Claiming Shayla

Chapter Twelve

An hour later Rory and Shay stood at the entrance to the basement level. The door had four deadbolt locks and appeared to be made of steel. Shay knocked on it to be sure. Definitely metal.

Amazed, she asked, “Are you trying to lock him in or keep others out?”

“Keeping others out. Kian’s free to come and go as he pleases.”

“How? I’ve been here a week and never seen this door opened,” she muttered at his back.

“There’s an exit at the rear of the house. Stay close,” Rory called over his shoulder as he turned the key in the last lock, pulled open the door, and started down the dark stairwell.

Shay was right on his heels, curiosity driving her.

At the bottom of the steps was another door with even more locks, reminding Shayla of Shannon’s basement room. “What is it with you people and basements locked up tighter than Fort Knox?”

He tossed a glance over his shoulder. “After what happened during the blue moon, you need to ask?”

Okay, so it was a stupid question.

“Each pack maintains a minimum of one secure room for shifters out of control. It’s to protect them and to protect the pack. The Sparrowhawk pack has two,” Rory explained.

“And this is one of them,” Shayla concluded.

“No, this is Kian’s room. When we get inside, stay by the door until I tell you it’s okay to come forward,” Rory said as he opened the door and walked inside.

As Shay entered behind him, something in the shadows moved. The biggest black wolf she’d ever seen in her life emerged out of the shadows and into a beam of sunlight. Her breath caught, and she edged closer to Rory, forgetting his earlier instructions. He reached back a hand and nudged her gently until she stood partially behind him.

“Kian, I want you to meet my mate, Shayla. Shay, this is my brother, Kian.”

Kian came forward, and Shayla stared into eyes so pale a blue they were almost translucent. There was feral intelligence in his gaze. On all fours, his head nearly reached her shoulder, and even his shiny, thick pelt couldn’t disguise that his body was a lithe mass of muscle. Her fingers clinched on Rory’s waist, nails digging into his side.

“Hold out your hand,” Rory instructed.

Shay glanced at him sharply. Hold out her hand? What, like she was meeting the family pet? Troubled, she reluctantly did as instructed.

Kian’s nostrils flared as he took in her scent, and he came even closer, his massive head lowering until his snout was even with her belly. Then he swung his gaze to Rory’s.

“That’s right,” Rory stated as though he were answering a question. “Shay’s pregnant with my cub.”

The wolf, Kian, looked at her again; then his gaze met Rory’s and something seemed to pass between them. In the sunlight Shay could see Kian’s belly and fur vibrate, but no sound emerged. It took all Shay had not to run when he came nearer and rubbed his body against hers, marking her with his scent. Dang, he was huge. Bigger even than Rory in wolf form.

Did this mean she was accepted? If so, why hadn’t he shifted and greeted her properly?

Kian nudged her hand with his snout. After a brief glance at Rory to check his reaction, she reached out a hesitant hand and rubbed him behind his ears like she would any dog. He tolerated her touch for a few, brief moments, then disappeared around the corner into the shadows. Very anticlimactic. Not what she’d expected at all.

Now that Kian was gone, she took a longer, more thorough look at her surroundings. What she saw—or rather didn’t see—pissed her off. She’d believed, since Kian resided here, that the setup would be like a small apartment efficiency. It wasn’t. There was no couch, no television or stereo, no dressers or bed. Just a measly, bare mattress thrown on the floor in the corner. And unless they were hidden around that corner, there were no kitchen appliances. She couldn’t even hear the hum of a refrigerator.

“Your brother lives like an animal,” she snarled at Rory before spinning on her heel and charging up the stairs.

“Shay…”

“I can’t believe you make him live like that. I thought—no, hoped—you were better than this.” In the living room she spun to face him, hands on her hips. “If, God forbid, our child comes out flawed”—she spat the word—“is this how you’ll treat her?”

“Shay, you can’t believe I’d want my own brother living like that.”

She formed a V with her fingers and pointed them at her eyes. “Tell it to the eyes. I know what I saw.” Shay was beyond angry, beyond horrified. She was sick. She turned her back, unable to stand the sight of him.

