d care to sell me a few things to tide me over until then.”
“No food?” Tilting her head, she considered him. “Please tell me you have formula for the baby.”
“Of course I do. And diapers. You can’t travel cross-country with an infant without those. Little Garth is taken care of. I’m the one who needs provisions.”
Amusement sparked in her green eyes. “I’m not going to sell you food,” she said, disappointing him. “But you won’t starve, not in my house. Come with me. I can feed you. I’m an excellent cook.”
Even though his stomach still rumbled with hunger, he wasn’t sure he wanted her to feed him. The idea of her cooking for him seemed way too intimate. Yet what alternative did he have? He could starve or he could eat.
Both embarrassed and wary and, damn it, hungry, he shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, I barely know you. You shouldn’t have to...”
“It’s food.” Her smile tugged at him, invited him to smile back. “Not gold or diamonds or even splitting a bottle of red wine. A couple of simple, hearty meals. Let me make you something, starting with breakfast. You can pay me back after you’ve made it to the store. Now what’ll it be? I’ve got eggs and bread, or oatmeal if you prefer.”
His stomach growled at the thought. Still, he felt obligated to at least make an effort to decline. “I don’t want to impose,” he began.
“You’re not.” She turned to go. “Come on. And bring that adorable baby with you.”
Heaven help him, he went. The small sandwich from the night before had long ago faded from memory and he needed to eat something. Anything. Even cold cereal. He figured he’d go with oatmeal, since she probably had instant, and it would be less trouble and less intimate than asking her to fry him up a couple eggs.
Since Garth was still asleep, it was a simple matter of picking up the portable crib and carrying it with him. Good thing the kid was a sound sleeper. Eric tromped all the way up the steep flight of stairs and his son never woke. Garth had always been like that.
His lovely landlord had left her door open for him. He didn’t know why he was making such a big deal out of a simple kindness on her part, but he chalked it up to being gun-shy after what had happened with Yolanda. Still, he couldn’t stand outside on the landing forever. At least, not if he wanted to eat.
Chapter 3 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Taking a deep breath, Eric stepped inside and looked around. He didn’t know what he’d expected, maybe a carbon copy of his, but her space looked completely different. Minimal furnishings, for one. Clearly, she’d chosen only what she wanted from the furniture her great-aunt had left behind. And then she’d added some other pieces, bright colors mostly. Lots of patterns, stripes and swirls and polka dots. Feminine stuff, but surprisingly comfortable looking.
Turning slowly, he wasn’t sure what to make of it all. Instead of looking garish or confusing, the effect was cheerful and homey. In a bohemian sort of way. In fact, it reminded him of photos he’d seen of some of the dorms at the college where he used to work.
“In here,” Julia called. He followed the sound of her voice and found her standing in front of the stove.
Her kitchen, too, appeared bright and clean. She’d made an attempt to modernize it, though the aging appliances and chipped counters showed its age. He set the travel crib near the table and against the wall, hopefully out of the way.
“Welcome. So what’ll it be?” she asked, her friendly tone and relaxed posture inviting him to loosen his guard.
“Oatmeal is fine,” he told her. “I don’t want you to go to any trouble. You have instant, right?”
She eyed him, her expression thoughtful. “I do. Are you sure that’s what you want?”
It wasn’t, but he nodded. “Oatmeal is great on a snowy morning.”
“Coffee?” Handing him a cup, she pointed toward a half-full coffeepot. “Help yourself.”
In California, he’d come to appreciate good coffee. He’d even purchased a specialty brewer, which was on its way here with his other personal belongings. But right now, he would have settled for instant. With no expectations other than it being hot, he filled his cup and took a sip.
It was good. More than good. Right up there with the gourmet coffee served at the corner java shop he used to stop at every morning on his way to campus. A second sip and he made a small sound of pleasure, causing her to swing around and grin at him.
He felt the power of that grin like a punch in his stomach. Slightly disoriented, he finally smiled back. He definitely hadn’t expected this. Expected her.
“I take it you like my coffee?”
“I do.” His third sip made him widen his smile into a grin. “It’s delicious. I can’t tell you how badly I needed this.”
“I can imagine.” She gestured at the table, a round wooden one that she’d painted turquoise. Around it were four wooden chairs, all painted different colors. “Sit. I’ll have your breakfast ready in a minute.”
Slightly less uncomfortable, he pulled out a chair. After bustling around for a second, she put a bowl in the microwave. When it chimed, she used pot holders to remove it, dropped in a handful of raisins and carried it over to him, along with a spoon and a paper napkin. “Here you go.”
After one bite, he had to fight not to inhale the entire bowl. “This doesn’t taste like instant oatmeal,” he commented, before shoveling another spoonful into his mouth.
“Oh yeah?” She took a seat across from him, cradling her own mug of coffee. “It is, but I mashed a banana in with it before I micro-zapped it. It’s one of my favorite breakfasts in the world. Then I added raisins and cinnamon. Do you like it?”
Since he’d nearly finished his bowl, he nodded. Two more bites and he was done. “Thank you,” he said, meaning it. “I was really hungry.” So hungry that everything tasted better around her.
“I could tell. I made two packets, since one is never enough.”
He could have eaten two more, but he’d already imposed enough. Sipping his coffee, he nodded before glancing out her kitchen window at the snow still piled up outside. “Judging from your porch railings, I’d say we must have gotten at least ten inches.”
“Yep. They said on the news it was more like a foot.”
“I believe it.” One more swallow and he’d emptied his cup. He wondered if she’d mind if he had another. “Do you really think it will be tomorrow until the plows come through? I need to get to a grocery store at least.”
She seemed remarkably unconcerned. “It’ll probably be today. That all depends where they decide to go first. But if you don’t make it to the store, I’ll make sure you don’t starve. Oh, and if you do get out, I’ll be happy to watch the baby while you shop. No need to have to deal with taking him out into weather like this.”
Watch the baby? He glanced at Garth, still sleeping peacefully. After his initial frisson of alarm, he considered her. He really needed to stop being so suspicious. No way could every woman he met turn out to be as psychotic and unbalanced as Yolanda. He had to admit, if only to himself, maybe he’d gotten paranoid. But then, who would blame him?
The truth was eventually he would have to find someone who could babysit Garth from time to time. More, once he started scouting for locations to open up his custom car shop. He’d definitely need to get day care during regular business hours so he could work. The thought tied his stomach in knots. He didn’t like being away from his son, not for more than a few minutes at a time. He didn’t know how people did it, returning to work out of necessity when their child was only a few months old. Like them, he’d have no choice but to do the same. Not yet, though. Not yet.
One thing at a time, he reminded himself.
“I might take you up on that,” he replied. Surely he could let her watch Garth for an hour while he stocked his fridge and pantry.
“Just let me know when.”
Again he glanced out her window at the pristine white snow. “As soon as the plows clear the streets.”
“Do you have personal items arriving?” she asked. “Baby furniture, your television, that sort of thing?”
“My moving truck is supposed to arrive in a few days,” he said, eyeing his empty mug longingly. “Assuming the roads are good enough for them to get through.”
“Good.” She grabbed the coffeepot and brought it over. “More coffee? Don’t worry, I can always make more.”
Relieved, he nodded. After she’d refilled his cup, he took another deep drink and sighed. Just as good the second time. “I promise I’ll repay you as soon as I can.”
The snorting sound she made surprised him. Humor danced in her eyes, inviting him to share it with her. “Don’t worry about it. It’s coffee, not Patrón Silver.”
And then she laughed, the low sound pleasing and harmonious. “Occasionally there’s nothing better than a shot of really good tequila, you know?”
He actually did. After a second of hesitation, he nodded in agreement. “Thanks again for everything. I’m just not used to mooching off anyone.”
When she pulled out the chair across from him, he saw she’d refilled her mug, too. Like him, she drank her coffee black. “Tell me about yourself, Eric Mikkelson. Why are you moving to the Catskills from sunny and hip California? Is it for a new job or do you have family here?”
Personal questions. Though instead of immediately putting him on the defensive once again, the friendly, casual way she phrased her questions actually relaxed him. She sounded interested rather than inquisitive. “No family. I moved here to go into a new line of work. I’m planning on opening my own business in town, once I find the perfect space.”
“Awesome.” To his surprise, she didn’t ask him what kind of business. “But still. Why Forestwood? We’re not exactly a metropolis. We’re barely even on the map.”
Since he knew from her aura that she, too, was a shifter, he felt comfortable enough to tell her the truth. “Because I read the article about the Drakkor. Any town that will lovingly shelter an individual without knowing or understanding what kind of being she might be is the kind of place where I feel I’ll fit in.”
At first, she didn’t move. Didn’t comment or respond, just watched him, her big green eyes contemplative. “The Drakkor. After that article was published, we got a lot of tourists. Mostly, they just wanted to see a real, live dragon. But no one actually wanted to move here.”
“For me, it isn’t about seeing a Drakkor.” The earnestness in his voice surprised him. “It’s about finding friendly people. Neighbors who don’t judge you because you’re different. The sort of kindhearted community where I can raise my son.” He stopped, slightly embarrassed to have revealed so much to a stranger.
Tilting her head, she considered him. Then a slow smile bloomed, transforming her from really attractive to stunningly beautiful. His heart actually skipped a beat.
“That’s really pretty damn amazing,” she said finally, her warm voice imbibing the compliment with more.
What was it about this woman? Though they’d just met the day before, he felt as if he’d known her for a long time. He wasn’t sure what to think about that.
Instead of allowing himself to bask in the glow of her praise, he turned the discussion to her. “How about you?” he asked. “Were you born and raised here or did you make your way from somewhere else, too?”
Her smile faded. “I’d never been here before until a month ago. A great-aunt whom I didn’t even know existed died. She left me this house and all the furniture, so I moved here.”
“What about your job? Did you leave that, too, or are you able to work from home?”
Ducking her head, she shrugged. “I worked at a few different things. Dog walking, which is really in demand in the city, some waitressing and even some temporary secretarial work. None of it was difficult to leave.”
“In the city?” He couldn’t help but notice she didn’t say where precisely she’d lived before. Since he’d been open with her, he figured he’d ask. “What city?”
“New York. Manhattan to be exact.” Again a shadow crossed her face. “Only a couple of hours’ drive from here, but it might as well be across the country.”
He knew what she meant. The difference between some areas of California was also like that.
When he finished his second cup of coffee, she poured him more without asking. Then she emptied the last of the pot into her own cup before she sat back down. “So far, I like it here a lot,” she said. “Though I haven’t been here very long. I guess we can learn the town together.”
Together. What the... No, he was overreacting. No doubt she didn’t mean anything by that. Again, he couldn’t let what had happened with his ex-wife destroy his future. He would be vigilant and careful. And cautious. Yes, cautious. But his new landlord appeared kind and genuine. He would believe her to be so unless she proved otherwise.
“About watching Garth,” he began. “What’s your experience with infants?”
“Experience?” Shaking her head, she chuckled. “I just love babies. Always have. I’m not a professional nanny or anything, though I did once have a job working in a day care. Not in the baby room, though. But I’m reasonably sure I can manage taking care of him for an hour while you get groceries.”
She was right. It wasn’t as if he was asking her to be a full-time nanny. “Sorry.” Glancing at his son, still peacefully sleeping, he sighed. “I’ve never left him with anyone before. I don’t—”
“Really know me all that well,” she finished for him. “I get it. Believe me, I was only trying to help. If you’d rather take him with you, I completely understand.”
Her statement brought him a measure of relief. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “Out of curiosity, have you found work here yet or are you still looking?”
She glanced down, which made his stomach twist, though he wasn’t sure why.
“Oh.” She flushed. “Right now, I’m still unemployed. My aunt left me a small inheritance as well as this house. I’ve only been here a month and haven’t looked for anything yet.”
Wishing he hadn’t asked, he tried to lighten the mood. “Well then, we’re two of a kind, since I don’t have a job yet, either.”
Her smile came back, a quick flash of self-deprecating humor. “I guess we are.”
Startled, he realized he actually liked Julia Jacobs. At least what he knew about her so far. And he would need someone to watch Garth, at least part-time. For now, he’d keep his eyes open and not make any rash decisions.
“What kind of work do you do?” she asked.
Briefly, he considered and decided he didn’t see any harm in telling her the truth. “I was a college professor, but I took a sabbatical when Garth was born. Now, I’m planning to open up a customized car shop. It used to be a hobby, but I’m thinking I can make a living doing it full-time.”
“Customize cars? Like painting them?”
“That’s part of it. Restoring older cars to their original condition, only better. Turning them into hot rods.” Oversimplified, but adequate.
“Interesting.” The little shrug that accompanied her comment told him she either knew zero about cars or didn’t care to. “That’s kind of the polar opposite from higher education, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.” He smiled. “I figure since I came to the complete other side of the country, I might as well make a major change to my life. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“Then good for you.” She smiled back. “Not to be nosy, but what about Garth’s mother? Where is she in all of this?”
He froze, aware his expression had completely shut down. But she couldn’t know and her question had actually been perfectly reasonable, if a bit intrusive. “She and I are divorced. Turns out she didn’t actually want a child. She signed over all parental rights to me.”
If they’d been discussing any other subject, her disbelief and shock might have been comical. He could almost read her thoughts. Right now, she was dying to ask what kind of woman could abandon an innocent, tiny baby like Garth. From the grim set of her mouth and the way she’d narrowed her eyes, she must be wondering if Eric’s ex was a monster. He didn’t have the heart to tell her Yolanda actually was.
When he didn’t comment further, she sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Now he felt like an ass. After all, she’d opened her home to him and fed him. She’d been nothing but kind and friendly. “It’s okay,” he finally said. “It’s just a sore subject.”
“I can imagine.” The grimness in her tone told him she agreed. “Anyway, if you need anything, please let me know.”
He could take a hint. She’d fed him, chatted with him and now was ready for him to go. He stood, collected his son and let himself out the door.
Once back in his new, empty living quarters, Eric found he missed her. Or maybe he just missed having company. Someone to talk to. With the streets still impassable, he couldn’t leave, couldn’t drive around and check out the rest of the town the way he’d initially planned on his second day. Being stuck inside an unfamiliar house felt confining, to say the least. Plus he was impatient to begin scouting out a possible location to open his shop.
All in good time, he reminded himself. He needed to exercise a little patience.
He considered himself lucky that he had electricity and water. Since she’d never had them turned off, all he’d needed to do was change them into his name. And even though his television was on the moving truck, she’d left a smallish one in the living room, for which he was grateful.
Garth finally woke. Eric passed some time bathing and changing his son, giving him another bottle, and then just talking to him. Though at three months, little Garth couldn’t do much other than wave his hands around and coo, being around him filled Eric with love.
Time passed slowly. He’d grown hungry again, but stubbornly remained in his part of the house, not wanting his landlord to feel compelled to feed him again. He didn’t want to turn into a giant moocher, so decided to make do until he could get out and go to the store.
To his relief, he heard the unmistakable sound of the plow shortly after three. Rushing to the front window, he watched the big machine lumber down the street, plumes of snow shooting up to the side. Too late, he realized his vehicle would be buried, but since there was nothing he could do to avert this, he simply continued to watch. It wasn’t like he hadn’t dug out a car before, back when he’d lived in Norway.
Once the plow had passed, he shrugged into his parka and eyed Garth, now wide-awake and happily batting at the bright plastic toys Eric had strung across the front of his portable crib. He didn’t want to leave his son alone, but couldn’t just bring him outside while he cleared the snow from his car. Which meant he’d have to impose on his new landlord once again. Good thing she claimed to love babies.
Fifteen minutes, he told himself, picking up the carrier and trudging upstairs to Julia’s place. He would ask her to keep an eye on the baby while he cleared his car. Then he’d retrieve Garth, bundle him up and put him in his car seat for a quick trip to the store.
Chapter 4 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
She answered the door on his second knock. To Eric’s amusement, her gaze slid past him, right to the baby watching her with wide-eyed interest. “Well, hello there,” she said, crouching down so she and Garth were at eye level. “I see you’re finally awake, little sleepyhead.”
Garth made a gurgling sound, jingling his plastic keys as he gazed up at her.
“You’re so precious,” Julia cooed. She glanced up at Eric. “Is everything all right?”
He cleared his throat. “I was wondering if you’d mind keeping an eye on him for a few minutes. The plow covered my SUV and I need to dig it out so I can head into town. I’ll come back for him as soon as I’m done.”
“No problem.” She took the infant carrier and brought it inside. “Like I told you earlier, if you want, I can watch him while you go to the store.”
Tempting, but again, he barely knew her and she’d already done more than enough for him. Leaving her in charge of Garth while he was a few feet away, outside, was entirely different than driving away without his son. “I appreciate that, but I’d rather bring him with me.” He cast her a sideways look, trying to judge how she would take this news.
To his surprise, she smiled. “I understand. You don’t know me yet and he’s your entire world. Believe me, I wouldn’t leave my baby for very long with someone I just met, either.”
Relieved, he nodded. “I’m glad you understand. Fifteen minutes, okay? He’s already been fed and has a clean diaper. I’m thinking this won’t take much more than that.”
“No rush.” Her gaze had already strayed back to his son. “We’ll be right here whenever you finish.”
* * *
After the door closed behind her new tenant, JJ let out a sigh of relief. She liked looking at him, plain and simple. Even though another man in her life was the absolute last thing she needed right now. She hadn’t worked through her recent past yet. Hell, she didn’t even recognize the woman who’d fled New York City as if the hounds of hell were after her, with giant teeth. And of course, her dreams still haunted her.
This appalled her. She’d always been fierce, a fighter, but not a killer. She’d often questioned how she could have let herself become the woman Shawn had made her into, a woman afraid of her own shadow, too terrified to speak or even look at something the wrong way. She’d walked on eggshells, never knowing what might set him off.
Initially, she’d gone into the relationship a strong, female shifter. A she-wolf, proud of her heritage, confident in her humanness. Shawn might have been only human, but in the beginning he’d seemed kind and thoughtful and handsome. She’d also liked his size, instinctively feeling a large man like him would always protect her.
In fact, it had been the opposite. He’d used his size to intimidate and threaten and hurt. What she’d become after three years with Shawn...
Now, she knew personally how some abused animals felt. She understood the impulse that had them cringing at sudden movements or a raised hand. Objectively, she could see how several years of conditioning by a man she’d thought had loved her had made her this way. What confused and astounded her was how she’d let it happen. How she’d managed to come to believe it was all her fault. If she’d been prettier, smarter, quicker... A better girlfriend, a harder worker, more... As if he was the rational person and she was the one spiraling out of control.
She deserved everything she got. He’d actually said that to her, numerous times. Until finally, something had broken inside her and she’d known she’d had enough. That had been when she’d gotten the news of her great-aunt’s death and learned she’d inherited a house in a town she’d never known existed. That had been when she’d realized she’d be all right, that she could leave.
She’d grabbed on with both hands and secretly planned her escape. When she’d fled, she’d taken care to make sure he was at work and had no idea. Even so, she’d been terrified he’d find out and catch her, and make her pay.
And she’d done it! Freed herself, and most likely saved Shawn’s life. Because she’d always known, deep down inside herself, if he pushed her too far, she’d snap and shift to wolf. A cornered wolf would kill in self-defense. Even Pack law allowed this, but she didn’t want to be a killer.
This had been her first major victory in nearly three years. Now she was here, a few hours north of the city, and Shawn had no idea how to find her. After taking a few deep breaths, she let the tension drain off of her.
Her throat tight, she rolled her shoulders. Focus on the positive. A house of her own in upstate New York. Enough money to tide her over until she figured out what she wanted to do, and now a paying tenant, which meant a nice revenue stream. Her way out, her ticket to another life.
