Heartsridge Shifters: Cade (South-One Bears Book 2) Page 3
Large hands steadied me before I hit a very familiar looking chest. I blinked up at Cade, tremors zinging through my body. Too close. Way too close.
I took a step back and his hands fell away. I could breathe again.
“They’re ready for you.” He wasn’t talking to me.
Liam paused at my side, then slid past me into the room. I peered around the man shaped wall. The room was full and Liam looked so small standing there in the center. “I’m going with him. Granny?”
She waved me away. “I’m fine here. You’ll look after him. You always do.”
A frown tugged at my lips, but I pushed it away. When entering a room full of predators, it was never a good idea to show weakness. “Fine.” Avoiding Cade’s eyes, I skirted around him and took my place next to Liam.
Cade made his way across the room and settled against the wall, leaning back and folding his arms in a don’t-mess-with-me kind of way. Muscles bunched under the stretched cotton of his shirt, coaxing a little sigh out of nowhere. Damn. Did he have to look that good?
Before I could lose myself in totally indecent and inappropriate fantasies that I had absolutely no intention of satisfying, I dragged my eyes away, pinning them on a safer target. The man behind the desk. Obviously the Mayor, if the small bronze nameplate on the desk was anything to go by. Almost as broad as Cade, he had dark hair and strange amber eyes. Heck, what did they feed the shifters in this town? A quick glance around the room confirmed it. The men were all huge and built like the proverbial shifter. The last shifter male I’d laid eyes on had been my father, and that had been eight years ago. Plus, when I’d looked at him, all I’d seen was my dad; a man who sometimes told silly jokes to make me laugh and chased me around the farm. At least, that’s what he’d been like when I was young. During his last few years he’d been stressed and preoccupied, and all Liam had ever known. I made an effort and refocused on the here and now.
The man behind the desk introduced himself and the others in the room. Pretty much all alphas, which wasn’t a surprise. When he got to the two women sitting over to my right, he paused, as if unsure how to proceed.
One of the women got to her feet, striding over and offering her hand. “And I’m Harper.” She shook back her long dark hair, her mouth twisted in a cross between a grimace and a grin. Her scent drifted from her. Fox. The woman Liam had bitten. “Don’t worry, I’m not mad or angry. Don’t let this lot fool you into thinking that.” She turned to Liam, stooping a little until she could look him in the eyes, as my brother had his glued to the floor. “I know you didn’t mean it; Cade told us the story and that it was a panicked mistake.” She touched his shoulder gently, her warm brown eyes filled with compassion.
I could have kissed her. And Cade. He’d done what he’d promised; he’d fought for Liam.
Liam looked up, the tension draining from his face as he pushed dark hair out of his eyes. “Really?”
Harper nodded. “Really.”
I liked her already.
“We do need to hear your side of the story though, young man.” We all turned toward the sound of the voice. A woman seated behind and to the right of the desk peered at us, her expression perfectly blank.
The Mayor shot her a withering glare, but didn’t object.
“It’ll be okay,” Harper whispered, before returning to her seat.
Liam started to tell his version, stumbling under the weight of everyone’s eyes.
Sliding my hand into his, I squeezed. We’ve got this…
He blinked, clearing his throat.
“You were saying how you were homeschooled,” Mayor Carter prompted, in a kind voice.
Liam nodded, obviously gathering his thoughts. “We don’t leave the farm. I hadn’t met many other shifters—apart from my Granny and my sister, of course—before I met Graham. Heck, I hadn’t really met any humans, either.”
I winced at the mild curse, thankful that Granny had chosen to stay outside.
“I saw a flash of metal and thought it was a rifle, like Mina has. I didn’t think. I panicked.” He hung his head, his shoulders crumpling under the strain of his guilt.
“Well. I like being a shifter.” Harper’s voice rang out across the room. “No harm done.”