Between one breath and the next, he was on her. Shay let out a squeal of fear as Rory snatched her off her feet and into his arms. As he stormed up the stairs, Shay pushed at his chest and wheezed out, “Put me down.”

“When I’m ready.” He stalked down the hallway and stopped before a closed door. A quick twist of the knob, then he pushed the door open so hard it rebounded off the wall. Rory set her down, none too gently, and went to the closet, flinging open the double doors. Inside were rows of men’s clothing—shirts, pants, suits, belts, and hats. He crossed to the dresser and began opening drawers, leaving them open. More clothes.

Confused, Shay glanced around the room. Done in shades of blue, it was a man’s room. No doubt about it. The walls and dressers were stark, lacking any personal decorations such as pictures, awards, and the like. The furniture and its surfaces were pristine, but that didn’t negate the empty, unused feel of the place.

“Kian’s room. The one he refuses—has always refused—to use.”

Rory stood, hands on hips, breathing hard. “The locks you objected to? They’re not to lock Kian in. They’re to lock us out.”

Shay tore her gaze away from him to take another look at the room. “I’m sorry,” she said finally, hoping he’d see the regret in her eyes. “I know what it’s like to be different, to be shunned because of those differences. I projected. I should have known—”

“Aye, you should have,” he snapped. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he was much calmer. “I’m wrong as well. It bothers me, because at one time he was treated as no better than an animal—by my father. And the pack followed his lead.

“I did my best to change his status. To change the status of all of those who were thought of as lesser, as lacking, within the pack. Kian refused. He prefers his wolf, and I can’t—won’t—force him to change, to be what he doesn’t want to be.”

“What happened to Kian?” she asked. “Why is he mute? Some type of childhood trauma?” When he simply stared at her, Shay said, “I know you said he was born this way, but did anyone ever say why? Being born mute is a rarity, even among humans. If he was deaf, I could understand it better. But he’s not.” Though she voiced the last as a statement, her eyes questioned him.

“No, he’s not deaf,” Rory confirmed.

“So what happened? What did the doctors say?”

Rory sighed and went and sat on the bed, motioning for Shay to join him. “Shifters come in four basic classifications, with varying levels within. Rogues, at the bottom, have no control over their beast. They are ruled by instinct, barely one step above our animal counterpart. Omegas have more control, but their beast still tends to dominate their human nature. Betas have complete control over their beast and know how to work with it. Alphas can not only control their beasts but are able to tap into and use the power of their beast when necessary, without giving control over to it. And then there’s me. As pack alpha not only can I draw on the power of my beast—the two of us working together in harmony—but when necessary, I can pull power from the pack as well.”

“Sort of an alpha’s alpha,” Shay commented.

“Aye, though we don’t really have a name for it. Remember what I was saying about shifter females earlier?”

“About that ‘survival instinct’?” she asked, making air quotes. “It’s not limited to shifters. Human females tend to be drawn to alpha males as well.”

“In shifters it works both ways. The higher ranked the male, the stronger the female he’ll want, just like in the wild. Strong pairings produce strong offspring. It’s when you start mixing ranks that things get a little iffy.”

“Like your parents,” Shay stated, wondering what he was getting at.

“Yes. When an alpha and an omega mate, there’s no predicting the classification their offspring will fall into. That’s why to ensure succession, pack alphas will only mate with the strongest female of the pack—normally.”

He ran a hand through his vibrant red hair, a sure sign of his agitation. “Da lucked out with me. I turned out to be an alpha like him, although he really had no way of knowing for sure until I went through my first change at puberty.”

“Your personality didn’t give him a clue?”

“It gave an indication of the type of man I’d be, but there’s no way to tell about the wolf until it emerges.”

“So your wolf’s an alpha, and Shannon’s wolf is an alpha. What about Kian?”

“Kian’s wolf is as strong as, possibly even stronger than mine, since he spends so much time in wolf form. But something went wrong with his human side.”

Shay pondered this for a moment, letting the silence settle. “So let me see if I understand correctly. Kian’s mute because your dad’s an alpha but your mom’s an omega, and her wolf being weak somehow caused Kian to come out with a human disability.”

“Yes.”

“Bullshit.”

He blinked, his mouth sagging open the tiniest bit.

