ChangingPaths (11 page)

He set a hard, fast rhythm, leaning over her body and gently
biting at the back of her neck and shoulders. She pressed back, wanting to have
as much of her against him as possible. Then one of his hands moved up to her
breasts, squeezing them and then pinching her nipples. She threw her head back,
gasping for breath, then had to concentrate on not screaming again as his other
hand moved down to stroke her clit, pinching it at the same time he pinched her
nipples. She came again, her entire body shaking as she fell forward, flat
against the quilt.

His hands went back to her hips and he kept moving in her.
The long strokes of his thick cock filled her. Her body opened up even more. A
wave of sensation rolling over her as her breasts moved with his thrusts. She
heard his guttural breaths. Felt them on her shoulder as his weight came down
on her back. She welcomed the fullness of him. As he fucked her she gushed in
response to the strokes on her G-spot. The moisture from her own body giving
him even more access to her made her feel incredibly sexy. His growl reached
her just before he slammed deep and then she felt his cum jetting into her
body. He didn’t stop moving, just slowed down slightly.

With a shuddering breath that matched her own, he pulled out
of her. She noted how gentle he was even after fucking her utterly boneless. He
lifted and rearranged her so that she was entirely on the bed on her back. She
couldn’t even lift her arms, much less her eyelids and she felt his tongue
slowly lapping at her breast then gentle pulls on her nipples. She could only
groan as he continued down her body, licking and tenderly biting at her until
he reached the juncture of her thighs again.

This time his hands were gentle, stroking her hips, her
legs, all the way down to her feet. Now she knew what it meant to be cherished.
His hands and mouth worshiped her body. His lips were gentle, he murmured to
her, telling her how soft her skin was, how good she tasted. His tongue was
warm as he lapped at the moisture that coated her thighs, cleaning her body,
warming her all over again.

There was no way, absolutely no way she could rouse again,
but it didn’t matter. When she was quivering under his touch he moved back up
her body and as she sluggishly rolled onto her side he curved his body around
hers. She felt his cock, hard and pulsing again at her back. She reached
behind, stroking her hand over his hip and leg, her nails gently raking him.
Warm skin over hard muscle. She could almost imagine claws instead of nails.

She wasn’t surprised, really, when he lifted her leg and
entered her again. This time everything was in slow motion. She felt his kisses
along her neck and shoulder, felt the strength in his body as he made love to
her again. She gave herself over to it, pushing back against him, twining her
fingers with his and clenching her muscles as much as she could.

His soft growl reached her and she felt him coming again.
Gentle pulses this time. She smiled drowsily as he gathered her back against
him and softened inside her. He didn’t pull out though and he didn’t pull away.
She drifted off to sleep, secretly pleased she’d been able to keep up with him,
a shifter male in full strength and at his prime. She also knew her dreams
tonight would be sweet ones, not the paralyzing, fearful ones she’d had in the
past after dealing with Tom. No, tonight she would sleep well.

Rain yawned as she moved away from the window. She’d tried
going to bed but it was just too weird with Gareth in her mom’s bed. She wasn’t
stupid, she knew they’d gone in there as soon as she’d gone to her own room.
The glances they’d exchanged, the tension in the air and the scents every time
they’d looked at each other. She didn’t remember her mom ever looking at anyone
else like that. Not as though Mom had dated much at all since the divorce. She’d
moved to the window since it was the farthest she could go in her room without
going outside. It was okay because she liked him. If he made her mom happy,
cool.

Shivering, she turned back to check that the window was
still locked. This shiver didn’t come from the cold but from the fact that her
ass of a father had found them—again. It didn’t seem to matter how many
restraining orders Mom took out against him or how many times he was arrested,
he just wouldn’t give up. Maybe now that everyone on the res knew he was around
they’d convince him to leave them alone. Her counselor back at her other school
had told her it was okay to not want to see him. She’d told Rain that some
people weren’t meant to be parents.