“Wait a minute, Miss—”
“No. You wait a minute,” Harper cut off the prissy lady in the corner with a snarl I would’ve been proud of. “I’m the injured party; so I get a say in what charges are pressed. And before you start, I’ve only been a shifter for a short while, so I haven’t forgotten human law just yet.”
“She’s right,” the Mayor interjected with a small smile that was inched toward gleeful. “If Harper doesn’t want to press charges, then there’s not much we can do.”
“I deserve to be punished!”
I didn’t know whether to cover my face or cuff Liam around the ear. Or both. What was he doing?
My brother took a step forward, his arms spread out and palms up as in supplication. “I need to be punished. What I did was wrong, and you know it.”
“Stop talking,” I hissed, grabbing his arm and dragging him back.
“At least someone here has an ounce of morality,” the woman drawled.
“You’re here to liaise and report back to your boss, not to make decisions that are mine to make. Watch it, or I’ll send you packing back to where you came from and demand a replacement.” The Mayor’s voice was cold and measured; it was obvious he meant every single one of his threats. He turned his attention back to us, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes for a brief moment. Upon reopening them, he nodded. “Give us time to think and talk on it. Why don’t you go get something to eat; the canteen downstairs is still open and they do a mean burger.”
“I’ll take them.” Harper sprung from her chair, smoothing down her jeans. “You already know how I feel about this and I’m sure the boys have my back.” She winked first at a man I remembered being introduced to as Austin, then Cade.
My metaphorical fur bristled for absolutely no reason. I shoved it back down, giving my fox a pat.
The woman next to her also stood, giving me a smile. “I’ll come too,” she added. “I’m Leona, Harper’s sister.”
Fine by me. The sooner we were out of this room, the better.
We were filing out when the Mayor’s voice stopped us, “Quick question: who’s Graham?” He genuinely looked puzzled, as did most of the other men in the room.
One man was chuckling—the Alpha wolf shifter. Owen, I think his name was.
“Oh, you call him Tiny,” Liam replied.
Popping open the can of soda I placed it on the table, nudging Liam’s elbows off the plastic surface and pointing at his food. I’d never seen the boy fail to eat and it was worrying, watching him push his fries around his plate, smearing ketchup lines back and forth.
He wouldn’t have gotten away with it if Granny had been here, but she’d refused to budge from her post outside the door, muttering something about someone having to keep watch.
Harper and Leona had held up the conversation through sheer strength of will, but even they were flagging under the weight of Liam’s moodiness.
“Teenagers,” I quipped with a shrug, knocking his elbows off the table yet again.
Harper tried for a chuckle, but it was strained. “I remember what it was like. Every problem seemed huge and unsolvable, yet looking back, it was never as bad as I’d thought.” She seemed to realize what she’d just said and winced, mouthing sorry across the table.
Yup. This was as bad as he was probably envisaging.
Ignoring the brooding teenager, I nabbed a fry and nibbled at the end of it. It wasn’t half bad for canteen food. “So, you both live here, then?” Obviously Harper did, but Leona was human.
Leona smiled, a dreamy look stealing over her face.
“Don’t mind her, Lenny here’s still in honeymoon mode,” Harper replied, also stealing a fry and dabbing it ketchup.
Heat colored her sister’s
cheeks. Smacking Harper on the shoulder, Leona laughed. “I’m newly mated to Austin, so yes, I live here now.”
“Austin…” I filtered through the men who’d been in the room, coming up with the large, burly looking guy who’d sat next to her during the meeting. The one she’d winked at. “The really big guy with dark hair and blue eyes that you were sitting next to?”
She nodded, not able to hide her grin of satisfaction. “That’s the one.”
“He’s the Alpha of South-One,” Harper added.
I raised an eyebrow in question. “South-One?”
“The bear team that patrols the land in the south of Heartsridge. Team one, because no one wants to work 24-7.”
That made sense.
“I live there, too. Well, I will by tomorrow, but I haven’t decided yet where I’m going to settle for good.”