When she’d first arrived, relieved to find the house completely furnished, she’d met with the attorney and signed the necessary paperwork. After, she’d slept for two days, not stirring from her bed except to guzzle water and use the bathroom. When she’d finally surfaced, she felt like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. Full of possibilities and hope.
This was all still too new, only one short month along. She had the rest of winter to burrow in, claim her space and find her way. She needed to rebuild her life, piece by piece, not let herself get distracted by a man.
Or his too-adorable-for-words baby.
As if he knew her thoughts, the baby gurgled and flashed JJ a sweet smile. Her heart constricted.
“Hello there, Garth,” she cooed, loving the way his bright blue eyes sparkled as he smiled up at her. Carefully, gently, she lifted him out of his portable crib, breathing in the sweet baby scent of him. Moving him to her shoulder, she murmured baby words and nonsense while swaying slightly. His tiny body nestled into her, relaxing in a way that let her know he trusted her to take care of him. She, who’d never even been able to keep a potted plant alive.
This would be her ideal job, taking care of this sweet baby while his daddy worked. Maybe once Eric got settled in and knew her better, he’d entrust her with his precious son for more than a few minutes.
Carrying the infant, she walked to the front window to check on Eric. He was still shoveling her sidewalk. Heart in her throat, she continued to watch him, holding the baby and pointing out his daddy. Even in his bulky parka, Eric’s movements were both strong and graceful, an intriguing combination. He left his parka unzipped and wore no hat, his long blond hair tied back in a sexy ponytail.
Baby Garth squirmed, making her realize he’d just dirtied his diaper. Since Eric had brought a diaper bag, she located the spares—disposables, thank goodness—without difficulty, along with baby wipes, and clumsily managed her first diaper change since she’d done babysitting as a teenager years ago.
Feeling pretty accomplished, she picked up the now clean and dry infant and went back to the window. Still holding his shovel, Eric had stopped shoveling snow. Instead, he stood on the freshly cleared sidewalk talking to her next-door neighbor. Rhonda and JJ had hit it off immediately and, according to Rhonda, were destined to become best friends. Like JJ, she was in her thirties and single, though unlike JJ, she was divorced and now actively searching for The One. The Right One, she often quipped, winking.
Judging from the way she was eyeing JJ’s new tenant, Rhonda considered him a viable possibility. She’d even ventured outside in a ski jacket and snow boots, shovel in hand, as if about to start shoveling her own driveway and sidewalk. Since it had snowed a couple times in the last few weeks, and JJ had yet to see her actually use her snow shovel, she knew exactly what Rhonda was up to.
Of course, a guy as nice as Eric would in no way stand around and watch a woman shovel snow, so when Eric began clearing Rhonda’s sidewalk, the satisfied look on Rhonda’s face told JJ she’d expected no less.
To her surprise, JJ felt a tiny twinge of jealously. With her long blond hair and perky upturned nose, Rhonda had the kind of looks and personality that attracted men like bees to a flower. From head to toe, she stood exactly five feet tall. Next to her, JJ felt like an ungainly giant. She and JJ were polar opposites, which was one of the reasons they got along so well, again according to Rhonda. JJ didn’t mind; she actually found it a relief to let someone else do all the talking.
While she’d known Rhonda only a couple weeks, the two of them had been to dinner twice and had coffee together a few times. JJ genuinely liked the other woman.
Eric finished quickly and handed the shovel to Rhonda. With a quick smile, he went back to clearing the snow away from his car. His projected fifteen minutes had turned into thirty and he wasn’t nearly done yet. JJ didn’t mind. She not only enjoyed watching him, but spending time with tiny Garth brought her joy.
Her phone rang. Rhonda’s number flashed up on the screen. Still holding the baby, JJ answered.
“Why didn’t you call and tell me you had such a gorgeous male specimen living in your house?” Rhonda shrieked.
Since JJ had no real answer for that, she didn’t say anything. As usual, her silence didn’t bother Rhonda in the slightest. “So what’s the story on him?” she asked. “I want details. All of them.”
“I don’t know very much,” JJ finally admitted. “He’s from California. Says he’s going to open his own business. And his baby is adorable.”
For once, she’d stunned her neighbor into silence. “Baby?” Rhonda finally said. She’d never made any secret of the fact that she didn’t like children. “He has a baby?”
“Yes. A son named Garth. I think he’s three or four months old. I’m watching him while Eric digs his vehicle out from under the snow.”
“Wow.” Again the silence. But Rhonda being Rhonda, she didn’t miss a beat. “Eric, huh? I didn’t catch his name. He was kind enough to clear my driveway and sidewalk for me.”
“So I saw,” JJ drawled, continuing to bounce the baby.
“Um, are you and he...?”
JJ pretended not to understand. “Listen, I’ve got to go.” As if on cue, little Garth let out a loud cry. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?” She ended the call without waiting for a response.
Garth squealed again, his bright blue eyes fixed on the doorway. She heard the clump of boots on the stairs, and eyed the baby thoughtfully. He seemed way too young to understand that the sound signaled his father’s return, but judging from the way he waved his tiny hands, he clearly was excited about something.
When Eric came through the door, JJ smiled. Little Garth made a chortling sound when he saw his father, continuing to wave his chubby fists. Eric grinned, his bright blue eyes sparkling the same as his son’s. “Hey there, little man,” he said. Cheeks reddened by exertion and cold, he seemed to have been energized by the exercise. After he peeled off his gloves and shrugged out of his coat, he reached for his son. “Come to Daddy, baby boy.”
Then and only then did she think to rush to the stove and put a kettle of water on. If she’d been paying more attention, she would have already done this and had a mug of hot cocoa waiting for him. As it was, he’d have to wait a minute or two for the kettle to whistle.
“Are you cold?” she asked, wincing at the unnecessary question. Of course he was cold. The wind-chill factor was in the teens.
Looking up from playing with his son, he shrugged. “It’s a little chilly out there, but I find it exhilarating.”
Stunned, she stared. He might be the only other person she’d ever met who’d described feeling that way in blowing snow.
The teakettle finally whistled, startling her out of her thoughts. She hurried to get it. “Hot cocoa?” she asked. Even though it was only instant, nothing beat hot chocolate after shoveling snow in the cold.
“Sounds great.”
She made them each a cup, adding a little whipped cream on top. When she turned back, he’d placed his son in his portable crib, where Garth happily played with the bright plastic keys.
With her heart hammering for no good reason, JJ brought Eric his hot drink. Her mouth went dry as he wrapped his long fingers around the mug, and she let her gaze follow the line of his throat as he took a sip and swallowed.
She couldn’t blame Rhonda for being excited. Eric looked like a movie star, or a comic book superhero come to life. Even better, the size of his aura indicated when he shape-shifted, it was into something large and magnificent. No doubt Rhonda had noticed that as well, since she, too, was a shifter.
On that, JJ agreed with her neighbor. Shifter to shifter, she couldn’t help but appreciate everything about her new tenant.
Artwork, she told herself. She’d decided to try and simply appreciate his amazingly rugged good looks the way she would enjoy a great painting. Like art.
And if she got a tingly feeling every once in a while, so be it. Some things couldn’t be helped. She was healing, learning to make her own way in the world, but she wasn’t dead.
He caught her watching him and cocked his head. “I think I like it here,” he said, taking another long drink of his cocoa. “California is nice, but they don’t have real winters. Something about the cold makes me feel alive.”
“Me, too.” Another flash of delight made her insides quiver. She looked down to hide her excitement. “Most everyone thinks I’m crazy because I love cold and snow.” Glancing at him through her lashes, she confessed, “No one likes winter as much as I do.”
“Except maybe me.” The easy smile he flashed made her catch her breath. “Thanks for the cocoa.” Draining the last of it, he set the cup down on her counter. “Garth and I need to drive into town. You’re welcome to come with us if you’d like. I could use someone familiar with the place to point me in the right direction.”
Her heart gave an entirely unnecessary leap. “I’d love to go,” she said, working to quash her enthusiasm so it didn’t show. “But I’ve only lived here one month. I do know where the stores are and some of the restaurants, but I’m in no way a native.” About to tell him asking Rhonda would be his best bet, she managed to bite back the comment.
“I forgot.” Tilting his head, he eyed her. “You said you were from Manhattan.”
“Right.”
He continued to watch her, clearly waiting for her to elaborate.
“I needed a fresh start,” she finally said, keeping her chin up. “Like you, I had some emotional stuff going on I needed to get away from.”
To her relief, he nodded. “I know the feeling.”
“It’s not easy, that’s for sure.”
“What about your parents?” he asked. “Do they live close by?”
Normal conversation, she told herself. Asking casual questions, like regular people do. Not everything was suspect. Shawn wasn’t his friend.
“My father died a year ago,” she said, her words bringing back the pain of his crossing as if it had happened yesterday. “And right after his funeral, my mom closed up their apartment and hopped a plane to Australia. Turns out she’d always wanted to live there.”
And her abandonment had felt like a second death, though JJ didn’t begrudge her mom her happiness. The two of them talked on the phone about once a month.
“Wow. Adventurous,” he said. “You have to admire that.”
Out of habit, she caught herself looking around, as if someone else might be listening. Shawn had been human, and she’d grown used to hiding her true nature. Ironic that. In her wolf form, she could have taken Shawn down permanently. He might never have hit her if he’d known that.
Then again, he probably would have just swung harder. Some people never changed, no matter what the circumstances. And Pack law forbade her to reveal her true nature to anyone unless they were going to be mates. Since Shawn and she hadn’t been engaged, she’d kept her mouth shut. Truth be told, she’d come to like having a part of herself untouched by him.
“It’s okay,” Eric said, correctly interpreting her movement. “It’s just the two of us. No one else can hear.”
“Sorry. I feel foolish, but you know how it is.”
“I do.” He reached for his son’s portable bed, hefting it in one hand.
“What about Garth?” she asked, blurting out the question before she had time to think it through. “Is he full or a halfling?”
“Full.” The shortness of his answer told her how dangerously close to the line her question skirted. “Thanks for the cocoa. Are you ready to go now? I’d like to get out there and back before it starts snowing again, just in case.”
“Sure.” After grabbing her winter coat, she shrugged it on. “I’ll probably pick up a few things, too.” Like wine. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to get at least one bottle. Nothing better than a fire crackling in the fireplace, a glass of wine and an old movie in the DVR.
With Garth securely buckled into his infant car carrier, they started to town. Initially tense, JJ relaxed her death grip on the door handle when she realized Eric, despite having lived in California, truly appeared to know how to navigate his SUV on snowy roads.
The small local grocery store appeared to be empty.
“Is it even open?” Eric asked, pulling into a parking spot right near the front door.
She laughed. “The day before the storm hit, you couldn’t even park in the lot. And yes, I’m going to say they’re open, judging by that neon sign above the doorway.”
“Great.” Hurrying around to the back, he unbuckled Garth. “Hopefully, it won’t take me long to get enough provisions to tide me over for a while.”
She nodded. “I just need a few things, so I’ll walk with you. Would you like me to hold Garth?”
“Sure.” Without a second of hesitation, he handed over the baby. Garth cooed, apparently already recognizing her. In response, her heart squeezed. Ever since she’d realized how Shawn had been using her desire to have a baby as a trick to keep her on a leash, she’d pushed that ache deep down inside her. Being around this little one brought her longing right back to the surface. Maybe someday she’d be lucky enough to have a child of her own.
Chapter 5 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
By the time they’d reached the other side of the grocery store, Eric had a full basket. JJ had grabbed a bottle of red wine and some cheese and put both in the cart, feeling ridiculously domestic. When they reached the checkout, Eric grabbed those and put them on the belt first, followed by his own groceries.
“Let me pay for my things,” JJ said, fumbling in her purse for her wallet while holding Garth.
“I got it.” The easy smile Eric flashed had her insides going all tingly again. “A bottle of wine and a block of cheese are the least I can do for you after all the help you’ve been to me.”
“Okay.”
When they walked outside, it had started snowing again. Eric gave a good-natured groan, making her laugh.
“I like it,” she said, twirling around in the parking lot.
“Which would explain why I found you making a snow angel when I first arrived.” After placing little Garth into his infant seat, he began loading groceries into the back of his SUV. At her laugh, he glanced over his shoulder at her, then returned his attention to the task at hand.
Too happy to care, she stuck her tongue out at his back. “This is why I couldn’t live anywhere else but New York,” she told him. “Well, this and autumn. I’m definitely a fan of the fall.”
He closed the back door of his vehicle and walked the shopping cart to the front of the store. “No sense leaving it out here in the snow,” he said. “Let’s go home before the roads get too bad.”
Home. How many times had she said that word back in the city, not really meaning it? Now, hearing him refer to her house that way made hope blossom in her chest. Not for him, not for them, but for her. She really could make this place her home. She really could start her life over.
Once at the house, she took baby Garth inside while Eric carried in his provisions. “Here you go.” He handed her the bag with her wine and cheese. “Thanks for your help.”
Though plainly, she needed to go, she lingered, searching for a valid reason to stay. Busy unpacking his groceries, he didn’t issue an invitation. Finally, though, she thanked him again for the wine and made her way upstairs.
When the snowfall finally stopped an hour before midnight, her measuring stick on the back porch showed they’d gotten eighteen inches. She was giddy with happiness, deciding then and there that she’d go into the woods and become wolf as soon as darkness had fallen. Since moving here, she tried to shape-shift at least once a week. It was much easier to do so here than it had been in the city. Just walking alone into Central Park had been nerve-racking, though once she disappeared into the trees and changed into wolf, it had been fun. Though there had been wooded areas remote enough that a wolf could hunt unnoticed, always, always, always, she and all the others of her kind couldn’t help but be aware of the perimeter. As wolf, of necessity they’d remained on alert, just in case they encountered a human, or worse, a gang of humans.
In Forestwood, all that had changed. Judging from the abundance of auras she’d seen, more than two-thirds of the town inhabitants were some kind of shape-shifter. The rest were human and seemed oblivious to the others living in their midst.
She’d never been so glad to see the first snowfall here. One of the things she loved best about snow was changing into her wolf self and going for a run in it. Her entire life, she’d never felt free. Especially, she thought ruefully, since she’d had to lie to Shawn about where she’d been when she disappeared for a few hours every couple weeks. But she couldn’t tell him the truth, so she’d done what she must, because she’d had no choice.
Now she could finally experience a space without boundaries. The idea both fascinated and terrified her. Ever since arriving in the Catskills, she’d been itching to get out and do exactly that. Her inner wolf, the curious beast, had been pushing at the edge of her consciousness every other day now. She didn’t mind, as this was the purest kind of freedom. Limitless and joyful.
Each day, she felt better and better. Her burden of insecurity had gradually lessened, day by day, the entire time she’d been here in her new home. With such tremendous possibilities open to her, how could she remain afraid to take the first, vital step?
Downstairs, her new tenant and his adorable baby were hopefully asleep. The full moon lit up the freshly fallen snow, silver and white ice crystals beckoning. She’d dressed warmly, aware she’d need to walk deep into the woods behind her house as a human, before shedding her layers and beginning the process that would result in setting her wolf form free.
Anticipation had her moving fast. Her inner wolf felt she’d waited too long to change, which wasn’t a good thing for her mental health, though in actuality she hadn’t. Still, each time she let her wolf self out to play, when she’d returned to her human form she’d felt better, more balanced and better able to face any unexpected challenges that might lie ahead.
Tonight, she’d think of none of that. Tonight, as wolf, she’d hunt.
After crossing the large field between her house and the forest, she stopped and turned to look back. Pride of ownership filled her, making her heart swell. Her home sat on a small rise, surrounded by a grove of trees that appeared to shelter the two-story, wooden building. Rather than stand out, the house seemed to blend with the landscape, as though it had always been there, standing the test of time.
Hers. Something permanent, a place she could hold on to. Where she could put down roots and change the path of her life. As she often did, she offered up a silent thank-you to the great-aunt she’d never known.
Turning back toward the dark forest, she began moving once again, lifting her feet higher as she trudged through the deepening snow. Here, near the edge of the trees, snowdrifts were deeper, making progress more difficult.
But she powered through, her heart rate quickening as the wolf inside her paced and pushed, ready to be set free.
Finally, she judged she’d gone far enough into the woods. She found a fallen tree and hung her empty backpack from one of the branches. Slowly, she began peeling back layers, already shivering from the cold, though she knew in a few minutes her thick wolf pelt would keep her more than warm.
Stuffing each article of clothing into her backpack, she eventually stood naked, the chill seeping up from her bare feet. She knew she had to act quickly before her poor toes got frostbite. Inhaling, she dropped to the ground and initiated the change.
The familiar sensation never got old. The changes that occurred to her human body—especially her skeleton—could occasionally be painful. More so when a long time had gone by since her last change.
Since she was rushing herself as she shifted, she expected this one to really hurt. Surprisingly, it didn’t. Maybe the combination of adrenaline, anticipation and cold combined to deaden the pain somewhat.
Either way, as her bones lengthened, her hands and feet turning into paws, a savage sort of joy filled her.
Wolf-JJ was almost free. In a moment, she’d give herself over to the primitive nature of the beast.
Done. Immediately, myriad tantalizing scents beckoned. Her wolf nose, a thousand times more sensitive than her human one, picked up on the fact that a rabbit had recently crossed nearby, as had a skunk and a small herd of white-tailed deer.
Eager to explore, she bounded off through the snow.
* * *
Eric had heard Julia tromp down the stairs right around twelve, just as he was about to turn off the TV and head to bed. Curious, he waited for the sound of a car engine starting, but then caught sight of her moving slowly across a large, open field. Her bulky parka and layered clothing made movement a bit difficult as she headed toward the forest, no doubt to change into her beast, whatever kind that might be.
An instant of longing rocked him, his inner beast protesting with a roar that reverberated in his soul. He felt it had been forever since he’d shape-shifted, and his bear self was not at all happy about that. But what could he do? Taking care of an infant made it damn near impossible to go off by himself and change. While he’d gotten Jason, his Pack Protector friend, to watch Garth a time or two, he’d been able to shape-shift only twice in three months. Not good. At all. To go too long without letting his inner bear free was dangerous. He knew, as did all shifters, that doing so could lead to insanity or even death. Right now, Eric felt as if he could be pushing the limit. Maybe he’d see if his landlord would be willing to watch Garth for an hour or two tomorrow night so Eric could take his own solitary trip into the forest.
He resolved to ask her later. Right now, all he could do was watch until she disappeared from view, and push down his envy.
* * *
The hunt went well, JJ thought, as she hurriedly dressed after changing back to human. As usual, when in her wolf form, she had no sense of time passing, so she had no idea how long she’d explored the forest. She’d tracked and taken down a midsize rabbit, feasting until her belly was full. This would be her place, and though she knew there surely were other shifters in Forestwood, these few acres of woods were part of her property and would be where she went to let her wolf self run free.
Once again fully clothed, though everything retained a touch of a chill, she gave herself a few moments for the intense sexual arousal to recede. For whatever reason, this crazed need for bodily contact happened to everyone once they shifted back to human, no matter what kind of beast they became. Many people took advantage of this—she’d heard stories of wild and crazy orgies among groups who liked to shape-shift with others.
As for herself, she’d gotten used to tamping down the need. Even when she’d been with Shawn, she hadn’t wanted to return home after having spent the night away and beg him to make love to her. Sex was another one of the things he used to control her.
So once the low thrum of desire had settled to a steady hum, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, watching the plume her breath made in the frigid air. Centered, she felt normal again, so she wouldn’t find herself at Eric’s front door offering herself to him.