Maybe Gareth or Micah, or even Uncle Pete, could talk him
into just going back to California and leaving them the hell alone. She yawned
again as she slipped out of her clothes and into the flannel pajama pants and
oversized t-shirt she usually slept in.

Looking in the mirror on the old-fashioned dresser, she
studied her features, searching for any sign of a wolf. How freaking cool was
it that Gareth could turn into a wolf? And how awesome would it be if she could
too? She bared her teeth, trying for a low growl. Maybe she could make her dad
understand she didn’t want to ever effing see him again.

Gareth had said that Keme had already Changed…shifted, he
called it. Figured. Not only was he the hottest guy she’d ever met, smart as
all get out, popular
and
nice, but he could shift too! A giggle bubbled
up as she realized this was not a fantasy story. Gareth turning into a wolf had
been real. She’d seen that with her own eyes. Another yawn, which wasn’t so pretty
when you saw yourself doing it in the mirror. No way would Keme want to go out
with her. He was just being nice.

Sighing, she combed through her hair and then crawled into
bed. The small cabin settled around them and she could hear the wind picking up
outside. Gareth had said the first lessons on how to make herself a wolf
started Saturday and she could hardly wait. Picking up the novel her English
teacher had assigned, she immersed herself in the French Revolution.

Rion Volpe slammed the door to the motel room. Rustic wasn’t
really the right word…cheap? Yeah, that fit. He curled a lip at the bed,
knowing by scent alone how many other bodies had already slept there. He should
have figured Gareth would still be pissed at him. Just showing up out of the blue
that morning probably hadn’t been the best idea he’d ever had. They hadn’t even
seen each other in years, much less exchanged Christmas cards. But he’d always
been the impulsive twin. Gareth had been the quiet one, the deep thinker.

He rubbed across his chest, trying to ease the ache there.
Tomorrow he’d have no choice but to go to the Alpha here and request permission
to try to convince his brother to go back West with him. He’d been unable to
catch up with Gareth again since their first unsuccessful encounter. He’d be
putting himself in even more trouble if he didn’t go to the local Alpha within
the first few days of entering Pack land. He probably should have started with
the Alpha but he hadn’t really even been sure if Gareth was part of the local Pack.

He’d learned differently at the local watering hole tonight.
Part of the Pack? Hell, he stood as a second to the Alpha. Rion barked out a
laugh. How fortunate his twin had landed on his paws. Unlike his own standing
in their birth pack where he wasn’t good enough for their uncle to even
consider him for a second. God, the anger and guilt ate at him still.

Rion had one more ace up his sleeve. He decided to pull it
out. Time was of the essence now. Couldn’t hurt, right? Besides, Gareth couldn’t
hate him any more than he already did. The scars on his chest ached. Though he’d
wanted to heal this rift between them before, to apologize, to do something to
get his brother back, he might have just waited too long.

Shoving the thoughts aside, he pulled his phone out and
dialed the number he’d stored last week. He parked on the edge of the bed,
listening to the ring. “Time to call in reinforcements. I hope this works.”

Thirty minutes and a difficult conversation later he stepped
into the bathroom, stripped and cautiously got into the small shower. At least
the water was hot and plentiful. Letting the warmth stream over his head and
shoulders, Rion said a silent prayer that he could convince the Alpha to let
him talk to Gareth again, more formally this time. He added a fervent PS that
he didn’t just piss the Alpha off as well.

Morning sun washed the room as Harmony stretched her way
awake. A strong arm tightened around her waist, making her smile. He’d stayed
in her bed. She twisted around to face him.

“Morning.”

His answer was a soft kiss. So gentle it nearly made her
cry. His fingers grazed from her hip, brushing the side of her breast to curl
carefully around her neck. He rumbled quietly, “So I’m guessing since it’s a
school morning there’s no time for nookie?”

The word
nookie
seemed so foreign coming from this
powerful male shifter that she laughed. He yanked her in close for a more
forceful kiss then let her go. “Laugh at me? You laugh at me? I’ll teach you to
laugh at me!”

