Winter Eve

Chapter 1

The winding, slick roads of the Smoky Mountains seemed creepier than the last time Nevan Matthews had traveled them. Then again, at the time, he’d been seven, it was daylight, and there wasn’t snow on the ground.

Why was he even going? Oh, right. His extended family would bug the shit out of him if he didn’t show up, just like they had bugged him about every aspect of his life since his father's death five years ago. And, again, when his fiancée, Becca, died a year later. The only family he had left in the world had demanded he spend the holiday season with them.

"You need your family now more than ever," Sarah, his stepmother, had said. "You spend too much time alone."

Her soft, pleading voice had tugged at his heart, and he’d finally given in. He loved his stepmother. She’d always cared for him as if he was her own son. It was impossible to say ‘no’ to the only mother he had ever known. Besides, he hadn’t been back home since his father’s death. So he took his first vacation in five years to spend the holidays in a place he didn’t belong. With people far different from him.

A blur of brown fur zipped in front of his headlights, and he jerked the rental car to the left. His heart hammered in his chest as the car swerved on the icy road and slammed into the rock wall of the mountainside.

Steam rolled from under the smashed hood and mingled with the frigid winter night as Nevan emerged from the car. He cursed under his breath and raked a hand through his light brown hair.

"Now what?"

He scanned the area for signs of life. He figured Sarah's cabin was a good twenty miles away. He'd freeze to death on top of this mountain on a night like this before reaching the cabin on foot.

Movement to his right caught his attention, and he narrowed his eyes for a better look. A large leopard crouched, staring at him from the roadside. With eyes that reflected the full moon's light, the creature blinked and let out a soft growl before it turned to walk up a gravel driveway.

The animal was beautiful, scary, and its eyes held a hint of humanity. Could it be a were? Sarah hadn’t said anything about others living this far up the mountain. When the beast turned to look at him, he swore it wanted him to follow. He took a step forward, and the cat started walking again.

"Oh, great, Nev. You're being lead away by a cat, like Alice and that damn rabbit," he muttered to himself. No one would ever believe him. In fact, it was probably leading him to the den to share with the rest of the pack. Shaking his head at the ridiculous thought, he walked up the driveway. The cat sped up, running ahead much too fast for him. Then it darted into the woods a few feet from a single-story log cabin nestled into the surrounding trees. Another step caused a blinding light to click on, illuminating the front of the yard and the cabin. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She stepped out onto the large wide porch. Her straight silk-like strawberry blond hair cascaded over her shoulders and stopped at her waist. The light of the full moon cast against her pale skin made her look like a goddess.

"What can I do to help you?"

Her velvety smooth voice warmed his body and awoke a very specific part of his anatomy. It was several seconds before he found his voice and shook out of the trance she’d cast upon him. "I crashed my car and wondered if you have a phone. My cell doesn't get service up here."

"I don’t have a phone." Her gaze left him to search their surroundings and stopped as she glanced toward the dark sky as though she saw something he didn't, or couldn't, see. "But, come inside. You’ll freeze to death in the storm." She turned and walked back inside.

Storm?

A single snowflake drifted in front of his face, landing on his nose.

Danica crossed the living room to the fireplace, feeling the man’s stare like tiny caresses over her skin. After grabbing the poker, she stirred the fire and added another log. Keegan would freaking flip if he knew she’d taken in a stranger, especially a human stranger, but there was something about this human. “What’s your name?”

There was a pause, and then he let out a husky reply, as if startled by the question. “Nevan”

“I’m Danica.” She stood and held out her left hand to him. Not because this stranger had uncovered long-buried desires, and she’d been much too long without a male’s touch. Nope, that wasn’t it at all. She simply wanted to see if he could be trusted. Sniffing out a lie or even the barest hint of dishonesty was like a shifter’s sixth sense. Other shifters didn’t have troubles detecting a lie from across the room, but Danica’s sense of smell had been damaged along with most of the right side of her body in a fire a couple of years before. It was one reason she lived on the edge of town, away from the others’ pity.

