Winter Eve

Chapter 3

It had been the strangest twenty-four hours in Nevan’s life. Well, at least stranger than it had been in the last five years. Growing up with four mountain lion-shifters would be pretty strange to the normal human.

However, the residents of this small town didn’t seem too human. Then again, it could have been his imagination running wild. His hormones sure were on overdrive since he’d met Danica. Watching her smile at Shayna made him want to touch her, to see if her skin really was as creamy as it looked.

Shaking off the inappropriate thoughts, he followed the women into the house.

The large man from the night before was the first to greet them. The sense of familiarity settled over him again. He’d seen him somewhere before but could not place the where or when.

“Blaine. Relax.”

Nevan cut his eyes toward the commanding voice. An older, larger man who looked a lot like Blaine entered the living room. His dark brown hair back in a loose ponytail, and his brown eyes darkened as he locked gazes with Nevan.

Danica linked her fingers with his and tugged him farther in the large living room. They stopped a couple of feet from the man. The only way Nevan thought to describe him was an alpha male. The energy flowing off him was similar to his oldest brother. Sarah had said his brother could be alpha of his own pack one day.

“I’m Keegan.” He narrowed his dark brown eyes at Nevan and motioned to the couch. “Please have a seat. Lunch will be ready soon.”

He felt like a hormonal teen meeting his date’s father, but he fell into step with Danica as she led the way to the sofa. Even Danica seemed tense.

Keegan sat in a recliner across from them while Shay perched on the couch arm beside Danica and Blaine held the wall in place behind his father. “Blaine failed to get your last name.”

Was he for real? The only thing Nevan wanted was to call Sarah and let her know he was at least alive and maybe put a call out to the supernatural police or something. Because there was definitely something preternatural going on.

“My name is Nevan Mathews.”

One of the alpha male’s dark brows rose and amusement brightened his features. “Was your father Walt Mathews?”

Nevan cut his eyes to Blaine, who pushed away from the wall and studied him closer. Like a bug under a microscope… “Yes,” he answered Keegan, meeting his gaze once more.

A frown wrinkled his forehead, and he tossed a cordless phone to Nevan. “Call Sarah and tell her I send my best.” He stood, motioned to his son, and they left the room.

Confused, Nevan glanced at Danica. A wash of relief, happiness, and worry flowed from her. “I’ll give you some privacy.” She moved to stand, but he covered her hand.

“Stay.”

She gave a short nod and sat back. Shay smiled at him and picked up Danica’s right arm to gently massage her fingers and palm. Stopping the questions from tumbling out of his mouth, he dialed Sarah’s number and wasn’t surprised she answered after the first ring.

“Nev?”

“Yes, Ma. I’m fine.”

“What happened? Where the hell are you?”

Closing his eyes, he took deep breaths to hold the buried pain in check. Hearing his stepmother’s voice brought a flood of memories. Memories of his father and the family they’d once been. “I had an accident, but I’m not hurt.”

“Where are you?”

“Ashwood Falls.”

Silence filled the line for several seconds before she responded. “Are they…Have you met Keegan?”

He counted to three in his mind. She knew these people, knew of this town, yet, she’d never once mentioned it to him. Nor had his brothers ever spoken of it. All his life she’d taught him about the shifter way of life and the importance of secrecy. Was that it? She didn’t trust him to keep the mountain town a secret?

“Yes, I met him, and he sends his best.” He didn’t keep the hurt out of his tone.

A soft sigh rushed through the phone. “The town is not of my people. It was not my secret to tell.

Please don’t be angry.”

“What do you mean?”

“Please trust me. I can’t spill secrets of another pack.”

Pack? Was she serious? “I’m not understanding.”

Danica’s hand touched his knee, causing him to jump. Locking gazes, she whispered, “I’ll explain later.” The plea in her eyes made him want to hold her.

The annoyance drained from his body. “I’m sorry, Ma.”

“I know, baby. You’re one of my cubs, even if you can’t shift.”

That made him laugh. “Yeah, because I’m human.”