He had her giggling hysterically by the time she’d squirmed
away from his tickling fingers. Harmony had twisted and writhed beneath him
until she could smell the heat of his desire for her. But footsteps in the hall
interrupted their game just as Harmony stood panting at the edge of the bed
with Gareth reaching for her.

“You two going to be doing
that
all day or what? I
gotta go to school, you know.” The slightly petulant tone had him quirking an
eyebrow at Harmony, who just shrugged.

“She’s sometimes a little cranky in the mornings. You can
stay in here if…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at the bedroom door as
though a monster lurked in the hallway.

“Nah, I ain’t askeered of no teen wolf.” He sat up to find
his jeans and t-shirt. “I’ll catch up.”

She had already slipped into a t-shirt and soft gray pants.
She smiled at him as she headed out of the room. Gareth lay back on the bed for
a moment. Cradling his head on his hands, he grinned up at the ceiling. Gently
he smoothed a hand down his thigh where she’d clutched him during the second
round. He smiled at the slight abrasions there. If he didn’t know better he
could have sworn her nails morphed into claws. Didn’t matter. He felt good.
Better than he had in…well, in forever he guessed. Levering back up, he got
dressed.

Breakfast was great. Rain might have started out grumpy but
Harmony soon had her smiling. The smile only widened when a car pulled up in
front of the cabin. Gareth was on his feet standing in front of the girl before
she’d taken two steps. The chair he’d been in hit the floor a full two seconds
afterward.

“Jeez, G, it’s just Keme. He’s here to take me to school.”
Rain rolled her eyes as she went past him to open the door. She waved at the
young man just emerging from the older-model sedan. Keme waved back then came
to a dead stop, his mouth dropping open in surprise to see Gareth standing
behind her.

“Keme, come on in. I’ll get my backpack.” Rain whirled
around and practically ran down the hallway.

“Keme.” He nodded at the younger man then stepped back to
allow him into the house.

“Good morning Ms. Johnson, Gareth.” He cleared his throat,
obviously at a loss, and Gareth fought the grin that threatened to cross his
face. In the entire time he’d been here, been in charge of the younger
shifters, none of them had ever found out much about his private life.
Especially not the females he spent any time with. No doubt this morning would
be gossip fodder for the younger set, but god help any one of them who badmouthed
Harmony or Rain.

“I’m ready. Bye, Mom, love you.” Giving her mother a brief
hug, Rain turned to him and he saw her hesitation. A slight tug had the girl in
his arms, where he hugged her tight. He’d obviously surprised her, so he let
her go with a nod.

“Um, bye G-man.” With another wave at her mom Rain grabbed
Keme’s sleeve to drag him outside. He and Harmony moved to the doorway where
both clearly heard Rain’s next remarks. “So, Keme, are you a white wolf, the
same as Gareth?”

For the second time that morning, Keme looked thunderstruck.
He glanced back at the adults. He shook his head before they got into the car.
Gareth could see the two talking as Keme turned it around and headed for the
main road.

He turned back to Harmony but before he could try to convince
her to go back to bed his phone chirped from his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw
a text message from Olivia.

“Shit. I’ve got to go to the lodge. Olivia said there’s
water all over the floor in one of the bathrooms. I don’t want to leave you
here alone. Do you want to come with me or…”

“No, you don’t need to babysit me. Uncle Pete said he’d come
by, remember? And he’ll send extra patrols this way. I’ll stay inside with the
doors locked. If I hear anything out of the ordinary I’ll jump out the window and
hide in the woods.” She stepped closer, putting her arms around him. Her sweet
smile made him want to stay.

“You’ll be able to find me, right? You’ll sniff me out, hunt
me down?” Harmony rubbed her cheek along his chest, scenting him as if they
were mated in the way of the Pack. Gareth was surprised by how much he liked
that idea.

Her sweet honeysuckle scent reached him, heightened by
arousal. He looked into her beautiful brown eyes then pulled her closer. “There’s
nowhere you can go around here where I wouldn’t be able to find you. I’ll carry
your scent with me all day today but I want more. More of you, more of us. I
want to come back here tonight, if that’s okay with you.”