“Nice to meet you.” There was a hesitation in his voice and leeriness in his gaze.

“What brings you up the mountain this late in the season?”

“I was on my way to my stepmother’s for the holidays.” A frown creased his forehead. “Do you know where there’s a phone? I should call before she sends out the cavalry.”

“Cavalry?”

“My stepbrothers.”

“How many do you have?”

“Four. Three of them are older, and one is a year younger than me.”

She hid her smile by turning toward the kitchen. “That’s a big family.” In this day and age, humans didn’t usually have large families. The ones that did held more family values than those who didn’t. They were more likely to protect each other.

She walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. When she turned around, she was startled by the sight of Nevan standing just a few feet away. She reached out to balance herself only to find Nevan beside her faster than she’d expected a human to move. He took her elbow and she gasped at the heat of his body so close to hers. Her body warmed, and her pulse increased. With only a few inches separating them, she could smell his natural male scent mixed with his aftershave. Spicy and good enough to lick all over…

She took a few steps back. He was a stranger, for God’s sake. She wasn’t the seducing type.

Besides, who would want to make love to a scarred, half-powered leopard?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I didn’t hear you move.” Which was crazy considering there was nothing wrong with her supernatural hearing. She poured coffee into two cups and handed him one, careful not to make physical contact again. Leaning against the counter, she studied him. He was human. Nothing remotely magickal or paranormal about him, yet there was something in the way he carried himself and moved.

Shaking her head, she shifted to peer out the window. The snow was coming down in sheets.

“Looks like we’re in for the night.”

Fabric sliding over fabric indicated he’d moved closer to look out the window. “At least.”

She lifted her gaze to meet his. He smiled, and she thought her knees would give out. Stepping around him before she completely embarrassed herself, she walked out of the kitchen. “Come, I’ll show you to the guest room and get some extra blankets.”

The trip down the hall was the longest in her two hundred twenty-three years of life. The male following her put her cat on edge.

Stopping at the linen closet, she grabbed sheets and a couple of blankets and handed them to him.

She quickly turned into the bedroom to her left. “The shower is across the hall, and there is firewood on the back porch. Would you like me to get you some?”

“No. I think I can manage.” He offered her another gentle smile, and the air in the room grew thick.

“I’ll leave you to clean up. I’m kind of a night creature, so I hope I won’t disturb you.”

He looked around the room before meeting her stare again. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said softly and walked back down the hallway toward the living room. It was her fault he was here, stranded. If she hadn’t darted in front of his car like an irresponsible cub, he’d be on his way to see his family.

An all-too-familiar energy nudged at her psyche, and her mood lifted. She went straight to the front door and opened it before Shayna Andrews could knock. “Why on earth are you here in this weather?”

Laughing, the beautiful blond stomped her snow covered boots on the porch and entered the cabin.

“I was hunting and wondered a little too far out, and then it started snowing, suddenly.”

Danica shook her head. Shay was always testing her adopted brothers’ abilities to track her. She liked to see how far from town she’d get before they caught up to her. “Doesn’t pissing your brothers off get old?”

A mischievous smile lifted the side of her mouth. “Nope. But, this time, I was actually hunting.

You know how focused I can get in cat form.”

“Yeah. That focused curiosity is going to get you in trouble.” Danica motioned to the kitchen and frowned. She’d advised Keegan to allow Shay out of town to learn to use her skills for the Packs. But, no, the Alpha leopard refused to let his princess out of his sight. It was a shame that a twenty-five-year-old tiger shifter had to be under guard 24/7. Keegan was blinded by the fear he’d lose her the way he’d lost his mate during the attacks on the den over two centuries ago.

“Speaking of your brothers…”

“Blaine should be here in about three seconds.”

Danica shook her head again. It always surprised her how much Shay was in tune to her adopted brothers. Then she froze. “Did you say Blaine?”