“Complete and utter bullshit. Genetics don’t work that way.”

“Maybe in humans but in wolves—”

“First of all,” she cut in, “you’re not wolves. You’re shifters. That means you’re human with a little something extra, and I beg to differ with you, but genetics work exactly the same way whether we’re talking humans or animals. I don’t know what caused Kian to be mute, but it damn sure skippy isn’t because your momma was an omega.”

Rory shook his head and opened his mouth, but Shay cut him off. “Don’t you dare tell me I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. I know. I’ve run the tests. My mother’s an expert, remember? You think I wouldn’t have checked this shit out as soon as Kiesha told me what she was mated to, whose child she was carrying?

“If this is the kind of bullshit your parents were spouting, I’m guessing no one ever bothered to take Kian to a doctor, have him checked out. See if his problem could be fixed.” She gazed off, staring blindly at the mirror on the dresser. “Of course you didn’t. You probably don’t even go to doctors. If you can’t shift and heal it or Laurie Bell can’t treat it, you’re stuck with it.”

She turned her attention back to Rory to find him sitting there, dumbfounded. “When Alex returns from his honeymoon, you take Kian to see him. Get his throat checked out. I understand not wanting to expose your secret, but there are treatments, surgeries, things that can be done to give Kian his speech.”

“What if they don’t work?”

Shay shrugged. “At least you’ll have tried.”

When he still appeared troubled, she added, “I’d have to research the affliction, but from my understanding, muteness comes in two different forms. Either there was trauma to Kian’s vocal cords during birth that caused them to become damaged, or the portion of his brain that develops speech didn’t receive enough oxygen while in the womb. Did something happen when he was born? Did your mom suffer some type of mishap?”

“I don’t know,” Rory said with a shrug. “I don’t believe so.”

“You weren’t there when he was born?”

A strange glint entered his eyes. “Kian’s older than I. Ten minutes older.”

“Ten—” She stared. “Twins? You’re twins?”

“Aye.”

Shay brought a trembling hand to her forehead and leaned against it. The shocks were coming too fast, too hard for her mind to process. “I need a nap. My brain’s fuzzy.”

“We’ll both take one.”

As he rose and extended a hand, she gazed up at him suspiciously. “Why are you taking a nap? You don’t look sleepy to me.”

He smiled, slow and sexy. Shay felt moisture pool between her legs. “Never said I was. We’ll sleep…after.” He tugged her to her feet and into his arms, his erection a hard pole against her belly.

“Yes, after,” she agreed.

That night after work, Caleb and MacDougal came to the house in response to Rory’s call.

Shay sat on Rory’s lap behind a mammoth desk in an utterly masculine office domain Rory stated used to belong to his father. The chair was roomy and wide, completely made of leather, and positively screamed I’m in charge. The dark cherry wood of the desk gleamed in the lamplight.

Opposite it sat Caleb and MacDougal, in two not nearly as imposing office chairs facing the desk. Caleb’s pose was relaxed, with both hands resting on the arms of the chair. His dark, long, well-maintained dreads were pulled back from his face in a low ponytail. MacDougal had one foot resting on the opposing knee and settled into his chair with what Shay considered an insolent smirk. She didn’t like the way he kept checking her body out, ogling as though he were visualizing her naked.

Shay observed him through narrowed eyes, making no attempt to mask her dislike.

MacDougal wagged his eyebrows at her. “Like what you see?”

“No.”

He grinned at her abrupt answer, obviously not taking her seriously.

Rory didn’t keep them waiting. “For security reasons my mate has requested that access to the house be denied.”

“Being led by your bitch?” MacDougal asked with a sneer.

Rory’s body stilled and seemed to swell. Shay felt the heat of him increase against the skin of her back and thighs where she connected with him. “You will refer to my mate with respect, or I’ll rip your tongue out of your mouth and force-feed it to you,” Rory said, his wolf in his voice.

MacDougal lost his stupid grin. Though he didn’t respond verbally, Shay could see a hint of contained anger in the lines around his eyes.

“Of course.” Caleb spoke into the silence. “The security of the alpha pair, especially when they are breeding, is of utmost importance. How can we assist?”