The thought sent a fresh wave of longing through her. Again she took deep breaths, focusing on the snow and the velvet ink of the sky, until she’d once again regained her equilibrium.
Then and only then did she turn to make her way back home. She followed her old footprints, glad they made the going much easier. The moon still provided illumination, though it no longer hung fat and sassy in the sky directly overhead.
A few hours then, she thought. Time well spent. Her entire body ached, a pleasant feeling. She let herself back into her silent house and went up the stairs, wincing as a few of them creaked.
She’d just about reached her landing when the downstairs door opened.
“Welcome back.” The sound of Eric’s deep voice sent an immediate thrum of need blazing through her bloodstream. Damn. So much for returning to normal.
Reluctant to face him, but glad of the several steps in between them, she turned, thankful for her bulky clothing. “Thank you. You’re up kind of late, aren’t you?” Then, as a worrisome thought occurred to her, she raised her gloved hand to her throat. “Is Garth all right?”
“He’s fine.” Eric dragged his own hand across his chin. “You went out to change, didn’t you?”
Slowly, she nodded, aware once again they were skirting dangerously close to the edge of what was considered acceptable conversation.
Shifting his weight from foot to foot, he nodded. It dawned on her he was clearly uncomfortable. “It’s been a while for me and...”
“You can’t just leave Garth.”
“Right. So I was wondering if you’d mind watching him for a few hours so I can change, too.”
What she’d give to see him change, or to be more specific, to be there when he exchanged his animal form for that of a man. At the thought, a bolt of lust shot through her, so strong she nearly staggered. “Tonight?” she managed to ask. “Because I don’t know if I—”
“No, not tonight.” One corner of his mouth tugged up in a tired smile. “I was thinking maybe tomorrow night, if that would be okay with you. If not, I’m open to whenever you can spare the time.”
“Tomorrow should be fine.” Casual, she thought. She hoped she sounded casual. Not at all like a woman who wanted to pounce on him because she couldn’t help imagining being the one to greet him when he became human again, fully and gloriously aroused.
In fact, she’d better get back to her own personal, private space before she did something foolish, like reach for him.
“I really appreciate it, Julia.” He frowned. “Is it okay if I use your first name?”
“My friends call me JJ,” she told him. “I’d rather you use that.”
“I will.” Again the blinding smile. “I really appreciate all your help. Someday I hope I can repay you.”
Oh, she knew exactly how he could repay her. Dang it. Swallowing hard, she managed to smile back.
“Good night,” she said firmly, unlocking her door and stepping inside. Once she had it closed firmly behind her, she sagged against it, her entire body throbbing. Residue from the change, she told herself. Nothing to do with her tenant. Nothing to do with him at all. After the disastrous relationship with Shawn, she didn’t need to be wanting another man, not now. Maybe not ever.
* * *
In the morning, a phone call woke Eric. It was the moving company notifying him they’d be arriving the next afternoon, weather permitting. Finally, he’d be getting the few personal items he’d kept, along with Garth’s actual baby furniture. And his car. Most important, his beautiful car. Of course, the baby furniture was important, too, but if it had gotten damaged or lost, he could replace it. His car was irreplaceable.
Things were starting to look up. Eric found himself waiting with barely concealed anticipation for the sun to go down so he could go into the woods alone and change.
He’d have to be careful, though he’d actually chosen this town because they’d reportedly been tolerant, even kind, to the Drakkor woman they’d sheltered for years. She’d become a celebrity of sorts among paranormal creatures, dispensing wisdom and baked goods from her cottage on the shores of the lake. Another Drakkor and his shifter mate had also settled here. He planned to visit all three of them once he got settled, as long as they were open to visitors. Being bear, he felt a sense of kinship with other outcasts, other species of shifter who were rare and few and often reviled.
When his family had left their small village in Norway, they’d chosen a town in California where other Vedjorn lived. Since most bear shifters mated with their own kind, they’d wanted their son to have the chance to find a mate.
While he missed his parents tremendously, he was glad they hadn’t survived to see what kind of a mate he’d chosen. If he had his druthers, he’d never hook up with another bear shifter. And since most of the other shifters were afraid of the bears, he doubted he’d ever find another woman to mate with again.
Which suited him just fine. Once had been enough. He had his son. As long as he could find a female who was open to recreational sex, he’d consider his life a happy one.
For now, though, the only thing he needed to worry about was letting his inner beast free to run and hunt.
Anticipation built in him as he waited for dusk. Somehow, his nervous pacing communicated to his son, rendering Garth unusually fussy. Even though he’d been changed and fed and burped, he started crying and wouldn’t be soothed. This had never happened before. Jiggling him, rocking him, speaking in a soothing tone over and over—none of it worked. In desperation, Eric searched the internet for a solution, but found only variations of what he already knew to do.
Finally, little Garth cried himself to sleep.
Exhausted, Eric quietly transferred his son to his temporary crib. Then he sat down with his head in his hands and tried to think.
Teething? Again he hit the search engines and learned teething usually starts at six months, but can start as early as three.
A soft tap at his door startled him. After a quick glance to make sure the sound hadn’t made Garth wake, he hurried to answer.
“Is everything all right?” JJ murmured, as if she somehow knew the baby slept. She wore a flowing shirt and some sort of soft leggings that made her legs appear impossibly long.
“It is now,” he said grimly, holding the door open and motioning her inside. “I couldn’t get him to stop crying. He actually cried himself to sleep.”
“Is he sick?” she asked, sounding worried. “From here, he looks feverish. Have you taken his temperature?”
That thought had never occurred to him. But then, Garth had only been sick once in his three months of life. Eric took comfort in the fact that his son was a full-blooded shape-shifter, and as such, only fire or silver could kill him. That could be both a curse and a blessing. He’d personally known a few people forced to live on in damaged bodies, enduring hell because they could not die. He wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy.
Chapter 6 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Garth made a snuffling sound, drawing Eric’s attention. His son might be all bear, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t suffer from illness. A fever could easily be rectified, however. Eric fumbled in the baby bag he’d packed, finally locating the thermometer. It was brand-new, still in the wrapping. He’d purchased the forehead kind, not wanting to deal with a rectal one.
Once he’d unwrapped it, he did a quick read of the instructions before swiping it over Garth’s tiny brow.
“Ninety-nine point zero,” he said. “Just a little over normal.”
“Nothing to worry about, I don’t think.” JJ spoke with authority, despite claiming to know next to nothing about caring for babies.
“Maybe he’s teething,” she continued. “Is he drooling a lot?”
“Yeah.” Eric hesitated, eyeing his sleeping son. “I don’t think I can leave him if he’s sick.” Inside, his beast roared in protest. “I’m thinking I probably should reschedule.”
When he looked back up, Julia studied him, her head tilted. She appeared a bit shell-shocked, almost as if she’d heard his beast’s roar. “It’s up to you,” she said. “I personally think he’ll be fine. It’s only for a few hours, anyway. But you’re his father, so if you want to wait until another night, that’s fine with me.”
Again his beast made his presence known, rattling the proverbial bars of his invisible cage. Inside, Eric fought a minor battle. It had been too long since he’d let his bear out and the animal didn’t take well to being confined for lengthy periods of time.
“I can see your problem,” Julia said softly. “Your beast really needs to be free. Go change. Let your other self out to run and hunt. Make it short if you really feel you have to, but I’ll be perfectly fine here with Garth.”
Part of him wanted to leap for joy. The other, more rational part kept his feet planted firmly in place. “What would you do if he became sicker?”
“Take care of him,” she said, turning away. “I seriously don’t think there’s anything wrong with him that a teething ring wouldn’t fix. Do you have one of those?”
“A what?”
“A baby teething ring. You know, you put it in the fridge and once it’s good and cold, you let the baby gum it.” She frowned. “Though maybe those are for older babies. I doubt little Garth could hold it yet.”
“I don’t have one of those.”
“That’s okay. I’ve seen people use a cool, wet washcloth.”
“You seem to have more experience with babies than you let on.”
She smiled. “Just because I didn’t work in the baby room at the day care doesn’t mean I didn’t spend a lot of time in there. As I said, I love babies.”
Again, his inner beast roared, fighting to break free. And once more, JJ cocked her head as though listening. He almost asked her what she heard, but restrained himself. “I’m going to go.” He made a snap decision, knowing he’d have to shape-shift sooner or later, so he might as well do it and be done with it. A happy inner bear made life better all the way around.
“Good. I sense some discord between you and your beast.”
Either she was unusually perceptive or he was giving far too much away.
“I’m fine,” he lied. “Though I’ll be better once I change and hunt.” He studied his son. Garth made a snuffling sound and moved. Relief flooded Eric. Maybe she was right. Maybe his boy was just teething.
“I’m trusting you with my son.” Even as he spoke, he couldn’t believe what he was saying. He meant it, too, he realized. JJ, his landlord, was one of what his father used to call “good people.”
“I promise I’ll take good care of him,” she said, smiling. “We’ll be upstairs. I’ve got the perfect chair.”
“Then let me carry up his diaper bag and portable crib.”
Once everything had been set up, she smiled. “Now go. Run and hunt. I promise you’ll feel much better once you’ve changed. Especially if it’s been a while.”
He nodded and then impulsively kissed her cheek. The instant he did it, he knew he’d made a huge mistake. Wide-eyed, she stared at him, while a rose color suffused her entire face.
Her scent—lavender—lingered on his lips after he moved away. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, and hurried out the door before he did anything even more foolish.
* * *
Cheek still tingling, JJ watched from her window as Eric headed across the clearing toward the woods. With the full moon reflecting on the snow, she could see him outlined clearly, his parka dark against the glowing, magically pure whiteness.
Though she knew he hadn’t meant anything with that casual kiss—on the cheek, no less—every fiber of her body had strained toward him, as if he were a lure she was unable to resist.
Luckily, she’d frozen in place instead of swaying toward him. Her blush had been the only sign of how his simple gesture affected her. Hopefully, he had no idea. Her secret attraction must remain just that—a secret.
Glancing at the still sleeping baby, she sighed. She’d need to be careful with these two. Both of them had the power to come dangerously close to stealing her heart.
Again her gaze drifted back to Eric, who was nearing the edge of the trees. Aching to be with him, she stood there until he vanished into the woods.
Her kind did best with others. They were called The Pack for a reason. But she’d always shape-shifted alone. Maybe it had been her natural reticence, but she hadn’t been up for being around a group of people when she turned human again, battling a fierce arousal. She’d often wondered what it would be like, for curiosity’s sake. She’d heard there were some groups for whom privacy was an option, who were not into random sex with strangers, but she’d always been afraid to take a chance. Though she’d often considered the idea, in the end she knew she did better alone.
Or so she’d told herself. Now, watching a gorgeous hunk of man on his way to shape-shift, she wanted nothing more than to do the same at his side.
Of course, assuming he was Pack. Why wouldn’t he be, when 90 percent of the shifters she knew were wolves? There was no way to find out for sure, unless she accidentally came across him changing. Which was extremely unlikely to occur.
She sighed, unable to keep from imagining him as he transitioned from his animal form back to human. As always happened with their kind, he’d be fully aroused. Her body heated, the desire she’d experienced the night before back in full force.
And then she remembered he’d kissed her on the cheek. The cheek, not the lips. The kind of kiss a man gave to his mother or aunt or sister. Or friend.
That was what they were. Friends. She needed to constantly remind herself of that and she’d be fine.
She must have dozed, sitting in her armchair with a still slumbering Garth next to her. Eric’s tread on her old wooden stairs woke her; no matter how quiet anyone tried to be, the third and seventh steps squeaked.
After pushing herself up and out of her chair, she pulled the door open before he reached it.
“Hey,” he whispered. Even in the shadowy hallway, his blue eyes blazed. As he stepped into her living room, she could feel the satisfaction and coiled up energy rolling off him.
His inner beast had gone quiet. No longer restless, most likely sated by a run and a hunt. “How’d it go?” she asked, even though the question seemed unnecessary.
“It went well,” he said. “Very well. I feel much better. How’s Garth?”
“He slept the entire time you were gone. His color looks good. I checked his temperature one more time and it was the same. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Relief shone in her tenant’s face. “I really appreciate this.”
Mercilessly, she kept her gaze trained on his face, not daring to let it dip below his waist, though she badly wanted to see if his body revealed his certain arousal.
“I’d better go.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “See you tomorrow.”
When he bent to retrieve the portable crib, she got a great view of his nicely shaped backside.
Giving herself a mental slap, she dragged her eyes toward the baby, where they needed to be.
“He’s not moving,” Eric said, panic edging his voice. “JJ, Garth isn’t moving. I don’t think he’s breathing.”
“What?” She reacted without conscious thought, reaching for the infant and lifting him up to pat him soundly on the back. He gasped, his eyes flying open.
And then he let out a cry, a screeching sort of wail, so wonderful she sagged in relief.
“Garth.” Eric snatched him from her. “Baby boy?” Which only made him cry harder.
Trembling with relief, JJ reached into the crib and located the pacifier. She handed this to Eric, who held it to Garth’s mouth. Latching on and suckling wildly, he instantly ceased crying.
“What the heck was that?” Eric asked, bewilderment and panic lacing his voice. “I swear, I put my finger under his nose and he wasn’t breathing.”
“I don’t know.” Privately, she wondered if Eric had imagined it. “He must have been deeply asleep.” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “I’m so glad he’s okay.”
“Me, too.” The fierce tone told her how much the man meant it.
Aware she needed to be careful, she took a deep breath. “Earlier, you said he was full-blooded. If so, you know illness wouldn’t kill him.”
“I’m aware.” The shortness of Eric’s answer told her he was angry at himself for overreacting. “And while it’s true such a thing might not kill him, death isn’t always the worst thing that could happen to our kind. Think of a soul trapped in a nonfunctioning body. I’ve seen that before. A fever can cause brain damage.”
Slowly, she nodded. “I haven’t ever thought of it like that.”
“It’s because you’re not a parent.” He had no way of knowing how much those words stung.
All she could do was nod.
“What a night,” he continued. “I’m going take him downstairs now and get the both of us ready for bed.”
Good. Because maybe then she could sit down before her legs gave out from under her.
Apparently, he felt the same way. After jerking his head in a brusque nod, he grabbed the diaper bag and portable crib, then turned and left.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, JJ dropped into her chair, her entire body shaking. Had Eric imagined everything in a moment of overprotective panic, or had Garth really stopped breathing?
Truth be told, she didn’t know. Personally, she tended to lean more toward imagination, because every time she’d checked on him, the baby had been fine.
But after this, she had a feeling Eric wouldn’t trust her to watch his son ever again. Full-blooded or not.
* * *
Once he’d gotten Garth back home, Eric shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never been the overprotective type of parent, stressing about his baby’s every sniffle. But for one split second there he’d been filled with a visceral dread, convinced something terrible and unimaginably awful had happened to his son.
Then Garth had drawn a breath and cried. Clearly, he was fine. Relief mixed with chagrin. His son was okay. Teething a little maybe, but all right. And Eric’s first reaction, that awful gut-churning response, had been to turn on the woman who’d been trying to help him.
He felt awful, though his one consolation was that maybe she hadn’t noticed.
Of course she had. He would find her tomorrow and offer an apology. Once he’d made sure his son had a clean diaper, he put him down for the night and climbed into bed.
When his cell phone rang at 1:00 a.m., waking him from a deep sleep, Eric fumbled for the phone and finally answered.
“Yolanda has gone off the deep end,” a familiar voice said. “That woman is stark raving crazy.”
Blinking, Eric didn’t speak at first while he tried to figure out why his friend Jason was calling. This was old news, restating the obvious.
“I thought I’d pass along a warning.” Jason worked for the Pack Protectors and acted as a liaison between the wolves and bears. He’d been helping Eric with his case ever since Yolanda had started her crazy accusations.
It helped that the Wolf Pack had lately been trying to end the divide between the bears and everyone else. It was slow going, as the distrust was mutual, but Eric gave them kudos for even trying. He certainly could always hope.
Eric had been brought up by two people who refused to accept the status quo. In Norway, they’d settled away from the small enclaves of their own kind, living among humans and other shifters before immigrating to the United States when Eric had been ten and settling in California, choosing a town with numerous other shifters, including Vedjorn.
Growing up, Eric hadn’t known there was any prejudice against bears. He and Jason—who had to be Pack, though of course they’d never discussed it—had been best friends since kindergarten. When Jason had gone into the military and from there the Pack Protectors, he’d never once lost contact with Eric. Even when his top-secret clearance revealed that his best friend was a Vedjorn bear shifter, Jason hadn’t turned away. Instead, he’d asked to work on the task force dedicated to keeping the few remaining Vedjorn safe.
Yawning, Eric rubbed his eyes. Luckily, the ringing phone hadn’t disturbed Garth, who still slept. Eric couldn’t stop himself from once again checking to make sure his son was breathing. He was, of course.
“Thanks, man, but couldn’t this have waited until morning? Is it really the kind of thing that warrants a phone call at 1:00 a.m.?”
Jason cursed. “I’m so sorry. I forgot you were on the East Coast. It’s only ten here. I just got home from work. It’s been a long day. Most of my afternoon and evening were spent dealing with your ex.”
“She doesn’t know where I am.” Eric felt quite confident in that knowledge. “You’re still the only one who knows, right? Everyone else—faculty, friends—all still think I went up to Seattle.”
“Yeah, still true. But you know what? I really didn’t get it before. Why you felt the need to put as much distance as possible between you and her.” Jason’s wry tone told Eric he did now. “Sure, she seemed a bit emotional. Dramatic, even. But not unstable.”
“Is she still trying to brand me a Berserker?” Though he hated to even speak the word, Eric didn’t have a choice. A true Berserker, though rare among their kind, was extremely dangerous. When Berserkers shifted into their bear selves, they could become uncontrollable killing machines. The Wolf Pack Protectors had been working in conjunction with the Vedjorn Bear Council in making sure any true Berserkers were destroyed before they killed any humans and brought unwelcome notice to the entire shape-shifter population. In Eric’s lifetime, he’d heard of only two, both back in Norway.
“Yes.” Jason sounded tired. “I’ve shifted with you, remember. I know you’re not. And I really don’t understand her plan. What is she hoping to achieve?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you. Despite her claims otherwise, it’s not like she truly wants our son—she handed him over without a backward glance and signed papers waiving all parental rights.” Again, rehashing old news. The two men had speculated endlessly over Yolanda’s motives. Since she wanted nothing to do with Garth, her reasons for stalking Eric remained a mystery.
“She flew into a rage at the office today when no one would tell her where she could find you. Something about having a score to settle. And needing to protect Garth.”
“Again, that makes no sense.” Before Eric could finish his statement, he heard an alarm that began shrieking in the background at Jason’s place. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. That’s my burglar alarm. Perimeter alert. I need to check this out, so I’m going to let you go.” He ended the call.
Setting down his phone, Eric shook his head. With her rants and raves about Berserkers and the possibility that a sweet, innocent baby could be one, Yolanda presented a very real danger. He understood she wanted to harm their child and destroy Eric himself, which was why he’d hightailed it out of Cali. Eventually, she would turn back to her partying friends and forget about them. Until then—and maybe forever—he’d keep a low profile. All that mattered was making sure Garth stayed safe.
The phone call had startled Eric, making him wonder if he’d be able to go back to sleep. But apparently shape-shifting and hunting earlier had exhausted him, because he drifted off as soon as he laid his head on his pillow. When he opened his eyes again, bright sunlight reflecting on the snow outside lit up his room.
Instinctively, he checked on Garth. His son still slumbered, the rise and fall of his chest steady. The sight filled Eric with so much joy his throat felt tight.
The possibilities of this new life, with this child...he could ask for nothing more.