“Yeah…hey, you have a male here.” Shay walked toward the hall, sniffing the air. “And he’s human. Way to go, Dani!”

Cursing, Danica tugged at her arm. “Please don’t. It’s not what you think. I caused his car to crash.

I’m taking him into town tomorrow to use a phone.”

Shaking her head, Shay locked gazes with her. “You can’t bring a human into Ashwood Falls.

Father will have a wolf.”

Danica dropped her shoulders. “I have no choice.”

“You could’ve left the human alone.” The deep, stern male voice made her wince, but didn’t surprise her. She felt the leopard’s presence about two seconds ago.

“I’m a healer, Blaine.”

Blaine leaned his large frame against the counter, one dark brow raised. “Was he hurt?”

“No.”

“Then he was none of your concern.”

Danica’s patience with the Enforcer was growing very thin. “You’re wrong. He’s none of your concern. This is my house.”

He growled. “I know that. You are family, Pack. It’s my job to ensure everyone is safe. Inviting a human into your home is not safe, for any of us.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “And, I still have the ability to detect the good in people.”

“Damn it, Dani—” Shay pushed by her brother, cutting off his sentence and making him turn toward the entrance of the kitchen. Danica followed his gaze to Nevan.

Shay had her hand out-stretched. “Hi. I’m Shay.”

“Nevan.” He shook her hand, looked from Blaine to Danica. “Is everything okay?”

Danica shoved past the mountain of an Enforcer to stand between the two males. “Blaine was just leaving.”

Blaine studied Nevan for several moments without speaking. Cocking her head to the side, she noticed a faint expression of…acceptance? Surely, she was tired and didn’t just witness the alpha male in front of her dismissing an argument.

Finally, he peered down at her and smiled weakly. He lifted her right hand and pressed her scarred palm to his cheek, a sign of trust and respect among the Pack. “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”

She rested her free hand over his heart. “No. I appreciate your concern.”

That arrogant smile he was famous for made its slow appearance. “Bring your friend over for a late lunch tomorrow to meet father.”

She rolled her eyes and ignored the command in the voice. “Good night, Blaine.”

Chuckling, he moved to the front door. Shay drew her in a tight hug and whispered, “Sorry,” before following her brother outside.

Danica locked the door behind them. She wasn’t sure if Shay was apologizing for Blaine being an ass or for the fact that she would have to put Nevan through a meeting with the Pack Alpha. Knowing her, it was both.

“Your brother?”

Confused, she turned to meet his gray-colored gaze. “What?’

“Blaine. Is he your brother?”

“Oh. I guess you could say that. We grew up together. His family took me in when my parents died.” She thought about it for a moment. Warmth entered her heart, filling it with unconditional love.

The Andrews were her family. “Yeah, I guess he is the brother I never had. Over protective and all.”

He laughed and peered out the window, and the seriousness returned to his handsome features.

“It’s snowing hard. How did they get here?”

She moved to the sink to clean the cups and avoid his curious stare. Damn. She couldn’t tell him the truth, and she didn’t want to lie to him. Blaine was one of the rare shifters who could teleport. The ability was limited to places he’d been before and to follow someone he had a blood bond with, like family or a mate. “Blaine has a truck that can drive through anything.” Which was true, but she doubted he’d driven it tonight.

Suddenly, Nevan was standing beside her, taking a cup to dry it. She jumped. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Move without a sound.”

He shrugged but didn’t look at her. “My brothers have very good hearing. I kind of grew up trying to sneak past them.”

She laughed at the mischief in his tone.

He fell quiet, making her glance his way. His gaze drifted over the scars on her right arm before meeting her eyes. “What happened?”

Setting the cup in the drainer, she pushed her sleeves down and shook her head. “I…I’m tired.

Sorry.” She walked around him and fled to her room. Heart pounding in her chest, she leaned against the closed door.

She was a complete idiot. Damn him for raising hope that any male would find her attractive.