The claws digging into Shay’s thigh retracted as Rory relaxed. “Spread the word that from now on, anyone wishing to meet with me”—Shay cleared her throat, a pointed reminder of her presence—“with us will need to call first. The doors will be kept locked, even when I’m in residence, so they’ll need to knock and be granted entrance—”

“And the locks will be changed,” Shay added, looking up at Rory as she added her decree.

He frowned down at her. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Who all has a key to the house?”

Rory paused, then glanced at Caleb in question. Caleb didn’t seem to know either. He shrugged. “When Rory became alpha, he instituted the open-door policy. No one has needed keys because the door is always unlocked.”

“How old are these locks?” she asked.

Rory’s brow furrowed as he thought. “They’ve been here since I was a child, at minimum. I don’t remember them ever being changed. They were sturdy enough when I did the last remodel to leave as is.”

“Then you really have no idea who could be walking around with spares. You’re going back to work soon. I don’t want just anyone walking in, catching me unawares,” she told Rory.

“Scared of the wolves, little human?” MacDougal asked.

Shay shifted until her gaze met his, then stared until MacDougal lowered his gaze, silently acknowledging her dominance. She stared for another moment, letting him feel the weight of it, before turning back to her mate. Rory didn’t comment on the byplay between her and MacDougal, but she could feel his pride in her, and his anger at MacDougal.

“She’s right,” Caleb said.

Shay tossed him a smile of thanks.

Rory sighed. “I’ll change the locks. As second and third, you two will have a spare for emergencies—”

“No!” Shayla declared forcefully.

All eyes turned on her. “Caleb, yes. He’s your second, and I know he’d sacrifice his life for yours. MacDougal, no. I don’t like him, and if a knife ever sprouted from your back, I wouldn’t be surprised to find him holding the handle.”

MacDougal made sounds of protest. “I would never do anything so underhanded, so vile.”

Shay glared at him, her dislike tangible. “You’re rude, disrespectful, egotistical, and most of all, a sore loser. So you fought for and lost the position of alpha. Get over it or get out. The pack doesn’t need your poison.”

MacDougal’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. There was a choked sound from Caleb. When she glanced at him, his face was blank but his eyes danced merrily. Rory stroked an approving hand down her spine.

“Who else besides the three of us, and Shannon, needs a key?” Shay asked, turning once more to Rory.

“If you object to MacDougal, then that also leaves out the council,” Rory mused.

“Those old farts? Over my dead body,” Shay said.

Another choked sound from Caleb. This time when she glanced over, a smile showed. He said, “You don’t have a problem speaking your mind, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Good. When dealing with this pack, boldness is an asset,” Caleb said.

“Laurie Bell,” Rory said, still throwing out names.

Shay thought for a minute. “No.”

“She’s the pack’s healer,” Rory reminded her.

“I know, but unless she’s psychic, she’ll be coming in response to being called, including emergencies. And if she’s summoned, she’ll be expected. There’s no need for her to have a key. Same goes for Ashley,” Shay added.

At the sound of her name, MacDougal stirred. Shay noted it but was distracted by Rory saying, “Caleb, that reminds me. Inform Ashley she can resume cleaning, but she’ll be on a schedule determined by my mate and her duties will be restricted to the lower levels.”

Again the look Caleb gave Shay contained a healthy dose of respect and, if she wasn’t mistaken, approval. “When do you want her to start?”

Shay opened her mouth, considered, then stopped when she realized she had no idea what day of the week it was. “What’s today?” she asked. “I’m losing time.”

“Sunday,” Rory answered.

“Is Ashley paid by the hour or a set rate?”

“A flat rate. We can change that if needed,” Rory assured her.

“No, I understand why you have her cleaning. I don’t want her to lose money she may be dependent on. Neither one of us are messy people. Beginning next Monday, tell her she can come twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, between one and four.” To Rory she said, “I believe we deserve another few days of privacy before life returns to normal.”

Rory smiled intimately at her, his pleasure in her desire to spend more time with him visible.

Another thought struck. “Does she cook for you as well?”

Rory shook his head. “Not for me. For some of the others, yes. I prefer to do my own.”

“Me too. Okay,” she told Caleb. “Tuesdays and Fridays and if we need to readjust because of her class schedule, let me know.”