Once his son woke up, cheerful as always, Eric changed him and fed him. Then he ate his own breakfast.
The chime of his cell phone broke into his thoughts. He grabbed it. Caller ID showed Jason’s number.
“Jason,” he said, bracing himself for more tales of craziness. “What’s Yolanda done now?”
Silence on the other end. Then an unfamiliar male voice spoke. “This is Officer Frank DeLeon with the Pack Protectors. I regret to inform you that Jason is dead.”
“Dead?” Eric swallowed hard, pain knifing through him. “I just talked to him around one this morning. His alarm went off in the middle of our call. What happened? Intruders?”
A pause. “We’re reviewing the surveillance tapes now. It was pretty violent.”
Then, while Eric was still trying to wrap his mind around that, the voice continued. “And there’s more, unfortunately. We’ve also got a severely injured woman here. Judging from what we can tell from the crime scene, she and Jason were battling.”
“A woman?” At first he didn’t understand.
“Yes. She knew the drill, since she came armed with a pistol and silver bullets. After she shot Jason, she turned the gun on herself.”
“Who?” Eric cleared his throat, feeling as if he already knew the answer, but hoping he was wrong. “Who is the woman?”
“Mr. Mikkelson, we’ve tentatively identified her as your ex-wife, Yolanda. Your ex-wife and the person who was trying to make a case against you for allegedly being a true Berserker.”
Chapter 7 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Another pause. Had there been accusation in the Pack Protector’s tone? When Officer DeLeon continued, Eric already knew exactly what he was going to say. “What I’ll need from you, Mr. Mikkelson, is proof of your whereabouts since 1:00 a.m.”
Stunned, shocked, Eric took a full twenty seconds to respond. “I’m in New York, sir. And yes, I can provide whatever proof you need.”
It was only after he’d hung up that he allowed himself to give in to his grief. Jason was gone. Not only his best friend, but his contact inside the Pack Protectors. The guy who always had his back. And Yolanda had taken herself out along with him.
Unfortunately, the phone call had been all too real. Jason was dead. Yolanda was seriously injured and in intensive care. The doctor had told Eric he wasn’t sure if she would pull through.
The taint of unspoken accusation had colored every sentence between Eric and Officer DeLeon. Even though it hadn’t taken long for the Pack Protectors to verify that Eric was indeed in New York, on the opposite side of the country.
From what DeLeon had reluctantly revealed, it appeared Yolanda had gone to Jason’s home to confront him. She’d purchased a pistol and some silver bullets, apparently with the intention of threatening him. Things had gone downhill from there. Everyone in Jason’s division had been familiar with the woman and her crazy accusations. No one had seen her as a viable threat, least of all Jason.
Privately, Eric thought she’d purchased the one weapon that could kill a shifter in order to eliminate him, once she got Jason to reveal her ex-husband and son’s location. He wondered if Jason had, before he died. Knowing his friend, Eric doubted it.
Poor Jason had been caught in the middle. A Pack Protector, he clearly hadn’t taken Yolanda seriously enough. This broke Eric’s heart.
Meanwhile, Yolanda continued to recover at the hospital. While a silver bullet could kill, she’d missed her heart and brain and any other vital organs. Now she had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.
One of their own had been killed and the Pack Protectors were in a frenzy to blame someone. At first it had seemed as if they were trying to figure out a way to accuse Eric, but in the end they’d had to acknowledge Yolanda had done this, and she’d acted alone.
However, Detective DeLeon’s casual use of the word Berserker concerned Eric. He sounded as if he had no idea what a Berserker was. Yolanda definitely wasn’t one, but the other man referred to her as a Berserker more than once. Luckily, as far as Eric and Garth were concerned, whatever caused bears to go wild was rarely passed down. Instead, it mostly appeared to be a random gene mutation.
Eric could not allow anything to happen to Garth, even if his birth mother was determined to be Berserker by people who knew no better. Eric had shifted with Yolanda and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wasn’t.
DeLeon had said Yolanda would be charged with murder if she lived. Right now, no one seemed certain she would. If she did, Eric could only hope she remained in police custody. He couldn’t help but pray that Jason, in his final moments, had not revealed Eric and Garth’s location.
* * *
Though most of the snow had melted, except for odd little pockets of dirty whiteness in the shadows of buildings or a particularly large tree, the slate-gray sky and icy, gusting wind promised another storm would be on the way sooner or later. After all, it was January.
JJ, like most of Forestwood, bustled around trying to run errands and stock up on supplies before she was snowed in again.
Her mother called from Australia just as JJ finished putting up the groceries. It was summer there, and her mom always loved to tell her how much fun she had at the beach in the blazing hot sun. She didn’t seem to ever grasp the fact that her daughter really preferred fall and winter.
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Karen Whiddon
Some boundaries are made to be crossed…A rare Vedjorn bear shifter, Eric Mikkelson lives on his own terms. So allying with wolf shifters, even gorgeous Julia Jacobs, goes against his loner instincts. Yet Eric must protect his infant son from the dangerous shifter cult stalking him. Keeping JJ at arm's length proves nearly impossible. She gets under Eric's skin, exposing them to new risks as their staggering attraction defies Pack laws and JJ's own dark secrets lies between them.When the safe haven of their shifter-friendly town is violated, lying low is no longer an option. Julia and Eric must embrace the power of their inner beasts, even if it means sacrificing their forbidden bond!
Some boundaries are made to be crossed...
A rare Vedjorn bear shifter, Eric Mikkelson lives on his own terms. So allying with wolf shifters, even gorgeous Julia Jacobs, bristles his loner instincts. But Eric must protect his infant son from the dangerous shifter cult stalking him. However, keeping JJ at arm’s length proves nearly impossible. She gets under Eric’s skin, exposing them to new risks as their staggering attraction defies Pack laws, and JJ’s own dark secrets fester between them.
When the safe haven of their shifter-friendly town is violated, lying low is no longer an option. Julia and Eric must embrace the power of their inner beasts, even if it means sacrificing their forbidden bond.
“You went out to change, didn’t you?” The sound of Eric’s deep voice sent an immediate thrum of need blazing through JJ’s bloodstream. Damn.
Eric dragged his hand across his chin. “So...I was wondering if you’d mind watching Garth sometime, so I can change, too. It’s been a while.”
What she’d give to see him change, or to be more specific, to be there when he exchanged his animal for that of a man, fully and gloriously aroused. A bolt of lust shot through her, so strong she nearly staggered.
“Tomorrow night should be fine.” She hoped she sounded casual.
“Thank you.” He grinned. “I hope I can repay you somehow.”
Oh, she knew exactly how he could repay her. Dang it. Swallowing hard, she managed to smile back.
“Good night,” she said firmly, unlocking her door and stepping inside, her entire body throbbing. Residue from the change, she told herself. Nothing to do with her tenant. Nothing to do with him at all.
KAREN WHIDDON started weaving fanciful tales for her younger brothers at the age of eleven. Amid the gorgeous Catskill Mountains, then the majestic Rocky Mountains, she fueled her imagination with the natural beauty surrounding her. Karen now lives in north Texas, writes full-time and volunteers for a boxer dog rescue. She shares her life with her hero of a husband and four to five dogs, depending on if she is fostering. You can email Karen at kwhiddon1@aol.com. Fans can also check out her website, www.karenwhiddon.com (http://www.karenwhiddon.com).
Her Guardian Shifter
Karen Whiddon
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my dog rescue family.
Your love and support and kindheartedness
help make this world brighter.
Contents
Cover (#ue40c72bb-33d6-52e7-87df-87ba0377ca4c)
Back Cover Text (#u2bcb2335-a77d-5880-a4d3-bff4f682d575)
Introduction (#u1dd32db9-de0a-56ab-bcf8-e47a0b586e67)
About the Author (#uf78707e9-1683-5ad8-9939-75350ed085f0)
Title Page (#u5bbf1602-2ce6-5c3b-b272-6214583284df)
Dedication (#u57f51930-6a90-56d0-913a-e1600ff41d0b)
Chapter 1 (#u307b09c3-bf32-500d-9429-1f76b13770a1)
Chapter 2 (#u752669f5-5600-52dc-a6a1-1ca5cf4a2e49)
Chapter 3 (#u55b9bfa9-a3b6-5441-ae7d-7007bee0a205)
Chapter 4 (#u985ded4e-79ee-5c5e-963c-129b5defd53d)
Chapter 5 (#u37fccbbb-6ef5-55cb-879e-eaca8789f032)
Chapter 6 (#u97a743af-1892-5b23-be60-988028bb5828)
Chapter 7 (#u137f4f68-6709-5471-a617-36f5f47c0201)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. Truer words had never been uttered. Hightailing it out of California with his infant son made Eric Mikkelson feel like some sort of criminal, even though he’d never broken a single law in his entire thirty-six years. Basically, he considered himself one of the good guys. Though his kind, the Vedjorn—bear shape-shifters—were by and large ostracized by the wolves, aka The Pack, since no one went around revealing what kind of shifter they were, his life hadn’t been impacted as much as it could have been otherwise.
No, this journey had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with protecting his son. He wasn’t sure why he felt as if he’d gone on the lam. After all, he’d been granted full legal custody of three-month-old Garth in a court of law. Without restrictions. So if he wanted to drive across the country to New York in the middle of winter, infant son in tow, there was absolutely no reason why he shouldn’t or couldn’t.
He had his reasons, of course. Even before Garth had been born, he’d asked for and received permission to take a sabbatical from his job as a college professor. As soon as his then-wife, Yolanda, had begun showing, so had her disdain for the thing she carried inside her.
The more she’d ranted and raved, the more worried he’d grown. She, too, was bear, and their kind were dwindling. A pregnancy would normally be a time for celebration. Not with her. Instead, she appeared to be coming unhinged.
In her third trimester, she’d finally come to him and asked for her freedom. She hadn’t meant she only wanted out of the marriage. She wanted out of motherhood, as well. He’d negotiated with her carefully. Since he’d offered her a hefty settlement, she’d carried their son full term. Once Garth had been born, she’d refused even to look at the tiny, red-faced infant. She’d handed over the baby to Eric, checked herself out of the hospital and took off to have fun without being tied to anyone or anything.
The divorce had gone through without a hitch. Eric settled into his new life as a single father with bemused dedication and love. He’d been shocked to learn how much he loved his newborn son, and vowed to be the best parent he could.
He’d researched everything about babies. Heavily. Some things, such as the ingrained habits borne of years spent educating others, wouldn’t be changed. He’d felt competent and prepared, until the first time Garth came down with a high fever that wouldn’t break.
But he’d managed, and now, three months in, he would lay down his life for his son. Which was why, when his unstable ex-wife started showing up on his doorstep unannounced, insisting something was wrong with the baby and she needed to take him somewhere to have him fixed, he’d realized he needed to leave California for a while.
While he made his preparations, he’d received phone calls from colleagues and friends, informing him that Yolanda had been declaring to anyone who would listen that Eric had stolen her son from her and cheated her out of motherhood.
After he’d placated numerous people, the news got worse. Now it seemed that Yolanda not only wanted her son back, but she also wanted Eric dead. She’d gone twice to the Wolf Pack authorities, the Pack Protectors, and tried to convince them that Eric was a Berserker, a form of insanity unique to the Vedjorn. When a Berserker shifted from human to bear, he or she became a crazed killing machine. If Eric had truly been one, he’d be a danger to not only her son, but others. She also had hinted a few times that Garth might be a Berserker, as well. It was this last claim that worried Eric. He could defend himself against her attacks. His son could not.
The infrequent gene mutation among the bear shifters was the reason the others—especially wolves—avoided them. Since they were the largest group, the Wolf Pack had an entire division, called the Pack Protectors, devoted to ensuring humankind didn’t learn about their existence. True Berserkers with their indiscriminate killing would endanger not only the bears, but all the others, as well. This could not be allowed. Anyone even seriously suspected of being a Berserker was brought in and contained, until the accusations could either be verified or denied. True Berserkers, though few and far between, were exterminated.
And Yolanda had named Eric a Berserker. Since this accusation was serious, one might have expected her to have some proof. Something to back her up, incidents of killing and maiming. Since she didn’t, no one took her seriously. Including Eric.
Then, without warning, Yolanda had shown up on Eric’s doorstep demanding to see her baby. She hadn’t been even close to sober. He’d turned her away. She’d finally left, shouting about how their son needed healing. And how she was the only one who could provide it.
After that, she’d had an attorney friend contact him. Even though she’d willingly signed away all parenting rights, she’d now decided she’d changed her mind. Except she hadn’t really. He knew all this was somehow related to her intense need to heal her son. From what, he wasn’t sure. Maybe she truly did believe little Garth would grow up to be Berserker. But everyone understood those signs wouldn’t start to exhibit themselves until Garth was able to shape-shift, which would be in his early teens. And if he truly ended up being Berserker, there was no cure.
With a bone-deep certainty, Eric knew his son wasn’t Berserker. Unfortunately, Yolanda appeared equally convinced he was, despite having no evidence to support her.
She’d shown up twice more at his front door, cursing, screaming and crying. And threatening. He began to understand his son was in real danger from the woman who’d birthed him. When he caught her breaking the window on the back door in order to gain entry to his home so she could grab the baby, he’d realized it would be better to disappear. In fact, his Pack Protector friend Jason had strongly suggested it.
So early one morning Eric had quietly packed his SUV, locked his house and taken off cross-country with Garth securely strapped in his infant car seat in back. The rest of his belongings had already been picked up by a moving company and would be delivered a week later, including his painstakingly restored 1969 classic Camaro SS.
His destination was the tiny town of Forestwood, New York, where he’d rented the bottom floor of a house from a website he’d found on the internet, hoping it would look the same as the pictures that had been posted. He no longer would be teaching college. Instead he would open his own business doing something that until now he’d considered only a hobby. He planned to start an entirely new life, focusing on his son and keeping his head down.
* * *
Though her new tenant was supposed to pick up his keys today, Julia Jacobs eyed the blizzard raging outside and figured he’d call her to reschedule. According to the stern yet clearly excited weatherman on TV, officials were advising people to stay off the roads. Whiteout conditions and extreme cold didn’t make for safe travel.
JJ didn’t mind. She’d been anticipating the snow with the eagerness of a child. She’d dreamed it, after all. And snowfall brought her joy. In all kinds of ways. At the first sight of big, fat snowflakes drifting down from the leaden gray sky, she was filled with the excited anticipation of a kid on Christmas Eve.
Though she knew she was out of sync with the rest of the world, winter was her favorite season. The crisp bite of the cold air, her breath pluming as she exhaled. She loved the bundling up, the sweater and scarf and coat and hat and gloves and boots. Stepping out into the white wonderland and making the first set of footprints to mar the unblemished perfection. The way the world went absolutely still and quiet the morning after a snowfall, and how wonderful it felt to sit inside her warm house by the fire drinking cocoa and watching the snow fall. Snow always felt like a new beginning, a chance to start over.
She sighed, glad once again that she was alone, that she’d left Shawn and the hustle and bustle of New York City behind. Even before his true abusive nature came out, her ex-boyfriend had ridiculed her love of all things winter, one of her many character traits that he’d found distasteful and disgusting. Of course, he’d been a summer person, while heat and blazing sunshine had only depressed her. That had just been the beginning and she’d finally broken free. This blizzard, already being ominously forecasted as the storm of the century, brought her nothing but joy.
She felt sorry for her new tenant, though. When he’d rented out the bottom floor of her house, his Norwegian accent had intrigued her. Of course, she’d Googled him after getting his name, noting he’d immigrated to California. She’d been impressed by his academic credentials. A college professor on sabbatical, he’d said. With an infant son.
The last might have given other landlords pause. After all, babies cried, and even though he’d be on another floor entirely, sound drifted in older houses like hers.
But JJ had never been a landlord before—heck, she was a brand-new homeowner—and she adored babies, so she’d immediately granted Mr. Eric Mikkelson the lease. He’d paid for two months up front, along with a perfectly reasonable security deposit. He didn’t smoke or have pets, so she privately thought she might have actually managed to find the perfect tenant.
Even the few fuzzy photos of him she’d seen online jibed with his career. He looked the part, a stereotypical professor, round wire glasses and hair in a ponytail. She hadn’t been able to tell if his hair was blond or gray, but supposed it didn’t matter. He had a baby, which made up for a whole lot of other things, including any lingering intellectual snobbishness. Lord knew she’d had enough of that with Shawn and his Wall Street friends.
Again, she quickly put the thought from her mind. Enough time had passed that she ought to be able to relax, but she still jumped every time someone moved too fast or she heard a loud, unexpected noise. At least she’d retaught herself not to keep her gaze trained on the ground anymore lest she be accused of flirting.
And the nightmares featuring Shawn had finally stopped. The horrible, awful dreams had her questioning her own sanity.
Heaving a sigh, she walked to the window to watch the beautiful snow fall, knowing this would instantly put her in a better frame of mind.
Meanwhile, meeting her new tenant would have to wait until after the storm. Which meant she was free to putter around the house, put a pot of butternut squash soup to simmer on the stove and go out and play in the snow.
Until she’d moved in with Shawn, she’d lived all her life in an apartment in New York City with her parents. If she and her friends had wanted to make a snowman, they’d gone to the park. Now, thanks to a distant great-aunt she’d barely known leaving her this house upstate in Forestwood, New York, she could make a snowman in her own front yard. The prospect excited her, probably more than it should considering she’d just turned thirty-four. She’d have to wait to build it until after the snowfall stopped, but still wanted to go outside and check out the snow.
After bundling up—two pairs of socks inside her snow boots, scarf, and wearing a soft knit cap under her hood—she took a deep breath and stepped out into the swirling storm.
Wow. Stopping just outside the front door on her stoop, she stared. This was coming down fast and furious. She guesstimated already six to seven inches had fallen.
And so beautiful. Slowly she turned, squinting as she tried to see down the street to the other houses. Other houses! She’d lived her entire life surrounded by tall buildings, in the crowded city. She thought she could get used to this new life. Everything moved slower here. The pace suited her just fine.
One month and she’d unpacked nearly everything. Of course, she hadn’t had much to unpack. Luckily, all her great-aunt’s furniture had come with the house, since JJ had none of her own. When she’d moved in with Shawn, he’d convinced her to get rid of her own few eclectic pieces. After all, they’d clashed with his sleek, modern furniture. Bohemian, he’d called it, with the same disparaging intonation one would use with a curse word.
Shawn. She hated how her thoughts kept returning to him when they shouldn’t. That part of her life was over. He no longer had any hold on her. He would never find her here. Even her mother had been sworn to secrecy, though she hadn’t been told why. Pushing him and her former life out of her head, JJ returned her focus to the perfect snowstorm.
Unable to resist, she dropped to the ground and made a snow angel, even though fresh flakes would fill it in quickly. With her face lifted to the sky, she felt like a kid. The icy flakes stuck to her eyelashes and her lips, even her teeth, since she was grinning. The cold air hurt her skin, which meant she wouldn’t be able to stay outside much longer, but she planned to enjoy what time she had.
The sound of a car door slamming made her sit up and blink away the snowflakes stuck to her lashes. What the... Someone had pulled up to the curb in front of her house. Driving some sort of compact SUV that she’d never in a million years have believed could make it more than a mile in this snow without snow tires and chains.
A tall, bare-headed man came around from the driver’s side. As she stared, her first thought was of the mythological Norse god Thor. She forgot about the icy wind, the snowflakes swirling like dervishes. Because as he strode toward her, his long, wavy blond hair swirling around his shoulders, her entire body came alive. He moved with a confident, easy stride, as if the snow and ice didn’t exist for him.