He saw the answer in her face, so he didn’t wait for her
nod. Pulling her even closer, he kissed her. Giving her everything he was,
everything he wanted in that kiss and she gave back as good as she got.

Just as he lifted her off her feet, intent on taking her
back to her bedroom, his phone chirped again. With a groan he pulled her lower
body tight to his and lifted his head. “I can’t wait to be inside you again but
I guess I’ll have to.”

She laughed softly and ran her hand through his hair. “Go
take care of the water, I’ll see you tonight.”

Gareth sighed as he put her down. Moving quickly into the
bedroom he grabbed his shoes and jacket. He waited on the porch until he heard
the lock click then headed for his truck. The sooner he got to the lodge and
took care of the leak, the sooner he could get back to Harmony. Since she
worked from home maybe he could convince her to take a long lunch break and
spend it with him in her bed.

Now that he was in the truck, however, his thoughts somehow
turned back to Rion and what he’d said about their mother. Was it true? Could
she really be sick or was that just some ploy to get him away from the first
place he’d become comfortable since leaving New Orleans? Either way he had no
intention of going anywhere with Rion. It had hurt to see him, to look into
that face that was the mirror of his own and see it whole and undamaged.

With a heavy sigh he parked behind the main building of the lodge
and hefted his toolbox out of the back. With any luck it would be a simple fix.

Three hours later he was still cursing under his breath when
he smelled his Alpha’s distinct scent. Looking over his shoulder, he
acknowledged Micah with a nod then turned his attention back to the stubborn
pipes, the third ones he’d had to replace, after making the thirty-minute trip
into town, twice, for additional supplies.

“Gareth, Olivia has lunch ready. Are you at a stopping
point?”

“Yeah, this is—” he gave the pipe another twist, grinning as
the drip completely stopped. “Done. But, Micah, do you mind if I skip lunch? I’d
rather head back to make sure Harmony is okay.”

“Pete contacted me a few minutes ago. He and Willow along
with some other members of their family are there with her. They will stay
until five when Willow has to return home. You have time for lunch.”

Hearing the unvoiced command, he sighed and nodded. There
went his idea for taking Harmony back to bed. “I’ll wash up and be down in a
few minutes.”

“Thank you.” Micah turned to leave then stopped in his
tracks. “Do you hear that?”

“What?” He turned toward his Alpha, senses immediately on
the alert. Micah’s tone didn’t indicate trouble but there was a note in his
voice that put Gareth slightly on edge. He moved closer to Micah, tilting his
head and nodded. “Pretty powerful engine. Wonder what it’s in?”

Together they moved out of the downstairs bathroom and out
toward the front door. The low-slung bright-red sports car came to a stop at a
respectful distance as Micah stepped onto the porch. A wide grin split his
features as the car door swung open and a man not quite as tall as Micah but whose
height would top Gareth’s stepped out. Raising one hand, the man gave a
high-pitched yell then stripped quicker than Gareth had ever seen anyone shed
clothes, shifted just as fast and hauled ass for the woods.

With a laugh Micah stripped off his own clothes and threw
himself forward, shifting almost in midair as he gave chase. Stopping just at
the edge of the clearing, he glanced back and gave a toss of his head.
Come
on!

The command sounded loud in his head and with a grin of his
own, he yanked off his own clothes and gave chase.

The two powerful males ran pell-mell through the woods,
chasing the first one. They lost sight of him at a fork in the trail. One trail
led to the lake, the other to the shed that housed the snowmobiles. Micah took
one and he took the other. They’d find him, no doubt.

Gareth! This way!
He reversed course and ran through
the woods, following his Alpha’s scent and the sound of his voice. He burst
into a clearing in time to watch the other male execute what amounted to a flip
in the air as he leapt over Micah and landed hard on his feet behind him. With
another high-pitched yip he nipped at Micah’s tail and turned to run, barreling
right into Gareth.

The two of them rolled together, fur and muscle colliding
until they came to a stop, helped along by a pine tree. He fought to catch his
breath then lost it again when Micah joined the pile under the tree by leaping
on top of both of them.