Leona nudged her sister affectionately. “You’ll stay with me because you love me and want to spend all your time with me.”
Rolling her eyes, Harper grinned. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”
Leona’s eyes narrowed with a speculative gleam. “The guys will convince you to stay.” Turning to me, her voice took on a confidential tone, “I’m sure Harper’s got her eye on one of them, but she won’t tell me who.”
“Lenny…” There was no mistaking the warning note. Or the color heating her cheeks.
“Speaking of one of the guys…” Leona’s voice trailed off and I looked up, following her gaze.
Cade strode across the empty canteen, his long legs eating up the distance. His gaze zeroed in on me and didn’t let go, hazel sparking with gold flecks as his bear peeked out.
“He’s part of your pack?”
Leona tilted her head, as if giving the question serious consideration. “Well, we don’t really call it a pack. More of a team. Maybe a clan, being bears and—”
“I don’t think that’s what she’s really asking, Lenny.” The corner of Harper’s mouth twitched.
Leona looked between us, then looked again. “Oh!” She let out a barely muffled squeal, grabbing my hand. “You and—”
“No!” Geez! Did everyone have a one track mind around here? “There’s nothing going on,” I managed to hiss, before the man himself arrived at our table.
“Not yet.” Harper’s observation was dry and speculative.
“Not ever.” Had nobody told her yet? Shifter species shouldn’t mix. It wasn’t the right way to do things. But nobody around here seemed to care about what was right or proper.
Cade arrived at our table.
Liam looked up, awareness of his surroundings filtering into his gaze for the first time since we’d sat down. And fear. So much, my chest hurt with it.
Cade laid a hand on his shoulder and nodded. “They’ve made a decision.”
This was it. In the next couple of hours it would be decided and we would find out if we’d ever be able to go home.
Chapter Five
Cade
Carter didn’t look completely on board with the decision, which wasn’t surprising. His hand had been forced, and no Alpha liked that.
The man himself had finished giving the verdict and was eying the young boy carefully. “Liam, do you understand what I’ve just said?”
“I can’t go home.” Liam’s bottom lip trembled and his sister grabbed his hand, lending her support. Though she looked like she could do with some, too. Her face was ashen, her eyes wide and unblinking.
“No, son, you can’t. You’re to be registered and that means you have to live in Heartsridge from now on.” Carter rose from behind his desk and approached the teenager. Stopping in front of him, he glanced at the ceiling, as if searching for the right words, then continued, “It’s a good thing. This way you can interact with other shifters and not hide who and what you are. You’ll come around to the idea.”
“But—”
Mina sucked in another breath, the fingers of her free hand curling and uncurling in an unconscious gesture. “It’s okay, Liam,” she stated, though she sounded anything but sure.
“I want to stay here. I always did.”
“What?” She rounded on him, her mouth dropping open.
He hung his head, scuffing a foot across the carpet, back and forth drawing lines in the pile. “The farm is boring. Sorry, but it is. I don’t get to see anyone apart from you and Granny…”
Her mouth snapped closed, her jaw set.
“You can come visit,” his gaze swung to Carter, “or eventually, I’ll be able to come visit you?”
Carter nodded, his tension melting away into relief. “Sure. Once you’ve finished your community service. Until you’re old enough for a drivers license, I’m sure someone would be happy to drive you out to the farm.”
His gaze lingered on me as he made the sweeping statement. He knew. How? I didn’t have a fucking clue.
Carter turned his attention to Mina. “We’ll take good care of him.”
“No.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He frowned. “I’m sorry, this is how it’s got to be.”
She stuck her chin out, straightening her spine. “I meant, no, you won’t be looking after him. I will. I’m not leaving you, kid,” she murmured to Liam. “Do you have somewhere we can stay?”
The tightness in my chest eased at the thought of her being near.