Damn. Realizing she was still on the ground, she clambered to her feet, dusting as much snow off her as she could before she looked up at him. And she meant up. This guy had to be way over six feet tall. Shawn had been six-two, and she’d bet this man would tower over him. Norse god, she thought again. Odd that she hadn’t had a single dream of him. She’d bet she would from now on.
“Um, hi?” she squeaked.
“Ms. Jacobs?” he rumbled, his bright blue eyes sharp. Oh heck, his voice definitely suited him. Made her go weak in the knees. And that accent...
Belatedly she knew who this must be. “Eric Mikkelson?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief from showing.
“Yes.” He tilted his massive, unbelievably gorgeous head. “You weren’t expecting me? I believe I confirmed I’d be here this afternoon to pick up the keys.”
“I know, but...” She gestured helplessly at the storm raging around them. “You drove up here in this?”
“This?” Frowning, he didn’t appear to understand what she meant. Before she could elaborate, he turned back toward his car. “I need to get my son. Do you mind if we continue this discussion inside?”
His son. Struck dumb by both his recklessness and his masculine beauty, she nodded. Then, because she loved babies as much as she loved snow, she followed him over to the car and tried to peer around him as he unbuckled his son’s infant carrier.
She caught a glimpse of bright blue eyes peering out from a tiny, bundled up face. As she leaned in closer, her tenant, clearly not realizing she’d moved in so close, caught her with his elbow under the chin and sent her flying backward.
“Oof.” Down she went, right on her behind. Luckily, all her layers plus the several inches of fluffy snow provided lots of padding. Nothing got hurt except her pride.
Her tenant glanced back over his shoulder at her, clearly unaware what had happened. “Are you all right?” he asked, his cautious tone telling her he’d begun to consider the possibility that she might be nuts.
For a split second she debated telling him what had happened. Pushing to her feet, she once again dusted off snow, the cold dampness beginning to seep through her layers to her skin. And then she caught sight of Eric’s son, and completely forgot what she’d been about to say.
The instant the baby locked eyes with her, he grinned and wrinkled his cute little nose. All bundled up in his snowsuit, cap and mittens, he looked like a precious baby seal with bright blue eyes. As his daddy lifted him up, he cooed.
Like his father, his cuteness factor was off the charts.
“Come on,” she said, conscious of the freezing temperature and icy wind. “I don’t want him to get frostbite.”
Eric Mikkelson stared and shook his head. “He has Norwegian blood,” he said, as if that explained everything. “This snowstorm is nothing compared to the ones I grew up with in Norway. I dressed him warmly. He’ll be fine.”
Fine? She managed to refrain from shaking her head while she tromped her way through the deepening snow to her front door. When she turned back to look for him, for a second she couldn’t see him, the baby or his car due to the blowing, swirling snow.
Chapter 2 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
An instant of panic disappeared the moment JJ caught sight of her new tenant striding up her walk, his son clutched securely to his massive chest.
Again with the striding? As if the snow wasn’t even there. Maybe it had something to do with his height.
Then, before she had time to pretend she wasn’t gaping, he reached her. Fumbling, her hands cold even in her lined ski gloves, she opened the door. “Come on inside.”
As she began the laborious process of removing her many layers of warm clothes, she watched him shrug out of his coat and then get busy undressing the baby. In disbelief, she processed not only the fact that Eric wore just a black sweater under his parka, but that his infant son did, too.
Unable to tear her gaze away, even though she knew her stare might be rude, she exhaled.
Eric Mikkelson was a big man. Not just tall, not just broad, but an appealing combination of the two. Throw in some killer muscles, a narrow waist and lean hips, and he was the stuff of which feminine fantasies were made.
She frowned. Since when did she need to even start thinking about another man, never mind fantasizing about one? If her relationship with Shawn had taught her anything, it had shown her she clearly needed to live alone and figure out how she’d let herself become so...
Since leaving Shawn, she’d tried out several different adjectives and discarded them, because no one single word could adequately describe how much of herself she’d let Shawn destroy. Thankfully, she’d finally gotten the courage to flee.
No, she thought, eyeing the gorgeous masculine specimen in front of her, a man was the last thing she needed.
Still, she’d have to be dead not to appreciate this man’s appeal. And of course, there was his baby.
The infant made a curious snuffling sound. She wondered exactly what species of shape-shifter Eric might be. His aura, like hers, revealed him to be a shifter, though not what kind. And while she hadn’t met too many others, she knew there were many different types of animals besides her wolf. In fact, this little town had recently gained notoriety among shifters for revealing another rare species of shifter, the Drakkor, or dragon shifter. They’d welcomed several into life in their town, even though most of the residents of Forestwood were Pack, or wolf, like JJ.
She’d bet Eric Mikkelson wasn’t wolf. Still eyeing him, she figured he might be a big cat, like a lion or panther. Though his movements and size reminded her more of a grizzly. She swallowed hard. The Vedjorn bear shifters were as rare as Drakkor, and for good reason. They were unstable and frequently dangerous. They kept to themselves and, unlike the other species of shifters, rarely if ever intermarried outside of their own kind. Not that anyone else wanted anything to do with them.
“Are you all right?”
Crud. She’d been standing staring at him, most likely with her mouth wide-open or a big, dopey smile on her face. Flustered, she nodded. “Yes, sorry. I’m fine. It’s just that...” she began. Horrified, she realized she’d been about to breach the most sacred etiquette between shifters. Yikes. There was no way she could ask him what kind of animal he changed into.
“Yes?” he asked, his tone patient, a smile playing along the edge of his sensual mouth. Once again she’d gotten lost in thought. Obviously, her social skills had also vanished with her previous life.
“I’m sorry,” she finally repeated, wincing as the second apology crept out. “It’s just, I wasn’t expecting you today and now that you’re here, you aren’t at all what I expected.” As she wound to the end of her rambling, her entire face flamed.
“But I confirmed that I would pick up the keys today,” he said, his expression puzzled.
“Yes, but...” She waved her fingers at her large picture window. “With the storm, I thought you’d reschedule.”
Tilting his big, shaggy head, he considered her. Then he grinned, his blue eyes sparking with amusement. And just like that, he went from great looking to absolutely drop-dead sexy.
So help her, her knees went weak again and her breath caught in her chest. Damn.
“You’re joking, right?” His good-natured question prompted her to agree.
“Of course I am,” she managed to reply, attempting a wobbly smile. Thank goodness she at least didn’t sound breathless. “What’s a little blizzard to someone from Norway, right?” Even if that someone had been living in California for years, according to his application.
“Exactly.” The warm glance he sent her invited her to share in his amusement. He swung his large head around to check out the central foyer, while expertly rocking his son’s carrier. The stairs to her place were to the left. His front door was underneath the staircase.
“Would you mind showing me the way to my place? It’s been a long day and I’d like to get settled in as quickly as possible.”
“Of course.” She matched his brisk tone. “Follow me.”
When she’d arrived to claim the house she’d inherited, she’d been surprised to see it had been built as two separate living areas. Both the top floor and the bottom were self-contained dwellings, each with their own kitchen and bathrooms. She’d claimed the top floor. Years of living in the city had taught her she’d be safer there. And the bottom floor she’d rented out to him, her very first tenant ever.
Luckily, the top floor had its own separate entrance, so they’d both have plenty of privacy. And she would have some income to tide her over until she figured out exactly what she wanted to do.
“You’ll have the entire bottom floor,” she said, opening his front door and stepping aside. “Here it is. All yours.”
Still bouncing the baby, he pushed past her and stopped, turning in a half circle to take it all in.
“Wow.” His deep laugh reminded her of hot cocoa spiced with Kahlúa. “When you said it came furnished, I was relieved. I confess, I actually pictured Ikea or maybe an eclectic mix of garage sale and discount store. What I didn’t envision was this. It’s very...” Words seemed to fail him.
“Old lady-ish?” she suggested helpfully, unable to keep from smiling. “All of this stuff belonged to my great-aunt Olivia.” She didn’t tell him the reason she’d kept the fussy, outdated furniture was because she not only didn’t have any of her own, but currently didn’t have the funds to replace it.
“I see,” he said, eyeing a particularly delicate looking chair. “To be honest, I’m afraid I’ll break that if I sit in it.”
She had to admit he was probably right. “I’ll switch it out with something else,” she said, trying to sound businesslike. “Here are your keys.”
When she went to hand them off, her fingers brushed his. Damn. A curious swooping pull swept through her, momentarily making her head spin.
“Are you all right?” he asked yet again, watching her closely, as if he expected her to fall over in a dead faint at any second.
“Yes.” Biting back her second almost automatic apology, she forced a smile. Life with Shawn had compelled her to apologize for everything, even stuff that wasn’t her fault. She’d been consciously trying to break the habit ever since she’d gotten free.
“I guess I’d better leave you to it,” she continued brightly. “I’m just upstairs if you need anything.”
He nodded. “I’ve got your number, as well. Thank you for everything.” As she moved back out into their shared foyer, he firmly and quietly closed his door. A second later, she heard the sound of the dead bolt clicking into place. She couldn’t help but wish she’d dream of him once she went to sleep.
* * *
Exhaustion had Eric wishing he could undress and crawl into bed, but little Garth would need a diaper change and some formula first. Shame about the landlord woman. Though she really was stunning with her fiery red hair, large green eyes and curvy body, she seemed a little daft in the head. The way she’d eyed his baby—as if she’d like to eat him up—had worried Eric. Had he escaped one crazy woman only to relocate with another?
Surely not. Most likely, he was overreacting out of fear. Still, just in case, until he knew her better, he’d make sure to keep his distance.
After he got Garth cleaned up, fed and burped, and put down for a nap, he finally rummaged in his backpack for the sandwich he’d bought at the last gas station. It had gotten crushed and didn’t look the least bit appetizing, but was still cold. He wolfed it down in four bites, wishing he’d had the foresight to buy two. Tomorrow, he’d stock up on food, but for now he had enough of the two things that really mattered—formula and diapers. He had a portable crib in the back of his SUV and the rest of his things would be arriving as soon as the transport company got there.
The one thing he worried most about was his other car. The one he didn’t want to take a chance on damaging by driving cross-country. And he sure as hell wouldn’t be taking it out on icy roads recently coated with salt. He’d park it until the winter season had long passed. Late spring, at the earliest.
One of the reasons he’d chosen to rent this place over the others was that it came with a garage. According to the lease, his landlord got one side of the two-car, detached garage and he got the other. He didn’t plan to use it for the SUV he’d driven across the country. No. He planned to store the 1969 Camaro SS he’d lovingly restored inside his slot in the garage. That car would be his advertisement for the business he planned to start.
Even in California, where customized hot rods were a dime a dozen, his car turned heads. He’d been asked several times where he’d had the work done. Plenty of people had wanted to hire him when he’d told them he’d done it himself. They’d been shocked to learn he worked as a college professor and that he’d restored the car as a hobby. He’d come to realize he might be able to do something he loved and actually earn a living at it. He’d started saving every penny he could, in the hope that one day he could actually start his own business. He’d just about had enough to get serious when Yolanda had gotten pregnant.
And then his life had gone to hell in a handbasket.
No sense in dwelling on the past. Tonight was the first night in his new home and tomorrow would be literally the first day of the rest of his new life. A life where he could keep Garth safe. A life where, hopefully, he could settle in, make friends, get his business established, and find peace and joy again.
The snow continued to fall all through the night. Eric knew because, restless, he got up several times to peer out the window to where the streetlight illuminated the now impassable street. The little house was snug—he’d give it that. No leaky windows, and the radiators put out plenty of heat. He felt cozy and oddly at peace, something he hadn’t quite expected when he’d chucked his entire life and took off to start a new one on the opposite side of the country.
Now he suspected he knew what people who went into the Witness Protection Program felt like. Adrift, needing an anchor, but afraid to put down deep roots in case they needed to move on again. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the case here. No way would anyone—especially his ex—think to look for him this far from sunny California.
Finally, sometime around six, he got up, blinking at the brightness from the snow outside, and began puttering around his new living space. The old furniture reminded him of his maternal grandmother’s house—fussy fabrics, lots of dark wood and elaborate ornamentation. He suspected there would have been a plethora of knickknacks covering every conceivable service, which Julia Jacobs had most likely cleared out once she’d arrived. The dark wood gleamed, evidently having recently been dusted and polished, and the space he’d rented looked clean.
Garth woke and Eric got busy changing his boy’s diaper and warming formula so the little guy could have breakfast. Early on Eric had felt a sense of pride at the fact that he’d gotten quite adept at these basic parenting tasks, an accomplishment that had once both amazed and amused him. Now, taking care of his three-month-old was routine, second nature.
After Garth had been fed and burped, Eric sat on the couch and let his son play with a set of colorful plastic rattles. He’d brought only a few of the baby’s toys with him; the others would arrive in the moving truck.
Eventually, Garth fell asleep again and Eric gently placed him back in his temporary crib. He stood for a moment watching his son sleep, his heart full. Finally, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
The knock on his door was decisive, yet quiet enough that it didn’t wake the baby. When Eric opened it, he wasn’t surprised to see his petite landlady standing there. If anything, she looked even more intriguing than she had the night before. He’d never been partial to redheads, but he’d never seen one as beautiful as her. Her emerald-green eyes and lush mouth contrasted with her spattering of freckles, giving her a sexy, girl-next-door vibe. Eyeing her, he felt a jolt of lust, which of course he instantly tamped down.
“Yes?” he asked politely, keeping his body between her and the inside of his place.
A shadow darkened her eyes, almost as if his intense need for privacy wounded her. “I just wanted to apologize,” she said softly. “I know I acted a little strange yesterday and I’m sorry.” Her slight laugh sounded a bit forced, though she kept her chin up and her shoulders back. “Anyway, welcome to Forestwood.” She held out her hand. He noticed her fingernails were short and looked uneven, as if she maybe chewed on them.
The two of them shook. She had a nice, firm grip, which he appreciated.
“I made you a map of town, showing you where all the shops are. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Once he’d accepted the folded map, she turned to go.
“Wait.”
Stopping, she turned, one eyebrow lifted.
“Thank you,” he told her. “As soon as the roads are cleared, I need to hit the grocery store. Any idea what time the plows will come through?”
“I watched the news and this storm was pretty bad. They may not. If the plows don’t make it out this way today, they’ll get our road done tomorrow.”
His heart sank. “Tomorrow?” As he spoke, his stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t had breakfast or even coffee. “I have absolutely no food. I don’t suppose you’d care to sell me a few things to tide me over until then.”
“No food?” Tilting her head, she considered him. “Please tell me you have formula for the baby.”
“Of course I do. And diapers. You can’t travel cross-country with an infant without those. Little Garth is taken care of. I’m the one who needs provisions.”
Amusement sparked in her green eyes. “I’m not going to sell you food,” she said, disappointing him. “But you won’t starve, not in my house. Come with me. I can feed you. I’m an excellent cook.”
Even though his stomach still rumbled with hunger, he wasn’t sure he wanted her to feed him. The idea of her cooking for him seemed way too intimate. Yet what alternative did he have? He could starve or he could eat.
Both embarrassed and wary and, damn it, hungry, he shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, I barely know you. You shouldn’t have to...”
“It’s food.” Her smile tugged at him, invited him to smile back. “Not gold or diamonds or even splitting a bottle of red wine. A couple of simple, hearty meals. Let me make you something, starting with breakfast. You can pay me back after you’ve made it to the store. Now what’ll it be? I’ve got eggs and bread, or oatmeal if you prefer.”
His stomach growled at the thought. Still, he felt obligated to at least make an effort to decline. “I don’t want to impose,” he began.
“You’re not.” She turned to go. “Come on. And bring that adorable baby with you.”
Heaven help him, he went. The small sandwich from the night before had long ago faded from memory and he needed to eat something. Anything. Even cold cereal. He figured he’d go with oatmeal, since she probably had instant, and it would be less trouble and less intimate than asking her to fry him up a couple eggs.
Since Garth was still asleep, it was a simple matter of picking up the portable crib and carrying it with him. Good thing the kid was a sound sleeper. Eric tromped all the way up the steep flight of stairs and his son never woke. Garth had always been like that.
His lovely landlord had left her door open for him. He didn’t know why he was making such a big deal out of a simple kindness on her part, but he chalked it up to being gun-shy after what had happened with Yolanda. Still, he couldn’t stand outside on the landing forever. At least, not if he wanted to eat.
Chapter 3 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Taking a deep breath, Eric stepped inside and looked around. He didn’t know what he’d expected, maybe a carbon copy of his, but her space looked completely different. Minimal furnishings, for one. Clearly, she’d chosen only what she wanted from the furniture her great-aunt had left behind. And then she’d added some other pieces, bright colors mostly. Lots of patterns, stripes and swirls and polka dots. Feminine stuff, but surprisingly comfortable looking.
Turning slowly, he wasn’t sure what to make of it all. Instead of looking garish or confusing, the effect was cheerful and homey. In a bohemian sort of way. In fact, it reminded him of photos he’d seen of some of the dorms at the college where he used to work.
“In here,” Julia called. He followed the sound of her voice and found her standing in front of the stove.
Her kitchen, too, appeared bright and clean. She’d made an attempt to modernize it, though the aging appliances and chipped counters showed its age. He set the travel crib near the table and against the wall, hopefully out of the way.
“Welcome. So what’ll it be?” she asked, her friendly tone and relaxed posture inviting him to loosen his guard.
“Oatmeal is fine,” he told her. “I don’t want you to go to any trouble. You have instant, right?”
She eyed him, her expression thoughtful. “I do. Are you sure that’s what you want?”
It wasn’t, but he nodded. “Oatmeal is great on a snowy morning.”
“Coffee?” Handing him a cup, she pointed toward a half-full coffeepot. “Help yourself.”
In California, he’d come to appreciate good coffee. He’d even purchased a specialty brewer, which was on its way here with his other personal belongings. But right now, he would have settled for instant. With no expectations other than it being hot, he filled his cup and took a sip.
It was good. More than good. Right up there with the gourmet coffee served at the corner java shop he used to stop at every morning on his way to campus. A second sip and he made a small sound of pleasure, causing her to swing around and grin at him.
He felt the power of that grin like a punch in his stomach. Slightly disoriented, he finally smiled back. He definitely hadn’t expected this. Expected her.
“I take it you like my coffee?”
“I do.” His third sip made him widen his smile into a grin. “It’s delicious. I can’t tell you how badly I needed this.”
“I can imagine.” She gestured at the table, a round wooden one that she’d painted turquoise. Around it were four wooden chairs, all painted different colors. “Sit. I’ll have your breakfast ready in a minute.”
Slightly less uncomfortable, he pulled out a chair. After bustling around for a second, she put a bowl in the microwave. When it chimed, she used pot holders to remove it, dropped in a handful of raisins and carried it over to him, along with a spoon and a paper napkin. “Here you go.”
After one bite, he had to fight not to inhale the entire bowl. “This doesn’t taste like instant oatmeal,” he commented, before shoveling another spoonful into his mouth.
“Oh yeah?” She took a seat across from him, cradling her own mug of coffee. “It is, but I mashed a banana in with it before I micro-zapped it. It’s one of my favorite breakfasts in the world. Then I added raisins and cinnamon. Do you like it?”
Since he’d nearly finished his bowl, he nodded. Two more bites and he was done. “Thank you,” he said, meaning it. “I was really hungry.” So hungry that everything tasted better around her.
“I could tell. I made two packets, since one is never enough.”
He could have eaten two more, but he’d already imposed enough. Sipping his coffee, he nodded before glancing out her kitchen window at the snow still piled up outside. “Judging from your porch railings, I’d say we must have gotten at least ten inches.”
“Yep. They said on the news it was more like a foot.”