Ha! Got you!
The amusement and affection in Micah’s
voice were both clear and the gray wolf between them shifted, tossing long black
hair out of his face. Hazel eyes lit first on Gareth then on Micah. Throwing
his arms around the Alpha, the other shifter scrubbed his hands through the fur
around Micah’s neck.

He laughed at Micah’s growl and shoved at him until the
three of them were untangled. Gareth and Micah shifted at the same time and
unconcerned with their nudity, embraced him with real affection. Pack members
never did the half-assed “man-hug”.

Micah’s younger brother Kajika clapped him on the back. “Brother,
you’re getting slow and fat. Married life agrees with you.”

“Slow? I caught you did I not?” Micah arched an eyebrow at
his sibling.

“No, he did.” Kaj laughed again, pulling Gareth into a
headlock.

One mild punch to the solar plexus had Kaj stepping back.
Gareth shook his head as the brothers started talking at the same time, heading
back toward the lodge. Kaj was, as always, full of stories, questions and
laughter.

Olivia stood on the porch, holding his and Micah’s jeans.
She shook her head and tossed the clothing toward them. Kaj had stopped by his
car to grab his own jeans and the three men dressed as Olivia stood there
tapping her foot, arms crossed over her chest.

“Olivia, my wife, my mate, this is Kajika He Who Roams. The
only one of my siblings who was not at our wedding.” Micah shot Kaj a look as
he said this but Kaj shook his head.

“Oh no, Brother, no throwing me under that bus. Olivia, my
sister, I am deeply saddened that I was not able to attend your wedding to my
brother and I am also saddened that I have not yet met my newest nephew. I’m
sure that Micah has told you of my position. Only messages of the utmost
urgency could have kept me from meeting you until now.” He took Olivia’s hand
and kissed it then pulled her into a strong hug.

“Thank you for mating my brother. His life is complete with
you in it.”

Olivia’s eyes were suspiciously damp when he let her go. “You’re
forgiven.”

She gifted him with a huge smile then turned her gaze on
Micah and Gareth. “Lunch is ready.”

Without another word she led the way into the lodge and the
three males followed her. Kaj shot a glance at his brother and Gareth and
grinned. “I’m in the clear but the two of you might be in the doghouse.”

Kaj laughed as they went into the kitchen where Olivia
ladled up venison stew while Micah introduced Kaj to Talia and Miakoda. The
next two hours sped by with the brothers exchanging stories while Kaj held his
nephew. Talia had climbed into Gareth’s lap where she listened raptly as the
adults talked.

Glancing at the clock, he planted a kiss on the child’s head
and put her on her feet. “Kaj, it’s great to see you but I have to go.”

He stood to hold out his hand to Kaj. With a wry smile Kaj
handed the baby over to Olivia and got to his own feet. “Before you leave,
Gareth, I do have a
Message
.”

The atmosphere in the room changed with the emphasis he’d
put on that one word. Kaj’s face turned solemn as he went to one knee in front
of Micah.

“Brother mine, Alpha of the Wisconsin Wild Haven Lodge Pack.
I bring you greetings from Jan Volpe, Alpha of the Oregon Wallowa Mountain
Pack. Jan Volpe respectfully requests that you release your second, Gareth
Volpe, to go temporarily to his birth Pack. Jan Volpe’s sister by marriage,
MaryAnn, has fallen ill. She asks that her remaining children, her sons attend
her. Both of her sons.”

Micah and Olivia both looked at Gareth as he growled.
Without anything else being said Olivia gathered the children and left the
kitchen. Micah stood next to Gareth, looking from his second to his brother.

“Gareth, were you aware of this?”

“Yes.” He had never lied to Micah and he didn’t intend to
start now. “Rion was at my place yesterday.”

“Alpha, Rion made his presence known to his brother but not
to you. He was not aware of his brother’s place in your Pack. He believed his
brother to still be a lone wolf. Rion Volpe meant no disrespect.”