“Room enough for three.” Granny stood in the doorway, a serene expression on her face. “What? I’m not living on the farm on my own!”
“You’ll have to all register.” Carter sounded unsure, as if he could already see this whole plan backfiring and blowing up in his face.
Granny marched over to him, none of the usual shuffling business.
I bit back a chuckle at the lick of fear that skated through Carter’s eyes.
“Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place, for all shifters to register?”
“I can give you a couple of days to think it through.”
The old lady folded her arms across her chest, flattening the voluminous dress she wore. “Don’t need a couple of days; I’m staying with my grandson.” Her tone was final.
“You’ll have to give up the farm.” Carter tried one more time.
She frowned, the lines on her face deepening even further until her mouth was almost hidden. “Why? We own it fair and square. The humans can’t take it from us. We just won’t be able to live there anymore.” She had a point.
Carter glanced at the ceiling once more, and this time I was betting it was for strength rather than the right words. Exhaling heavily, he nodded. “I have a house for you,” he held up a hand, “but I will give you a couple of days to think about registering.”
Mina had stayed quiet through the whole exchange, letting Granny do the talking. Did this mean she was happy about staying in Heartsridge? Would she choose to be registered or would she return to the farm? The tightness was back, crushing my chest like a vice.
I pushed away from the wall, drawing their attention. Well, everyone’s but Mina’s. She continued to look anywhere else but my way. “Which house is going to be theirs?”
Carter walked back around his desk to the wall and opened up a large mahogany cabinet. Pressing his thumb against a security pad, he waited a second until it beeped, then swung it open. Keys hung in neat, orderly rows. “I’d planned on giving Liam a room at the school, but—” He plucked out a key and tossed it over to me.
Nope. He’d known all along that there was a good chance Mina and Granny would stay. I glanced at the tag. My mouth slid up into a grin.
Handing Liam a package to carry, he gestured at it, “This here’s a welcome pack with a few basics. I’ll expect you here at nine in the morning for your first meeting with your appointed counselor and then you’ll be starting school.” At Liam’s wide eyed nod, he dragged a hand through his hair, then gestured at the door. “Right, it’s getting late and we all need to get some sleep. Cade, you know the cottage?”
“I know it.”
A strange sound came from Mina, but she didn’t object.
“Fine by me.” More than fine. Now she’d have to talk to me.
I’d seriously underestimated how stubborn a woman could be. She was infuriating. She’d stalked out of the room, taking her brother with her, and leaving me with Granny, who’d latched on to my arm with no hope of escape.
When she’d realized she didn’t have a clue where she was going, did that break her silence? Nope. She stood waiting on the steps, arms folded tight enough to strangle and foot tapping.
“This way.” I led the family down the main street a little way, then along a couple of side roads. The night air wrapped around us, cool enough to breathe, but still warm enough to enjoy. Shadows hugged the street lamps, not really needed for shifters, but a necessity for the humans who visited the town. Not too long and we were outside their new home, a little distance from the town center, but easily walkable. Which reminded me, “Do you have a car?”
Liam answered, “Back at the farm.”
“I’ll give you a lift out there to pick it up.” There was only one Foxglove that the offer could apply to.
“Fine.” It was pushed out through gritted teeth.
I wanted to drag her off into a corner and demand to know what her problem was. Sure, we’d gotten off to a rocky start, but I’d been under the impression that things had been looking up. She found me attractive, there was no hiding that from a shifter, but she was pushing me away. Why? We didn’t know each other well enough for hate—yet.
“I’ll swing by tomorrow after work.” Unlatching the gate, I strode past her, my arm brushing hers despite her sudden need to sidestep into the grass lining the small lane. Heat radiated from where our skin had touched, awareness prickling and halting my ability to breathe. Surely she could feel it? My skin crawled with the need to drag her to me, to press her body against mine until we were one.
Her eyes had darkened to a deep bronze, the pulse at her throat fluttering. Lips parted, she stood as still as a statue.