“I believe it.” One more swallow and he’d emptied his cup. He wondered if she’d mind if he had another. “Do you really think it will be tomorrow until the plows come through? I need to get to a grocery store at least.”
She seemed remarkably unconcerned. “It’ll probably be today. That all depends where they decide to go first. But if you don’t make it to the store, I’ll make sure you don’t starve. Oh, and if you do get out, I’ll be happy to watch the baby while you shop. No need to have to deal with taking him out into weather like this.”
Watch the baby? He glanced at Garth, still sleeping peacefully. After his initial frisson of alarm, he considered her. He really needed to stop being so suspicious. No way could every woman he met turn out to be as psychotic and unbalanced as Yolanda. He had to admit, if only to himself, maybe he’d gotten paranoid. But then, who would blame him?
The truth was eventually he would have to find someone who could babysit Garth from time to time. More, once he started scouting for locations to open up his custom car shop. He’d definitely need to get day care during regular business hours so he could work. The thought tied his stomach in knots. He didn’t like being away from his son, not for more than a few minutes at a time. He didn’t know how people did it, returning to work out of necessity when their child was only a few months old. Like them, he’d have no choice but to do the same. Not yet, though. Not yet.
One thing at a time, he reminded himself.
“I might take you up on that,” he replied. Surely he could let her watch Garth for an hour while he stocked his fridge and pantry.
“Just let me know when.”
Again he glanced out her window at the pristine white snow. “As soon as the plows clear the streets.”
“Do you have personal items arriving?” she asked. “Baby furniture, your television, that sort of thing?”
“My moving truck is supposed to arrive in a few days,” he said, eyeing his empty mug longingly. “Assuming the roads are good enough for them to get through.”
“Good.” She grabbed the coffeepot and brought it over. “More coffee? Don’t worry, I can always make more.”
Relieved, he nodded. After she’d refilled his cup, he took another deep drink and sighed. Just as good the second time. “I promise I’ll repay you as soon as I can.”
The snorting sound she made surprised him. Humor danced in her eyes, inviting him to share it with her. “Don’t worry about it. It’s coffee, not Patrón Silver.”
And then she laughed, the low sound pleasing and harmonious. “Occasionally there’s nothing better than a shot of really good tequila, you know?”
He actually did. After a second of hesitation, he nodded in agreement. “Thanks again for everything. I’m just not used to mooching off anyone.”
When she pulled out the chair across from him, he saw she’d refilled her mug, too. Like him, she drank her coffee black. “Tell me about yourself, Eric Mikkelson. Why are you moving to the Catskills from sunny and hip California? Is it for a new job or do you have family here?”
Personal questions. Though instead of immediately putting him on the defensive once again, the friendly, casual way she phrased her questions actually relaxed him. She sounded interested rather than inquisitive. “No family. I moved here to go into a new line of work. I’m planning on opening my own business in town, once I find the perfect space.”
“Awesome.” To his surprise, she didn’t ask him what kind of business. “But still. Why Forestwood? We’re not exactly a metropolis. We’re barely even on the map.”
Since he knew from her aura that she, too, was a shifter, he felt comfortable enough to tell her the truth. “Because I read the article about the Drakkor. Any town that will lovingly shelter an individual without knowing or understanding what kind of being she might be is the kind of place where I feel I’ll fit in.”
At first, she didn’t move. Didn’t comment or respond, just watched him, her big green eyes contemplative. “The Drakkor. After that article was published, we got a lot of tourists. Mostly, they just wanted to see a real, live dragon. But no one actually wanted to move here.”
“For me, it isn’t about seeing a Drakkor.” The earnestness in his voice surprised him. “It’s about finding friendly people. Neighbors who don’t judge you because you’re different. The sort of kindhearted community where I can raise my son.” He stopped, slightly embarrassed to have revealed so much to a stranger.
Tilting her head, she considered him. Then a slow smile bloomed, transforming her from really attractive to stunningly beautiful. His heart actually skipped a beat.
“That’s really pretty damn amazing,” she said finally, her warm voice imbibing the compliment with more.
What was it about this woman? Though they’d just met the day before, he felt as if he’d known her for a long time. He wasn’t sure what to think about that.
Instead of allowing himself to bask in the glow of her praise, he turned the discussion to her. “How about you?” he asked. “Were you born and raised here or did you make your way from somewhere else, too?”
Her smile faded. “I’d never been here before until a month ago. A great-aunt whom I didn’t even know existed died. She left me this house and all the furniture, so I moved here.”
“What about your job? Did you leave that, too, or are you able to work from home?”
Ducking her head, she shrugged. “I worked at a few different things. Dog walking, which is really in demand in the city, some waitressing and even some temporary secretarial work. None of it was difficult to leave.”
“In the city?” He couldn’t help but notice she didn’t say where precisely she’d lived before. Since he’d been open with her, he figured he’d ask. “What city?”
“New York. Manhattan to be exact.” Again a shadow crossed her face. “Only a couple of hours’ drive from here, but it might as well be across the country.”
He knew what she meant. The difference between some areas of California was also like that.
When he finished his second cup of coffee, she poured him more without asking. Then she emptied the last of the pot into her own cup before she sat back down. “So far, I like it here a lot,” she said. “Though I haven’t been here very long. I guess we can learn the town together.”
Together. What the... No, he was overreacting. No doubt she didn’t mean anything by that. Again, he couldn’t let what had happened with his ex-wife destroy his future. He would be vigilant and careful. And cautious. Yes, cautious. But his new landlord appeared kind and genuine. He would believe her to be so unless she proved otherwise.
“About watching Garth,” he began. “What’s your experience with infants?”
“Experience?” Shaking her head, she chuckled. “I just love babies. Always have. I’m not a professional nanny or anything, though I did once have a job working in a day care. Not in the baby room, though. But I’m reasonably sure I can manage taking care of him for an hour while you get groceries.”
She was right. It wasn’t as if he was asking her to be a full-time nanny. “Sorry.” Glancing at his son, still peacefully sleeping, he sighed. “I’ve never left him with anyone before. I don’t—”
“Really know me all that well,” she finished for him. “I get it. Believe me, I was only trying to help. If you’d rather take him with you, I completely understand.”
Her statement brought him a measure of relief. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “Out of curiosity, have you found work here yet or are you still looking?”
She glanced down, which made his stomach twist, though he wasn’t sure why.
“Oh.” She flushed. “Right now, I’m still unemployed. My aunt left me a small inheritance as well as this house. I’ve only been here a month and haven’t looked for anything yet.”
Wishing he hadn’t asked, he tried to lighten the mood. “Well then, we’re two of a kind, since I don’t have a job yet, either.”
Her smile came back, a quick flash of self-deprecating humor. “I guess we are.”
Startled, he realized he actually liked Julia Jacobs. At least what he knew about her so far. And he would need someone to watch Garth, at least part-time. For now, he’d keep his eyes open and not make any rash decisions.
“What kind of work do you do?” she asked.
Briefly, he considered and decided he didn’t see any harm in telling her the truth. “I was a college professor, but I took a sabbatical when Garth was born. Now, I’m planning to open up a customized car shop. It used to be a hobby, but I’m thinking I can make a living doing it full-time.”
“Customize cars? Like painting them?”
“That’s part of it. Restoring older cars to their original condition, only better. Turning them into hot rods.” Oversimplified, but adequate.
“Interesting.” The little shrug that accompanied her comment told him she either knew zero about cars or didn’t care to. “That’s kind of the polar opposite from higher education, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.” He smiled. “I figure since I came to the complete other side of the country, I might as well make a major change to my life. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“Then good for you.” She smiled back. “Not to be nosy, but what about Garth’s mother? Where is she in all of this?”
He froze, aware his expression had completely shut down. But she couldn’t know and her question had actually been perfectly reasonable, if a bit intrusive. “She and I are divorced. Turns out she didn’t actually want a child. She signed over all parental rights to me.”
If they’d been discussing any other subject, her disbelief and shock might have been comical. He could almost read her thoughts. Right now, she was dying to ask what kind of woman could abandon an innocent, tiny baby like Garth. From the grim set of her mouth and the way she’d narrowed her eyes, she must be wondering if Eric’s ex was a monster. He didn’t have the heart to tell her Yolanda actually was.
When he didn’t comment further, she sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Now he felt like an ass. After all, she’d opened her home to him and fed him. She’d been nothing but kind and friendly. “It’s okay,” he finally said. “It’s just a sore subject.”
“I can imagine.” The grimness in her tone told him she agreed. “Anyway, if you need anything, please let me know.”
He could take a hint. She’d fed him, chatted with him and now was ready for him to go. He stood, collected his son and let himself out the door.
Once back in his new, empty living quarters, Eric found he missed her. Or maybe he just missed having company. Someone to talk to. With the streets still impassable, he couldn’t leave, couldn’t drive around and check out the rest of the town the way he’d initially planned on his second day. Being stuck inside an unfamiliar house felt confining, to say the least. Plus he was impatient to begin scouting out a possible location to open his shop.
All in good time, he reminded himself. He needed to exercise a little patience.
He considered himself lucky that he had electricity and water. Since she’d never had them turned off, all he’d needed to do was change them into his name. And even though his television was on the moving truck, she’d left a smallish one in the living room, for which he was grateful.
Garth finally woke. Eric passed some time bathing and changing his son, giving him another bottle, and then just talking to him. Though at three months, little Garth couldn’t do much other than wave his hands around and coo, being around him filled Eric with love.
Time passed slowly. He’d grown hungry again, but stubbornly remained in his part of the house, not wanting his landlord to feel compelled to feed him again. He didn’t want to turn into a giant moocher, so decided to make do until he could get out and go to the store.
To his relief, he heard the unmistakable sound of the plow shortly after three. Rushing to the front window, he watched the big machine lumber down the street, plumes of snow shooting up to the side. Too late, he realized his vehicle would be buried, but since there was nothing he could do to avert this, he simply continued to watch. It wasn’t like he hadn’t dug out a car before, back when he’d lived in Norway.
Once the plow had passed, he shrugged into his parka and eyed Garth, now wide-awake and happily batting at the bright plastic toys Eric had strung across the front of his portable crib. He didn’t want to leave his son alone, but couldn’t just bring him outside while he cleared the snow from his car. Which meant he’d have to impose on his new landlord once again. Good thing she claimed to love babies.
Fifteen minutes, he told himself, picking up the carrier and trudging upstairs to Julia’s place. He would ask her to keep an eye on the baby while he cleared his car. Then he’d retrieve Garth, bundle him up and put him in his car seat for a quick trip to the store.
Chapter 4 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
She answered the door on his second knock. To Eric’s amusement, her gaze slid past him, right to the baby watching her with wide-eyed interest. “Well, hello there,” she said, crouching down so she and Garth were at eye level. “I see you’re finally awake, little sleepyhead.”
Garth made a gurgling sound, jingling his plastic keys as he gazed up at her.
“You’re so precious,” Julia cooed. She glanced up at Eric. “Is everything all right?”
He cleared his throat. “I was wondering if you’d mind keeping an eye on him for a few minutes. The plow covered my SUV and I need to dig it out so I can head into town. I’ll come back for him as soon as I’m done.”
“No problem.” She took the infant carrier and brought it inside. “Like I told you earlier, if you want, I can watch him while you go to the store.”
Tempting, but again, he barely knew her and she’d already done more than enough for him. Leaving her in charge of Garth while he was a few feet away, outside, was entirely different than driving away without his son. “I appreciate that, but I’d rather bring him with me.” He cast her a sideways look, trying to judge how she would take this news.
To his surprise, she smiled. “I understand. You don’t know me yet and he’s your entire world. Believe me, I wouldn’t leave my baby for very long with someone I just met, either.”
Relieved, he nodded. “I’m glad you understand. Fifteen minutes, okay? He’s already been fed and has a clean diaper. I’m thinking this won’t take much more than that.”
“No rush.” Her gaze had already strayed back to his son. “We’ll be right here whenever you finish.”
* * *
After the door closed behind her new tenant, JJ let out a sigh of relief. She liked looking at him, plain and simple. Even though another man in her life was the absolute last thing she needed right now. She hadn’t worked through her recent past yet. Hell, she didn’t even recognize the woman who’d fled New York City as if the hounds of hell were after her, with giant teeth. And of course, her dreams still haunted her.
This appalled her. She’d always been fierce, a fighter, but not a killer. She’d often questioned how she could have let herself become the woman Shawn had made her into, a woman afraid of her own shadow, too terrified to speak or even look at something the wrong way. She’d walked on eggshells, never knowing what might set him off.
Initially, she’d gone into the relationship a strong, female shifter. A she-wolf, proud of her heritage, confident in her humanness. Shawn might have been only human, but in the beginning he’d seemed kind and thoughtful and handsome. She’d also liked his size, instinctively feeling a large man like him would always protect her.
In fact, it had been the opposite. He’d used his size to intimidate and threaten and hurt. What she’d become after three years with Shawn...
Now, she knew personally how some abused animals felt. She understood the impulse that had them cringing at sudden movements or a raised hand. Objectively, she could see how several years of conditioning by a man she’d thought had loved her had made her this way. What confused and astounded her was how she’d let it happen. How she’d managed to come to believe it was all her fault. If she’d been prettier, smarter, quicker... A better girlfriend, a harder worker, more... As if he was the rational person and she was the one spiraling out of control.
She deserved everything she got. He’d actually said that to her, numerous times. Until finally, something had broken inside her and she’d known she’d had enough. That had been when she’d gotten the news of her great-aunt’s death and learned she’d inherited a house in a town she’d never known existed. That had been when she’d realized she’d be all right, that she could leave.
She’d grabbed on with both hands and secretly planned her escape. When she’d fled, she’d taken care to make sure he was at work and had no idea. Even so, she’d been terrified he’d find out and catch her, and make her pay.
And she’d done it! Freed herself, and most likely saved Shawn’s life. Because she’d always known, deep down inside herself, if he pushed her too far, she’d snap and shift to wolf. A cornered wolf would kill in self-defense. Even Pack law allowed this, but she didn’t want to be a killer.
This had been her first major victory in nearly three years. Now she was here, a few hours north of the city, and Shawn had no idea how to find her. After taking a few deep breaths, she let the tension drain off of her.
Her throat tight, she rolled her shoulders. Focus on the positive. A house of her own in upstate New York. Enough money to tide her over until she figured out what she wanted to do, and now a paying tenant, which meant a nice revenue stream. Her way out, her ticket to another life.
When she’d first arrived, relieved to find the house completely furnished, she’d met with the attorney and signed the necessary paperwork. After, she’d slept for two days, not stirring from her bed except to guzzle water and use the bathroom. When she’d finally surfaced, she felt like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. Full of possibilities and hope.
This was all still too new, only one short month along. She had the rest of winter to burrow in, claim her space and find her way. She needed to rebuild her life, piece by piece, not let herself get distracted by a man.
Or his too-adorable-for-words baby.
As if he knew her thoughts, the baby gurgled and flashed JJ a sweet smile. Her heart constricted.
“Hello there, Garth,” she cooed, loving the way his bright blue eyes sparkled as he smiled up at her. Carefully, gently, she lifted him out of his portable crib, breathing in the sweet baby scent of him. Moving him to her shoulder, she murmured baby words and nonsense while swaying slightly. His tiny body nestled into her, relaxing in a way that let her know he trusted her to take care of him. She, who’d never even been able to keep a potted plant alive.
This would be her ideal job, taking care of this sweet baby while his daddy worked. Maybe once Eric got settled in and knew her better, he’d entrust her with his precious son for more than a few minutes.
Carrying the infant, she walked to the front window to check on Eric. He was still shoveling her sidewalk. Heart in her throat, she continued to watch him, holding the baby and pointing out his daddy. Even in his bulky parka, Eric’s movements were both strong and graceful, an intriguing combination. He left his parka unzipped and wore no hat, his long blond hair tied back in a sexy ponytail.
Baby Garth squirmed, making her realize he’d just dirtied his diaper. Since Eric had brought a diaper bag, she located the spares—disposables, thank goodness—without difficulty, along with baby wipes, and clumsily managed her first diaper change since she’d done babysitting as a teenager years ago.
Feeling pretty accomplished, she picked up the now clean and dry infant and went back to the window. Still holding his shovel, Eric had stopped shoveling snow. Instead, he stood on the freshly cleared sidewalk talking to her next-door neighbor. Rhonda and JJ had hit it off immediately and, according to Rhonda, were destined to become best friends. Like JJ, she was in her thirties and single, though unlike JJ, she was divorced and now actively searching for The One. The Right One, she often quipped, winking.
Judging from the way she was eyeing JJ’s new tenant, Rhonda considered him a viable possibility. She’d even ventured outside in a ski jacket and snow boots, shovel in hand, as if about to start shoveling her own driveway and sidewalk. Since it had snowed a couple times in the last few weeks, and JJ had yet to see her actually use her snow shovel, she knew exactly what Rhonda was up to.
Of course, a guy as nice as Eric would in no way stand around and watch a woman shovel snow, so when Eric began clearing Rhonda’s sidewalk, the satisfied look on Rhonda’s face told JJ she’d expected no less.
To her surprise, JJ felt a tiny twinge of jealously. With her long blond hair and perky upturned nose, Rhonda had the kind of looks and personality that attracted men like bees to a flower. From head to toe, she stood exactly five feet tall. Next to her, JJ felt like an ungainly giant. She and JJ were polar opposites, which was one of the reasons they got along so well, again according to Rhonda. JJ didn’t mind; she actually found it a relief to let someone else do all the talking.
While she’d known Rhonda only a couple weeks, the two of them had been to dinner twice and had coffee together a few times. JJ genuinely liked the other woman.
Eric finished quickly and handed the shovel to Rhonda. With a quick smile, he went back to clearing the snow away from his car. His projected fifteen minutes had turned into thirty and he wasn’t nearly done yet. JJ didn’t mind. She not only enjoyed watching him, but spending time with tiny Garth brought her joy.
Her phone rang. Rhonda’s number flashed up on the screen. Still holding the baby, JJ answered.
“Why didn’t you call and tell me you had such a gorgeous male specimen living in your house?” Rhonda shrieked.
Since JJ had no real answer for that, she didn’t say anything. As usual, her silence didn’t bother Rhonda in the slightest. “So what’s the story on him?” she asked. “I want details. All of them.”
“I don’t know very much,” JJ finally admitted. “He’s from California. Says he’s going to open his own business. And his baby is adorable.”
For once, she’d stunned her neighbor into silence. “Baby?” Rhonda finally said. She’d never made any secret of the fact that she didn’t like children. “He has a baby?”
“Yes. A son named Garth. I think he’s three or four months old. I’m watching him while Eric digs his vehicle out from under the snow.”
“Wow.” Again the silence. But Rhonda being Rhonda, she didn’t miss a beat. “Eric, huh? I didn’t catch his name. He was kind enough to clear my driveway and sidewalk for me.”
“So I saw,” JJ drawled, continuing to bounce the baby.
“Um, are you and he...?”
JJ pretended not to understand. “Listen, I’ve got to go.” As if on cue, little Garth let out a loud cry. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?” She ended the call without waiting for a response.
Garth squealed again, his bright blue eyes fixed on the doorway. She heard the clump of boots on the stairs, and eyed the baby thoughtfully. He seemed way too young to understand that the sound signaled his father’s return, but judging from the way he waved his tiny hands, he clearly was excited about something.
When Eric came through the door, JJ smiled. Little Garth made a chortling sound when he saw his father, continuing to wave his chubby fists. Eric grinned, his bright blue eyes sparkling the same as his son’s. “Hey there, little man,” he said. Cheeks reddened by exertion and cold, he seemed to have been energized by the exercise. After he peeled off his gloves and shrugged out of his coat, he reached for his son. “Come to Daddy, baby boy.”