“Consider it done,” Caleb said.

“These changes may cause problems within the pack. They’ve gotten used to being able to come to you whenever needed,” MacDougal said without any of the nastiness he’d displayed earlier.

“They’ll adjust. These aren’t the first changes I’ve made, and it’s doubtful they’ll be the last,” Rory told him.

“Have you confirmed that there’s a threat, or are you simply being cautious?” Caleb asked.

Shay casually wrapped her arm around Rory’s shoulders and dug her nails into the back of his neck. She did not want him sharing Conor’s warning with these men. Yes, they were his second and third. Caleb, she believed, had Rory’s best interest at heart. Or it could all be an elaborate act. Since she didn’t know, she preferred to retain the element of surprise.

“My mate’s pregnant. That’s reason enough,” Rory answered and nudged Shay, indicating he was ready to stand. When she moved, he stood, indicating the meeting was over.

Both men grunted in understanding and rose to leave. A solemn MacDougal exited the room first.

“How’s the pregnancy coming?” Caleb asked Shay as they walked to the door.

“Good.”

Caleb smiled. “You have any sisters or female cousins?”

“No sisters. One cousin, Kiesha—”

“Who’s mated to the Raven pack’s alpha,” Rory interjected.

Caleb’s smile turned rueful. “Oh well. Shake the family tree, will you? And if any more like you fall out, let me know.”

Rory laughed. “Don’t hold your breath. My Shay’s one of a kind.”

They spent the next weekend out in the surrounding area. First Rory took Shay on a tour of his town. Well, he referred to it as a town, but it was more like an outlying area containing a few businesses, a post office, gas stations, and the like. The town butted up against the North Carolina/Tennessee border, near the top of a mountain, bordered by a state park on one side and a Native American reservation in the valley on the other.

“All this land and these businesses belong to the pack,” he told her.

“This is a lot of territory. How did the pack manage to own all of this?” Shay asked, taking in the raw, and for the most part, undeveloped land that went on for miles.

“Most of the pack land was either purchased or bartered for by my great-grandfather with the Cherokee Nation when he first immigrated. The tribe took one look at him and his men and knew exactly what they were. In exchange for land and wives, the pack provided protection. It’s one of the reasons this tribe wasn’t forced west with the others and managed to hold on to their land.”

Shay studied him carefully. She’d noticed the heavy influence of Native American blood when Rory had introduced her to the pack. It made sense. “Do you still have close ties to the tribe?”

He shook his head. “Not so much anymore. The growing need to keep what we are a secret damaged that relationship. Although some of the pack still have relatives on the reservation.”

Next he took her by all the pack-owned businesses so that she could get a feel for their physical operation. She’d already been introduced to their computer systems. The Sparrowhawks owned three campgrounds. The largest campsite catered to those who wanted to pitch their tents and rough it in a secure location but still have access to restrooms. The second, smaller location was an RV campsite completed with hookups, showers, and restrooms. The third contained a twenty-room, lodge-style hotel and a series of small wood cabins ranging from one-room efficiencies to two-bedroom cabins that slept six comfortably. There were picnic tables and grills spread throughout, and both the RV campsite and lodge had outdoor pools to attract summer campers.

“We’re considering building some time-share condos. Those do well in this area. But the question is where. We don’t want to crowd the land, and while tourism brings in money to support the pack, we don’t want too many people around,” he told her as they were leaving the lodge’s restaurant after having a delicious lunch.

In addition to the restaurant in the lodge, the pack also owned a pancake house that was open for breakfast and lunch, and three general stores that sold everything from camping supplies to tourist souvenirs situated near each campsite.

“This is a nice little setup you have and, from the looks of it, prosperous as well,” Shay commented.

“It wasn’t always this way. We had the land, but it was going to waste. We opened the first campground a year after I became alpha. Two years later we opened the third. It took four years to get the lodge up and running but each is doing well, and we’ve managed to pay back most of the money we borrowed for start-up,” Rory said.

“I recognized a lot of pack members working as employees,” Shay said as Rory headed the truck toward his construction business.