“Shh. We won’t talk about that,” she teased. “Look, the little bit of snow we got last night was only the start of the huge storm headed this way. Stay there until it passes.”

The way she could sense the weather change had always amazed him. “All right. Do you have everything you need?”

“Yes, Nev. We’ll be fine. I have my grandbabies.”

“What? Who?”

“Cale and Monica had a set of twins a couple of months ago. I thought I told you.”

He sighed. “Oh, yes, I’d almost forgotten Cale and Monica’s twins.” He’d been busy forgetting and burying his pain.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll get to meet your nieces soon.”

He smiled and glanced at the females at the end of the couch, cuddled up like the pair of cats, listening to the conversation. Everything fell into place. The too-careful actions of everyone around him and the over protectiveness Blaine had shown the night before made sense. “I’ll see you when the storm passes. Love you, Mama.”

A choked sob came from Sarah before she responded. “It’s been too long since you called me that.

Love you, too.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he disconnected the call and peered at Danica and Shay. Both women looked back at him as though they were about to cry. “What’s wrong?”

Danica smiled. “You called her mama. That’s so sweet.”

“And girly.”

Nevan clenched his jaw at the sound of Blaine’s voice. Before he could lash back, Shay reached out and hit the large shifter in the stomach hard enough that he took a step back. “Shut it, Blaine.”

A few seconds later, Shay squealed as he flipped her over his shoulder. The smile on his face read of the pure love a brother would have for his sister. “Watch it, kitty, or I’ll rearrange your potions, again.”

She kicked wildly. “Don’t you dare, leopard-boy!”

“Leopard?” Nevan studied Danica as she stiffened then dropped her shoulders.

“It was me. I’m the reason you’re stuck here instead of being with your family.”

Her guilt rushed out to him. “It was an accident.” He knew from his brothers that, when in animal form, they thought like the animal. The headlights mostly likely had startled her. “I was tired and not concentrating on the road.”

“But, your car.”

He chuckled. “It’s a rental, and I bought insurance.”

She laughed at his poor excuse of a joke and reach out to touch his cheek. Her pale green eyes brightened and seemed to dance. His gaze lowered to her lower lip she held between her teeth.

Suddenly, he had the urge to kiss her. Keegan’s husky tone calling them to the dining room broke them from whatever trance they’d fallen under. Much too quickly, she stood and rushed away. All he could do was watch her follow her family into the other room.

Get a grip, Nev.

Back at the cabin, alone with Nevan, Danica thought she’d be more relaxed now that he knew what she was, but she’d been wrong. Her cat was hyper-aware of every movement and the heat of his stare.

The more time she spent with him, the more intrigued she became.

To try to shake off some of the rising need, she turned toward the fireplace. Nevan stepped in her path and touched her lightly on the hand. Sparks of desire rippled on her skin, and startled her.

“What is it?”

She peered into his gray-blue eyes and smiled. “I felt that.”

“My touch?”

She laughed at the confusion that passed over his face. “My right hand…I usually don’t feel the light weight of others’ fingers. It must be working.” She turned toward the kitchen.

“What’s working?”

She lifted her head to peer at him across the island countertop. “Shay. She has…” She sucked her lip between her teeth, unsure of how much to tell him. However, he did have mountain lion shifters as his mother and four stepbrothers. He was already aware of their world. “She has a small amount of magick in her blood.”

He didn’t flinch or seemed a bit surprised at the news. She relaxed, but only a tiny bit.

“Is she part witch?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. It isn’t uncommon for shifters to possess magickal abilities.

Blaine can teleport. Keegan is telepathic.”

“Oh, great. I’ll have to remember that. Sarah and my brothers don’t have any special gifts.”

“Not all weres have them. Some theories are that certain blood lines carry magick from the early ancestors.” She withdrew two stemless wine glasses from the cupboard. “Do you like red wine?”

His smile reached his eyes for the first time since he’d been there, and she had to press her hands on the counter to stay upright. “Yes.”

It took her several seconds before she found her voice. “Can you start the fire?”