Then and only then did she think to rush to the stove and put a kettle of water on. If she’d been paying more attention, she would have already done this and had a mug of hot cocoa waiting for him. As it was, he’d have to wait a minute or two for the kettle to whistle.
“Are you cold?” she asked, wincing at the unnecessary question. Of course he was cold. The wind-chill factor was in the teens.
Looking up from playing with his son, he shrugged. “It’s a little chilly out there, but I find it exhilarating.”
Stunned, she stared. He might be the only other person she’d ever met who’d described feeling that way in blowing snow.
The teakettle finally whistled, startling her out of her thoughts. She hurried to get it. “Hot cocoa?” she asked. Even though it was only instant, nothing beat hot chocolate after shoveling snow in the cold.
“Sounds great.”
She made them each a cup, adding a little whipped cream on top. When she turned back, he’d placed his son in his portable crib, where Garth happily played with the bright plastic keys.
With her heart hammering for no good reason, JJ brought Eric his hot drink. Her mouth went dry as he wrapped his long fingers around the mug, and she let her gaze follow the line of his throat as he took a sip and swallowed.
She couldn’t blame Rhonda for being excited. Eric looked like a movie star, or a comic book superhero come to life. Even better, the size of his aura indicated when he shape-shifted, it was into something large and magnificent. No doubt Rhonda had noticed that as well, since she, too, was a shifter.
On that, JJ agreed with her neighbor. Shifter to shifter, she couldn’t help but appreciate everything about her new tenant.
Artwork, she told herself. She’d decided to try and simply appreciate his amazingly rugged good looks the way she would enjoy a great painting. Like art.
And if she got a tingly feeling every once in a while, so be it. Some things couldn’t be helped. She was healing, learning to make her own way in the world, but she wasn’t dead.
He caught her watching him and cocked his head. “I think I like it here,” he said, taking another long drink of his cocoa. “California is nice, but they don’t have real winters. Something about the cold makes me feel alive.”
“Me, too.” Another flash of delight made her insides quiver. She looked down to hide her excitement. “Most everyone thinks I’m crazy because I love cold and snow.” Glancing at him through her lashes, she confessed, “No one likes winter as much as I do.”
“Except maybe me.” The easy smile he flashed made her catch her breath. “Thanks for the cocoa.” Draining the last of it, he set the cup down on her counter. “Garth and I need to drive into town. You’re welcome to come with us if you’d like. I could use someone familiar with the place to point me in the right direction.”
Her heart gave an entirely unnecessary leap. “I’d love to go,” she said, working to quash her enthusiasm so it didn’t show. “But I’ve only lived here one month. I do know where the stores are and some of the restaurants, but I’m in no way a native.” About to tell him asking Rhonda would be his best bet, she managed to bite back the comment.
“I forgot.” Tilting his head, he eyed her. “You said you were from Manhattan.”
“Right.”
He continued to watch her, clearly waiting for her to elaborate.
“I needed a fresh start,” she finally said, keeping her chin up. “Like you, I had some emotional stuff going on I needed to get away from.”
To her relief, he nodded. “I know the feeling.”
“It’s not easy, that’s for sure.”
“What about your parents?” he asked. “Do they live close by?”
Normal conversation, she told herself. Asking casual questions, like regular people do. Not everything was suspect. Shawn wasn’t his friend.
“My father died a year ago,” she said, her words bringing back the pain of his crossing as if it had happened yesterday. “And right after his funeral, my mom closed up their apartment and hopped a plane to Australia. Turns out she’d always wanted to live there.”
And her abandonment had felt like a second death, though JJ didn’t begrudge her mom her happiness. The two of them talked on the phone about once a month.
“Wow. Adventurous,” he said. “You have to admire that.”
Out of habit, she caught herself looking around, as if someone else might be listening. Shawn had been human, and she’d grown used to hiding her true nature. Ironic that. In her wolf form, she could have taken Shawn down permanently. He might never have hit her if he’d known that.
Then again, he probably would have just swung harder. Some people never changed, no matter what the circumstances. And Pack law forbade her to reveal her true nature to anyone unless they were going to be mates. Since Shawn and she hadn’t been engaged, she’d kept her mouth shut. Truth be told, she’d come to like having a part of herself untouched by him.
“It’s okay,” Eric said, correctly interpreting her movement. “It’s just the two of us. No one else can hear.”
“Sorry. I feel foolish, but you know how it is.”
“I do.” He reached for his son’s portable bed, hefting it in one hand.
“What about Garth?” she asked, blurting out the question before she had time to think it through. “Is he full or a halfling?”
“Full.” The shortness of his answer told her how dangerously close to the line her question skirted. “Thanks for the cocoa. Are you ready to go now? I’d like to get out there and back before it starts snowing again, just in case.”
“Sure.” After grabbing her winter coat, she shrugged it on. “I’ll probably pick up a few things, too.” Like wine. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to get at least one bottle. Nothing better than a fire crackling in the fireplace, a glass of wine and an old movie in the DVR.
With Garth securely buckled into his infant car carrier, they started to town. Initially tense, JJ relaxed her death grip on the door handle when she realized Eric, despite having lived in California, truly appeared to know how to navigate his SUV on snowy roads.
The small local grocery store appeared to be empty.
“Is it even open?” Eric asked, pulling into a parking spot right near the front door.
She laughed. “The day before the storm hit, you couldn’t even park in the lot. And yes, I’m going to say they’re open, judging by that neon sign above the doorway.”
“Great.” Hurrying around to the back, he unbuckled Garth. “Hopefully, it won’t take me long to get enough provisions to tide me over for a while.”
She nodded. “I just need a few things, so I’ll walk with you. Would you like me to hold Garth?”
“Sure.” Without a second of hesitation, he handed over the baby. Garth cooed, apparently already recognizing her. In response, her heart squeezed. Ever since she’d realized how Shawn had been using her desire to have a baby as a trick to keep her on a leash, she’d pushed that ache deep down inside her. Being around this little one brought her longing right back to the surface. Maybe someday she’d be lucky enough to have a child of her own.
Chapter 5 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
By the time they’d reached the other side of the grocery store, Eric had a full basket. JJ had grabbed a bottle of red wine and some cheese and put both in the cart, feeling ridiculously domestic. When they reached the checkout, Eric grabbed those and put them on the belt first, followed by his own groceries.
“Let me pay for my things,” JJ said, fumbling in her purse for her wallet while holding Garth.
“I got it.” The easy smile Eric flashed had her insides going all tingly again. “A bottle of wine and a block of cheese are the least I can do for you after all the help you’ve been to me.”
“Okay.”
When they walked outside, it had started snowing again. Eric gave a good-natured groan, making her laugh.
“I like it,” she said, twirling around in the parking lot.
“Which would explain why I found you making a snow angel when I first arrived.” After placing little Garth into his infant seat, he began loading groceries into the back of his SUV. At her laugh, he glanced over his shoulder at her, then returned his attention to the task at hand.
Too happy to care, she stuck her tongue out at his back. “This is why I couldn’t live anywhere else but New York,” she told him. “Well, this and autumn. I’m definitely a fan of the fall.”
He closed the back door of his vehicle and walked the shopping cart to the front of the store. “No sense leaving it out here in the snow,” he said. “Let’s go home before the roads get too bad.”
Home. How many times had she said that word back in the city, not really meaning it? Now, hearing him refer to her house that way made hope blossom in her chest. Not for him, not for them, but for her. She really could make this place her home. She really could start her life over.
Once at the house, she took baby Garth inside while Eric carried in his provisions. “Here you go.” He handed her the bag with her wine and cheese. “Thanks for your help.”
Though plainly, she needed to go, she lingered, searching for a valid reason to stay. Busy unpacking his groceries, he didn’t issue an invitation. Finally, though, she thanked him again for the wine and made her way upstairs.
When the snowfall finally stopped an hour before midnight, her measuring stick on the back porch showed they’d gotten eighteen inches. She was giddy with happiness, deciding then and there that she’d go into the woods and become wolf as soon as darkness had fallen. Since moving here, she tried to shape-shift at least once a week. It was much easier to do so here than it had been in the city. Just walking alone into Central Park had been nerve-racking, though once she disappeared into the trees and changed into wolf, it had been fun. Though there had been wooded areas remote enough that a wolf could hunt unnoticed, always, always, always, she and all the others of her kind couldn’t help but be aware of the perimeter. As wolf, of necessity they’d remained on alert, just in case they encountered a human, or worse, a gang of humans.
In Forestwood, all that had changed. Judging from the abundance of auras she’d seen, more than two-thirds of the town inhabitants were some kind of shape-shifter. The rest were human and seemed oblivious to the others living in their midst.
She’d never been so glad to see the first snowfall here. One of the things she loved best about snow was changing into her wolf self and going for a run in it. Her entire life, she’d never felt free. Especially, she thought ruefully, since she’d had to lie to Shawn about where she’d been when she disappeared for a few hours every couple weeks. But she couldn’t tell him the truth, so she’d done what she must, because she’d had no choice.
Now she could finally experience a space without boundaries. The idea both fascinated and terrified her. Ever since arriving in the Catskills, she’d been itching to get out and do exactly that. Her inner wolf, the curious beast, had been pushing at the edge of her consciousness every other day now. She didn’t mind, as this was the purest kind of freedom. Limitless and joyful.
Each day, she felt better and better. Her burden of insecurity had gradually lessened, day by day, the entire time she’d been here in her new home. With such tremendous possibilities open to her, how could she remain afraid to take the first, vital step?
Downstairs, her new tenant and his adorable baby were hopefully asleep. The full moon lit up the freshly fallen snow, silver and white ice crystals beckoning. She’d dressed warmly, aware she’d need to walk deep into the woods behind her house as a human, before shedding her layers and beginning the process that would result in setting her wolf form free.
Anticipation had her moving fast. Her inner wolf felt she’d waited too long to change, which wasn’t a good thing for her mental health, though in actuality she hadn’t. Still, each time she let her wolf self out to play, when she’d returned to her human form she’d felt better, more balanced and better able to face any unexpected challenges that might lie ahead.
Tonight, she’d think of none of that. Tonight, as wolf, she’d hunt.
After crossing the large field between her house and the forest, she stopped and turned to look back. Pride of ownership filled her, making her heart swell. Her home sat on a small rise, surrounded by a grove of trees that appeared to shelter the two-story, wooden building. Rather than stand out, the house seemed to blend with the landscape, as though it had always been there, standing the test of time.
Hers. Something permanent, a place she could hold on to. Where she could put down roots and change the path of her life. As she often did, she offered up a silent thank-you to the great-aunt she’d never known.
Turning back toward the dark forest, she began moving once again, lifting her feet higher as she trudged through the deepening snow. Here, near the edge of the trees, snowdrifts were deeper, making progress more difficult.
But she powered through, her heart rate quickening as the wolf inside her paced and pushed, ready to be set free.
Finally, she judged she’d gone far enough into the woods. She found a fallen tree and hung her empty backpack from one of the branches. Slowly, she began peeling back layers, already shivering from the cold, though she knew in a few minutes her thick wolf pelt would keep her more than warm.
Stuffing each article of clothing into her backpack, she eventually stood naked, the chill seeping up from her bare feet. She knew she had to act quickly before her poor toes got frostbite. Inhaling, she dropped to the ground and initiated the change.
The familiar sensation never got old. The changes that occurred to her human body—especially her skeleton—could occasionally be painful. More so when a long time had gone by since her last change.
Since she was rushing herself as she shifted, she expected this one to really hurt. Surprisingly, it didn’t. Maybe the combination of adrenaline, anticipation and cold combined to deaden the pain somewhat.
Either way, as her bones lengthened, her hands and feet turning into paws, a savage sort of joy filled her.
Wolf-JJ was almost free. In a moment, she’d give herself over to the primitive nature of the beast.
Done. Immediately, myriad tantalizing scents beckoned. Her wolf nose, a thousand times more sensitive than her human one, picked up on the fact that a rabbit had recently crossed nearby, as had a skunk and a small herd of white-tailed deer.
Eager to explore, she bounded off through the snow.
* * *
Eric had heard Julia tromp down the stairs right around twelve, just as he was about to turn off the TV and head to bed. Curious, he waited for the sound of a car engine starting, but then caught sight of her moving slowly across a large, open field. Her bulky parka and layered clothing made movement a bit difficult as she headed toward the forest, no doubt to change into her beast, whatever kind that might be.
An instant of longing rocked him, his inner beast protesting with a roar that reverberated in his soul. He felt it had been forever since he’d shape-shifted, and his bear self was not at all happy about that. But what could he do? Taking care of an infant made it damn near impossible to go off by himself and change. While he’d gotten Jason, his Pack Protector friend, to watch Garth a time or two, he’d been able to shape-shift only twice in three months. Not good. At all. To go too long without letting his inner bear free was dangerous. He knew, as did all shifters, that doing so could lead to insanity or even death. Right now, Eric felt as if he could be pushing the limit. Maybe he’d see if his landlord would be willing to watch Garth for an hour or two tomorrow night so Eric could take his own solitary trip into the forest.
He resolved to ask her later. Right now, all he could do was watch until she disappeared from view, and push down his envy.
* * *
The hunt went well, JJ thought, as she hurriedly dressed after changing back to human. As usual, when in her wolf form, she had no sense of time passing, so she had no idea how long she’d explored the forest. She’d tracked and taken down a midsize rabbit, feasting until her belly was full. This would be her place, and though she knew there surely were other shifters in Forestwood, these few acres of woods were part of her property and would be where she went to let her wolf self run free.
Once again fully clothed, though everything retained a touch of a chill, she gave herself a few moments for the intense sexual arousal to recede. For whatever reason, this crazed need for bodily contact happened to everyone once they shifted back to human, no matter what kind of beast they became. Many people took advantage of this—she’d heard stories of wild and crazy orgies among groups who liked to shape-shift with others.
As for herself, she’d gotten used to tamping down the need. Even when she’d been with Shawn, she hadn’t wanted to return home after having spent the night away and beg him to make love to her. Sex was another one of the things he used to control her.
So once the low thrum of desire had settled to a steady hum, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, watching the plume her breath made in the frigid air. Centered, she felt normal again, so she wouldn’t find herself at Eric’s front door offering herself to him.
The thought sent a fresh wave of longing through her. Again she took deep breaths, focusing on the snow and the velvet ink of the sky, until she’d once again regained her equilibrium.
Then and only then did she turn to make her way back home. She followed her old footprints, glad they made the going much easier. The moon still provided illumination, though it no longer hung fat and sassy in the sky directly overhead.
A few hours then, she thought. Time well spent. Her entire body ached, a pleasant feeling. She let herself back into her silent house and went up the stairs, wincing as a few of them creaked.
She’d just about reached her landing when the downstairs door opened.
“Welcome back.” The sound of Eric’s deep voice sent an immediate thrum of need blazing through her bloodstream. Damn. So much for returning to normal.
Reluctant to face him, but glad of the several steps in between them, she turned, thankful for her bulky clothing. “Thank you. You’re up kind of late, aren’t you?” Then, as a worrisome thought occurred to her, she raised her gloved hand to her throat. “Is Garth all right?”
“He’s fine.” Eric dragged his own hand across his chin. “You went out to change, didn’t you?”
Slowly, she nodded, aware once again they were skirting dangerously close to the edge of what was considered acceptable conversation.
Shifting his weight from foot to foot, he nodded. It dawned on her he was clearly uncomfortable. “It’s been a while for me and...”
“You can’t just leave Garth.”
“Right. So I was wondering if you’d mind watching him for a few hours so I can change, too.”
What she’d give to see him change, or to be more specific, to be there when he exchanged his animal form for that of a man. At the thought, a bolt of lust shot through her, so strong she nearly staggered. “Tonight?” she managed to ask. “Because I don’t know if I—”
“No, not tonight.” One corner of his mouth tugged up in a tired smile. “I was thinking maybe tomorrow night, if that would be okay with you. If not, I’m open to whenever you can spare the time.”
“Tomorrow should be fine.” Casual, she thought. She hoped she sounded casual. Not at all like a woman who wanted to pounce on him because she couldn’t help imagining being the one to greet him when he became human again, fully and gloriously aroused.
In fact, she’d better get back to her own personal, private space before she did something foolish, like reach for him.
“I really appreciate it, Julia.” He frowned. “Is it okay if I use your first name?”
“My friends call me JJ,” she told him. “I’d rather you use that.”
“I will.” Again the blinding smile. “I really appreciate all your help. Someday I hope I can repay you.”
Oh, she knew exactly how he could repay her. Dang it. Swallowing hard, she managed to smile back.
“Good night,” she said firmly, unlocking her door and stepping inside. Once she had it closed firmly behind her, she sagged against it, her entire body throbbing. Residue from the change, she told herself. Nothing to do with her tenant. Nothing to do with him at all. After the disastrous relationship with Shawn, she didn’t need to be wanting another man, not now. Maybe not ever.
* * *
In the morning, a phone call woke Eric. It was the moving company notifying him they’d be arriving the next afternoon, weather permitting. Finally, he’d be getting the few personal items he’d kept, along with Garth’s actual baby furniture. And his car. Most important, his beautiful car. Of course, the baby furniture was important, too, but if it had gotten damaged or lost, he could replace it. His car was irreplaceable.
Things were starting to look up. Eric found himself waiting with barely concealed anticipation for the sun to go down so he could go into the woods alone and change.
He’d have to be careful, though he’d actually chosen this town because they’d reportedly been tolerant, even kind, to the Drakkor woman they’d sheltered for years. She’d become a celebrity of sorts among paranormal creatures, dispensing wisdom and baked goods from her cottage on the shores of the lake. Another Drakkor and his shifter mate had also settled here. He planned to visit all three of them once he got settled, as long as they were open to visitors. Being bear, he felt a sense of kinship with other outcasts, other species of shifter who were rare and few and often reviled.
When his family had left their small village in Norway, they’d chosen a town in California where other Vedjorn lived. Since most bear shifters mated with their own kind, they’d wanted their son to have the chance to find a mate.
While he missed his parents tremendously, he was glad they hadn’t survived to see what kind of a mate he’d chosen. If he had his druthers, he’d never hook up with another bear shifter. And since most of the other shifters were afraid of the bears, he doubted he’d ever find another woman to mate with again.
Which suited him just fine. Once had been enough. He had his son. As long as he could find a female who was open to recreational sex, he’d consider his life a happy one.
For now, though, the only thing he needed to worry about was letting his inner beast free to run and hunt.
Anticipation built in him as he waited for dusk. Somehow, his nervous pacing communicated to his son, rendering Garth unusually fussy. Even though he’d been changed and fed and burped, he started crying and wouldn’t be soothed. This had never happened before. Jiggling him, rocking him, speaking in a soothing tone over and over—none of it worked. In desperation, Eric searched the internet for a solution, but found only variations of what he already knew to do.
Finally, little Garth cried himself to sleep.
Exhausted, Eric quietly transferred his son to his temporary crib. Then he sat down with his head in his hands and tried to think.
Teething? Again he hit the search engines and learned teething usually starts at six months, but can start as early as three.
A soft tap at his door startled him. After a quick glance to make sure the sound hadn’t made Garth wake, he hurried to answer.
“Is everything all right?” JJ murmured, as if she somehow knew the baby slept. She wore a flowing shirt and some sort of soft leggings that made her legs appear impossibly long.
“It is now,” he said grimly, holding the door open and motioning her inside. “I couldn’t get him to stop crying. He actually cried himself to sleep.”
“Is he sick?” she asked, sounding worried. “From here, he looks feverish. Have you taken his temperature?”