“As part owners, pack gets preference when it comes to hiring, but we don’t discriminate. We have a few of the outlying townspeople working for us as well. Not many folks want to work for minimum wage, and some of our businesses are seasonal. Those who need steady, higher paying employment drive over into Fort Knox or hit the tourist traps in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.”

“Speaking of tourist traps, I’ll probably have to visit one to shop. I’m going to need some larger clothing soon,” Shay said, looking down at her ever-expanding bump.

Rory reached out and laid a possessive hand over her stomach. “We’ll drive into Fort Knox tomorrow and do some shopping at the mall. How are you feeling?”

She’d started out the morning with a bit of nausea. “Better. Lunch helped.”

“When’s your follow-up with Carol?”

“In two more weeks.”

“You sure you won’t let Laurie Bell take a look at you?”

Shay sighed. “I’m drinking the tea, and while I won’t deny that it helps, I’m still more comfortable going to an actual doctor’s office to be seen. Speaking of which, per our contract, you owe me some form of transportation.”

“I don’t want you riding over to Refuge without me.” He brought the truck to a stop in front of a building with a sign proclaiming: McFelan Construction.

“Be reasonable. You can’t keep me tethered to the house. I have friends and family in Refuge. You think I’m going to be this close to Kiesha and not visit her?”

Rory turned to her with one hand still resting on the steering wheel. “No, I don’t. All I’m asking is that you don’t go without me.”

“Fine, but I still need a ride.”

“You can have this one. I’ll drive one of the company trucks.”

Shay glanced around the truck and scrunched her nose. “This will do for now until I can make arrangements to have mine brought from Florida.”

“Unless it’s an SUV or a four-wheel drive, don’t bother. Anything else is not worth having on these mountainous roads, especially in the winter when there’s snow on the ground.” Rory climbed out of the truck and came around to hold the door open for Shay.

“Then I guess I’m going car shopping, which I hate,” she muttered.

Rory kept his truck well maintained and fairly clean, but it was obviously a work truck. The full-size pickup was difficult for someone of her height and stature to climb in and out of. She could only imagine the difficulty she’d have later in her pregnancy.

“I’ve introduced you to the pack and to Kian. When are you going to tell your parents about us?” Rory asked out of the blue, holding the door to his office building open for her to enter.

Shay actually felt her eye twitch. “Later.” Much, much later if she had her way about it.

“Shay, I want us married before the babe arrives. I think your parents would like to be there.”

She glared at him. “After the way my mother behaved at Kiesha’s wedding, you can say that to me with a straight face?”

“Shay…” he chided. She hunched her shoulders.

“All right, all right. I’ll do it. And when she descends on us like a plague of locusts, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She glanced around the interior. “The construction slump doesn’t seem to be affecting you,” Shay said to change the subject. The thought of confessing all to her parents caused her stomach to churn.

“No, business is good. Hold on, let me check on a few things while I’m here. My office is through there.” He pointed to an open doorway, then walked over to a man at a desk and began asking questions.

There was a receptionist at the front desk giving Shayla a curious look. Shay guessed she didn’t see Rory come in with too many women who were so obviously not a client.

She entered his office and spent time looking at all the plaques on the wall and pictures of projects his firm had completed. When he came in, she motioned to the walls and said, “So you do both commercial and residential construction?”

“Mostly residential, but I have taken on a few commercial projects, as well as remodels and renovations. We basically do it all and at a reasonable price. Caleb, my business partner and project foreman, has been handling things for me while I’ve been home working with you,” he said as he settled into his chair and then booted up the computer.

“So he’s your second in more than just the pack?”

“Yes.” Rory scanned through his e-mails, firing off responses to a few and filing others in folders.

Shay sat on his desk and waited until he’d finished, watching him work. He loved his job, and it showed in the focus that he gave to each task. Word spread that the head boss was on-site, and there was a steady stream of visitors to the office asking about this and that. Shay sat, absorbing it all, enjoying seeing the business side of her mate.

An hour later they left and made a trip to a nearby hardware store for locks.

“You know changing the locks won’t stop any shifter really determined to get in,” he said.

“Of course, just like all the locked doors and windows in the world won’t keep out a really determined burglar. But it will slow them down and hopefully give warning that they’re coming in,” she said.

He grunted, seeming satisfied with her answer.