With a short nod, he moved to do as she requested. “So, what does Shay have to do with the feeling in your hand?”

“Oh. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve agreed to let her stimulate the nerves in my right hand and arm.” After pouring the wine and returning the bottle to the mini-fridge, she carried both glasses to the living room.

“That’s what she was doing earlier? Before lunch.”

“She can send light currents of energy to my nerves by massaging my fingers and palm.”

He ignited the oak, and when satisfied with the flame, he returned the screen and faced her. “And, it’s helping?”

She smiled, handing him a glass. “It appears so.” She sat down on the sofa with one leg tucked under her.

He sat next to her. “How much can you tell me about Ashwood Falls? Sarah said to ask Keegan. I gathered from her tone it’s a Pack secret or something.”

“The lions had a treaty with our pack centuries ago. They are bound from speaking about the town or who lives here. Although, I’m not sure why she wouldn’t tell you since you’re her family.”

He looked out the glass door that overlooked the backyard. “She broke from her pack a couple of years before mating with my father. None of us kids know why. Or, if the others do, they’ve been forbidden to talk about it.”

“Oh. Some packs are more secretive than others. I don’t know much about the lions.”

He chuckled. “That makes two of us.”

She took a sip of her wine before speaking. “Ashwood Falls was formed on the land of two Packs: the wolves and the leopards. Both Packs lost over sixty percent of their people during a mass attack from a rogue shifter pack called the Onyx.”

Nevan made a noise of disgust. “How long ago?”

“It was over two hundred years ago. They came in like a storm. The weaker of the Packs surrendered and now work with the Onyx for their cause.”

He raised a brow. “You don’t know what that is, do you?”

“No. I suspect the Enforcers have some leads or an idea. The given is they want control over all packs and territories.” Visions of the night she lost her parents came to mind. Her throat tightened and she fought to keep the tears from falling. Even after all these years, she still could recall their memories without crying. “I lost my parents in that attack.”

He twisted his body to sit sideway on the sofa and faced her. “Sorry.”

“I was ten years old at the time. My mom tucked me inside a hidden room in the basement. I heard everything. Their screams, the breaking glass, shouts from the rogues to kill everyone…” Lifting her gaze, she met Nevan’s gray stare. Fury darkened his eye color to the color of storm clouds. “Blaine found me. At the time it seemed like days. I already knew my parents were dead.”

Nodding, he reached over and covered her hand. “Sarah cried out in pain when my dad died. She felt the loss, and my brothers felt hers. I had no clue what was going on until they told me. It was the first time I ever felt like an outsider.”

She curled her fingers around his hand and squeezed. “They never meant…”

He peered at her, holding her completely captive.

“I know. But I had to leave after that. With Dad, everything was whole. We were family. We still are, but we’re missing a piece.”

The crackling from the fire filled the room. She understood what he described. The bond between Sarah and her mate being broken would have been painful. Keegan, in one of his very rare emotional moods, had described it to her. The Alpha had said it was as if someone had reached inside his chest and ripped his heart out with their bare hands. She figured it would be rude and inappropriate to ask how he knew what that felt like and considered he was being graphic to keep her from asking any more personal questions.

When she looked up again, it was to meet Nevan’s eyes. Desire swirled in them, awakening her leopard. He raised his hand to brush a stray hair from her face. Instead of dropping his hand, he slid it behind her neck and drew her closer. His earthy pine scent enveloped her. When his lips touched hers, she lost any hope of control.

She opened, allowing his tongue inside to dance with hers. Her skin tingled and warmed at the pleasure that consumed her. It’d been way too long since she had been kissed like this. Never in her two hundred twenty-three years of life did she remember a kiss being this good.

His fingers touched her belly, making her jump slightly. When his palm cupped her breast, she moaned and pressed into his touch. Then he brushed over a path of scars, and she stilled.

Palms flat on his chest, she gave a gentle push. He broke the kiss. “What…?”

Shaking, she said, “I can’t,” and ran out the back door with her inhuman speed.