That thought had never occurred to him. But then, Garth had only been sick once in his three months of life. Eric took comfort in the fact that his son was a full-blooded shape-shifter, and as such, only fire or silver could kill him. That could be both a curse and a blessing. He’d personally known a few people forced to live on in damaged bodies, enduring hell because they could not die. He wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy.
Chapter 6 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Garth made a snuffling sound, drawing Eric’s attention. His son might be all bear, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t suffer from illness. A fever could easily be rectified, however. Eric fumbled in the baby bag he’d packed, finally locating the thermometer. It was brand-new, still in the wrapping. He’d purchased the forehead kind, not wanting to deal with a rectal one.
Once he’d unwrapped it, he did a quick read of the instructions before swiping it over Garth’s tiny brow.
“Ninety-nine point zero,” he said. “Just a little over normal.”
“Nothing to worry about, I don’t think.” JJ spoke with authority, despite claiming to know next to nothing about caring for babies.
“Maybe he’s teething,” she continued. “Is he drooling a lot?”
“Yeah.” Eric hesitated, eyeing his sleeping son. “I don’t think I can leave him if he’s sick.” Inside, his beast roared in protest. “I’m thinking I probably should reschedule.”
When he looked back up, Julia studied him, her head tilted. She appeared a bit shell-shocked, almost as if she’d heard his beast’s roar. “It’s up to you,” she said. “I personally think he’ll be fine. It’s only for a few hours, anyway. But you’re his father, so if you want to wait until another night, that’s fine with me.”
Again his beast made his presence known, rattling the proverbial bars of his invisible cage. Inside, Eric fought a minor battle. It had been too long since he’d let his bear out and the animal didn’t take well to being confined for lengthy periods of time.
“I can see your problem,” Julia said softly. “Your beast really needs to be free. Go change. Let your other self out to run and hunt. Make it short if you really feel you have to, but I’ll be perfectly fine here with Garth.”
Part of him wanted to leap for joy. The other, more rational part kept his feet planted firmly in place. “What would you do if he became sicker?”
“Take care of him,” she said, turning away. “I seriously don’t think there’s anything wrong with him that a teething ring wouldn’t fix. Do you have one of those?”
“A what?”
“A baby teething ring. You know, you put it in the fridge and once it’s good and cold, you let the baby gum it.” She frowned. “Though maybe those are for older babies. I doubt little Garth could hold it yet.”
“I don’t have one of those.”
“That’s okay. I’ve seen people use a cool, wet washcloth.”
“You seem to have more experience with babies than you let on.”
She smiled. “Just because I didn’t work in the baby room at the day care doesn’t mean I didn’t spend a lot of time in there. As I said, I love babies.”
Again, his inner beast roared, fighting to break free. And once more, JJ cocked her head as though listening. He almost asked her what she heard, but restrained himself. “I’m going to go.” He made a snap decision, knowing he’d have to shape-shift sooner or later, so he might as well do it and be done with it. A happy inner bear made life better all the way around.
“Good. I sense some discord between you and your beast.”
Either she was unusually perceptive or he was giving far too much away.
“I’m fine,” he lied. “Though I’ll be better once I change and hunt.” He studied his son. Garth made a snuffling sound and moved. Relief flooded Eric. Maybe she was right. Maybe his boy was just teething.
“I’m trusting you with my son.” Even as he spoke, he couldn’t believe what he was saying. He meant it, too, he realized. JJ, his landlord, was one of what his father used to call “good people.”
“I promise I’ll take good care of him,” she said, smiling. “We’ll be upstairs. I’ve got the perfect chair.”
“Then let me carry up his diaper bag and portable crib.”
Once everything had been set up, she smiled. “Now go. Run and hunt. I promise you’ll feel much better once you’ve changed. Especially if it’s been a while.”
He nodded and then impulsively kissed her cheek. The instant he did it, he knew he’d made a huge mistake. Wide-eyed, she stared at him, while a rose color suffused her entire face.
Her scent—lavender—lingered on his lips after he moved away. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, and hurried out the door before he did anything even more foolish.
* * *
Cheek still tingling, JJ watched from her window as Eric headed across the clearing toward the woods. With the full moon reflecting on the snow, she could see him outlined clearly, his parka dark against the glowing, magically pure whiteness.
Though she knew he hadn’t meant anything with that casual kiss—on the cheek, no less—every fiber of her body had strained toward him, as if he were a lure she was unable to resist.
Luckily, she’d frozen in place instead of swaying toward him. Her blush had been the only sign of how his simple gesture affected her. Hopefully, he had no idea. Her secret attraction must remain just that—a secret.
Glancing at the still sleeping baby, she sighed. She’d need to be careful with these two. Both of them had the power to come dangerously close to stealing her heart.
Again her gaze drifted back to Eric, who was nearing the edge of the trees. Aching to be with him, she stood there until he vanished into the woods.
Her kind did best with others. They were called The Pack for a reason. But she’d always shape-shifted alone. Maybe it had been her natural reticence, but she hadn’t been up for being around a group of people when she turned human again, battling a fierce arousal. She’d often wondered what it would be like, for curiosity’s sake. She’d heard there were some groups for whom privacy was an option, who were not into random sex with strangers, but she’d always been afraid to take a chance. Though she’d often considered the idea, in the end she knew she did better alone.
Or so she’d told herself. Now, watching a gorgeous hunk of man on his way to shape-shift, she wanted nothing more than to do the same at his side.
Of course, assuming he was Pack. Why wouldn’t he be, when 90 percent of the shifters she knew were wolves? There was no way to find out for sure, unless she accidentally came across him changing. Which was extremely unlikely to occur.
She sighed, unable to keep from imagining him as he transitioned from his animal form back to human. As always happened with their kind, he’d be fully aroused. Her body heated, the desire she’d experienced the night before back in full force.
And then she remembered he’d kissed her on the cheek. The cheek, not the lips. The kind of kiss a man gave to his mother or aunt or sister. Or friend.
That was what they were. Friends. She needed to constantly remind herself of that and she’d be fine.
She must have dozed, sitting in her armchair with a still slumbering Garth next to her. Eric’s tread on her old wooden stairs woke her; no matter how quiet anyone tried to be, the third and seventh steps squeaked.
After pushing herself up and out of her chair, she pulled the door open before he reached it.
“Hey,” he whispered. Even in the shadowy hallway, his blue eyes blazed. As he stepped into her living room, she could feel the satisfaction and coiled up energy rolling off him.
His inner beast had gone quiet. No longer restless, most likely sated by a run and a hunt. “How’d it go?” she asked, even though the question seemed unnecessary.
“It went well,” he said. “Very well. I feel much better. How’s Garth?”
“He slept the entire time you were gone. His color looks good. I checked his temperature one more time and it was the same. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Relief shone in her tenant’s face. “I really appreciate this.”
Mercilessly, she kept her gaze trained on his face, not daring to let it dip below his waist, though she badly wanted to see if his body revealed his certain arousal.
“I’d better go.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “See you tomorrow.”
When he bent to retrieve the portable crib, she got a great view of his nicely shaped backside.
Giving herself a mental slap, she dragged her eyes toward the baby, where they needed to be.
“He’s not moving,” Eric said, panic edging his voice. “JJ, Garth isn’t moving. I don’t think he’s breathing.”
“What?” She reacted without conscious thought, reaching for the infant and lifting him up to pat him soundly on the back. He gasped, his eyes flying open.
And then he let out a cry, a screeching sort of wail, so wonderful she sagged in relief.
“Garth.” Eric snatched him from her. “Baby boy?” Which only made him cry harder.
Trembling with relief, JJ reached into the crib and located the pacifier. She handed this to Eric, who held it to Garth’s mouth. Latching on and suckling wildly, he instantly ceased crying.
“What the heck was that?” Eric asked, bewilderment and panic lacing his voice. “I swear, I put my finger under his nose and he wasn’t breathing.”
“I don’t know.” Privately, she wondered if Eric had imagined it. “He must have been deeply asleep.” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “I’m so glad he’s okay.”
“Me, too.” The fierce tone told her how much the man meant it.
Aware she needed to be careful, she took a deep breath. “Earlier, you said he was full-blooded. If so, you know illness wouldn’t kill him.”
“I’m aware.” The shortness of Eric’s answer told her he was angry at himself for overreacting. “And while it’s true such a thing might not kill him, death isn’t always the worst thing that could happen to our kind. Think of a soul trapped in a nonfunctioning body. I’ve seen that before. A fever can cause brain damage.”
Slowly, she nodded. “I haven’t ever thought of it like that.”
“It’s because you’re not a parent.” He had no way of knowing how much those words stung.
All she could do was nod.
“What a night,” he continued. “I’m going take him downstairs now and get the both of us ready for bed.”
Good. Because maybe then she could sit down before her legs gave out from under her.
Apparently, he felt the same way. After jerking his head in a brusque nod, he grabbed the diaper bag and portable crib, then turned and left.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, JJ dropped into her chair, her entire body shaking. Had Eric imagined everything in a moment of overprotective panic, or had Garth really stopped breathing?
Truth be told, she didn’t know. Personally, she tended to lean more toward imagination, because every time she’d checked on him, the baby had been fine.
But after this, she had a feeling Eric wouldn’t trust her to watch his son ever again. Full-blooded or not.
* * *
Once he’d gotten Garth back home, Eric shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never been the overprotective type of parent, stressing about his baby’s every sniffle. But for one split second there he’d been filled with a visceral dread, convinced something terrible and unimaginably awful had happened to his son.
Then Garth had drawn a breath and cried. Clearly, he was fine. Relief mixed with chagrin. His son was okay. Teething a little maybe, but all right. And Eric’s first reaction, that awful gut-churning response, had been to turn on the woman who’d been trying to help him.
He felt awful, though his one consolation was that maybe she hadn’t noticed.
Of course she had. He would find her tomorrow and offer an apology. Once he’d made sure his son had a clean diaper, he put him down for the night and climbed into bed.
When his cell phone rang at 1:00 a.m., waking him from a deep sleep, Eric fumbled for the phone and finally answered.
“Yolanda has gone off the deep end,” a familiar voice said. “That woman is stark raving crazy.”
Blinking, Eric didn’t speak at first while he tried to figure out why his friend Jason was calling. This was old news, restating the obvious.
“I thought I’d pass along a warning.” Jason worked for the Pack Protectors and acted as a liaison between the wolves and bears. He’d been helping Eric with his case ever since Yolanda had started her crazy accusations.
It helped that the Wolf Pack had lately been trying to end the divide between the bears and everyone else. It was slow going, as the distrust was mutual, but Eric gave them kudos for even trying. He certainly could always hope.
Eric had been brought up by two people who refused to accept the status quo. In Norway, they’d settled away from the small enclaves of their own kind, living among humans and other shifters before immigrating to the United States when Eric had been ten and settling in California, choosing a town with numerous other shifters, including Vedjorn.
Growing up, Eric hadn’t known there was any prejudice against bears. He and Jason—who had to be Pack, though of course they’d never discussed it—had been best friends since kindergarten. When Jason had gone into the military and from there the Pack Protectors, he’d never once lost contact with Eric. Even when his top-secret clearance revealed that his best friend was a Vedjorn bear shifter, Jason hadn’t turned away. Instead, he’d asked to work on the task force dedicated to keeping the few remaining Vedjorn safe.
Yawning, Eric rubbed his eyes. Luckily, the ringing phone hadn’t disturbed Garth, who still slept. Eric couldn’t stop himself from once again checking to make sure his son was breathing. He was, of course.
“Thanks, man, but couldn’t this have waited until morning? Is it really the kind of thing that warrants a phone call at 1:00 a.m.?”
Jason cursed. “I’m so sorry. I forgot you were on the East Coast. It’s only ten here. I just got home from work. It’s been a long day. Most of my afternoon and evening were spent dealing with your ex.”
“She doesn’t know where I am.” Eric felt quite confident in that knowledge. “You’re still the only one who knows, right? Everyone else—faculty, friends—all still think I went up to Seattle.”
“Yeah, still true. But you know what? I really didn’t get it before. Why you felt the need to put as much distance as possible between you and her.” Jason’s wry tone told Eric he did now. “Sure, she seemed a bit emotional. Dramatic, even. But not unstable.”
“Is she still trying to brand me a Berserker?” Though he hated to even speak the word, Eric didn’t have a choice. A true Berserker, though rare among their kind, was extremely dangerous. When Berserkers shifted into their bear selves, they could become uncontrollable killing machines. The Wolf Pack Protectors had been working in conjunction with the Vedjorn Bear Council in making sure any true Berserkers were destroyed before they killed any humans and brought unwelcome notice to the entire shape-shifter population. In Eric’s lifetime, he’d heard of only two, both back in Norway.
“Yes.” Jason sounded tired. “I’ve shifted with you, remember. I know you’re not. And I really don’t understand her plan. What is she hoping to achieve?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you. Despite her claims otherwise, it’s not like she truly wants our son—she handed him over without a backward glance and signed papers waiving all parental rights.” Again, rehashing old news. The two men had speculated endlessly over Yolanda’s motives. Since she wanted nothing to do with Garth, her reasons for stalking Eric remained a mystery.
“She flew into a rage at the office today when no one would tell her where she could find you. Something about having a score to settle. And needing to protect Garth.”
“Again, that makes no sense.” Before Eric could finish his statement, he heard an alarm that began shrieking in the background at Jason’s place. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. That’s my burglar alarm. Perimeter alert. I need to check this out, so I’m going to let you go.” He ended the call.
Setting down his phone, Eric shook his head. With her rants and raves about Berserkers and the possibility that a sweet, innocent baby could be one, Yolanda presented a very real danger. He understood she wanted to harm their child and destroy Eric himself, which was why he’d hightailed it out of Cali. Eventually, she would turn back to her partying friends and forget about them. Until then—and maybe forever—he’d keep a low profile. All that mattered was making sure Garth stayed safe.
The phone call had startled Eric, making him wonder if he’d be able to go back to sleep. But apparently shape-shifting and hunting earlier had exhausted him, because he drifted off as soon as he laid his head on his pillow. When he opened his eyes again, bright sunlight reflecting on the snow outside lit up his room.
Instinctively, he checked on Garth. His son still slumbered, the rise and fall of his chest steady. The sight filled Eric with so much joy his throat felt tight.
The possibilities of this new life, with this child...he could ask for nothing more.
Once his son woke up, cheerful as always, Eric changed him and fed him. Then he ate his own breakfast.
The chime of his cell phone broke into his thoughts. He grabbed it. Caller ID showed Jason’s number.
“Jason,” he said, bracing himself for more tales of craziness. “What’s Yolanda done now?”
Silence on the other end. Then an unfamiliar male voice spoke. “This is Officer Frank DeLeon with the Pack Protectors. I regret to inform you that Jason is dead.”
“Dead?” Eric swallowed hard, pain knifing through him. “I just talked to him around one this morning. His alarm went off in the middle of our call. What happened? Intruders?”
A pause. “We’re reviewing the surveillance tapes now. It was pretty violent.”
Then, while Eric was still trying to wrap his mind around that, the voice continued. “And there’s more, unfortunately. We’ve also got a severely injured woman here. Judging from what we can tell from the crime scene, she and Jason were battling.”
“A woman?” At first he didn’t understand.
“Yes. She knew the drill, since she came armed with a pistol and silver bullets. After she shot Jason, she turned the gun on herself.”
“Who?” Eric cleared his throat, feeling as if he already knew the answer, but hoping he was wrong. “Who is the woman?”
“Mr. Mikkelson, we’ve tentatively identified her as your ex-wife, Yolanda. Your ex-wife and the person who was trying to make a case against you for allegedly being a true Berserker.”
Chapter 7 (#u6687b5f8-f0d5-5965-a652-236c95eec34e)
Another pause. Had there been accusation in the Pack Protector’s tone? When Officer DeLeon continued, Eric already knew exactly what he was going to say. “What I’ll need from you, Mr. Mikkelson, is proof of your whereabouts since 1:00 a.m.”
Stunned, shocked, Eric took a full twenty seconds to respond. “I’m in New York, sir. And yes, I can provide whatever proof you need.”
It was only after he’d hung up that he allowed himself to give in to his grief. Jason was gone. Not only his best friend, but his contact inside the Pack Protectors. The guy who always had his back. And Yolanda had taken herself out along with him.
Unfortunately, the phone call had been all too real. Jason was dead. Yolanda was seriously injured and in intensive care. The doctor had told Eric he wasn’t sure if she would pull through.
The taint of unspoken accusation had colored every sentence between Eric and Officer DeLeon. Even though it hadn’t taken long for the Pack Protectors to verify that Eric was indeed in New York, on the opposite side of the country.
From what DeLeon had reluctantly revealed, it appeared Yolanda had gone to Jason’s home to confront him. She’d purchased a pistol and some silver bullets, apparently with the intention of threatening him. Things had gone downhill from there. Everyone in Jason’s division had been familiar with the woman and her crazy accusations. No one had seen her as a viable threat, least of all Jason.
Privately, Eric thought she’d purchased the one weapon that could kill a shifter in order to eliminate him, once she got Jason to reveal her ex-husband and son’s location. He wondered if Jason had, before he died. Knowing his friend, Eric doubted it.
Poor Jason had been caught in the middle. A Pack Protector, he clearly hadn’t taken Yolanda seriously enough. This broke Eric’s heart.
Meanwhile, Yolanda continued to recover at the hospital. While a silver bullet could kill, she’d missed her heart and brain and any other vital organs. Now she had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.
One of their own had been killed and the Pack Protectors were in a frenzy to blame someone. At first it had seemed as if they were trying to figure out a way to accuse Eric, but in the end they’d had to acknowledge Yolanda had done this, and she’d acted alone.
However, Detective DeLeon’s casual use of the word Berserker concerned Eric. He sounded as if he had no idea what a Berserker was. Yolanda definitely wasn’t one, but the other man referred to her as a Berserker more than once. Luckily, as far as Eric and Garth were concerned, whatever caused bears to go wild was rarely passed down. Instead, it mostly appeared to be a random gene mutation.
Eric could not allow anything to happen to Garth, even if his birth mother was determined to be Berserker by people who knew no better. Eric had shifted with Yolanda and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wasn’t.
DeLeon had said Yolanda would be charged with murder if she lived. Right now, no one seemed certain she would. If she did, Eric could only hope she remained in police custody. He couldn’t help but pray that Jason, in his final moments, had not revealed Eric and Garth’s location.
* * *
Though most of the snow had melted, except for odd little pockets of dirty whiteness in the shadows of buildings or a particularly large tree, the slate-gray sky and icy, gusting wind promised another storm would be on the way sooner or later. After all, it was January.
JJ, like most of Forestwood, bustled around trying to run errands and stock up on supplies before she was snowed in again.
Her mother called from Australia just as JJ finished putting up the groceries. It was summer there, and her mom always loved to tell her how much fun she had at the beach in the blazing hot sun. She didn’t seem to ever grasp the fact that her daughter really preferred fall and winter.
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Karen Whiddon
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Some boundaries are made to be crossed…A rare Vedjorn bear shifter, Eric Mikkelson lives on his own terms. So allying with wolf shifters, even gorgeous Julia Jacobs, goes against his loner instincts. Yet Eric must protect his infant son from the dangerous shifter cult stalking him. Keeping JJ at arm′s length proves nearly impossible. She gets under Eric′s skin, exposing them to new risks as their staggering attraction defies Pack laws and JJ′s own dark secrets lies between them.When the safe haven of their shifter-friendly town is violated, lying low is no longer an option. Julia and Eric must embrace the power of their inner beasts, even if it means sacrificing their forbidden bond!