ChangingPaths (7 page)

They both looked up at the sound of a car outside.
Tightening the belt on her robe, Harmony moved to the front door with Rain
right behind her. An older-model car was at the top of the lane. It came closer
to the cabin when she waved them down. She might not shift but her nose was
good. It was her Aunt Willow.

A young man got out of the driver’s side. Her aunt slid out
of the passenger side. Harmony opened the door even as she looked at Rain with
a question clear on her face. “Did you call him to take you to school?”

“Oh my god, Mom! Really? Jeez, I guess it means absolutely
nothing to you that Aunt Willow is with him? Obviously she’s in on my evil plot
too.” Rain rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t make a rattling
sound.

“That’s enough.” Harmony turned back to their visitors just
as Willow and Keme stepped up onto the porch. “I’m sorry, Rain.”

“Niece, I called Keme to take her into town. He lives just
down the road and can take her to and from school. He’s a safe driver and can
also introduce her to some of the other young ones.” Willow’s voice held that
strong tone of censure. Harmony felt a flush steal over her face. She had to
continue her work on trusting others, especially her own child.

“That was nice of you.” Turning to the handsome young man,
she extended her hand and tried for a smile. “Hello, Keme. It’s nice to meet
you.”

“And you, Ms. Johnson. Rain and I met out by the sweat lodge
at Ms. Willow’s last week. I’m glad you enrolled her at the town school, that’s
where most of us go except for the language classes on the res.” Keme hung his
head in that shy manner many younger shifters adopted around an older female.

“Please come in.” She stepped back to allow them into the
house and caught a glimpse of something in the woods. As she looked again, a
flash of white flitted between the trees at the very edge of her property. As
she stared a dog, no…a wolf came briefly into view. Instinctively she lifted
her head to scent the wind but it was blowing the wrong way.

He, and she had no doubt about that, didn’t stop. It was
obvious that her place hadn’t been his destination, but merely on his way from
one spot to another. He disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared. She slowly
shut the door. Had to be a shifter since she knew the wild wolves would be
driven off by the Pack. That was one law she remembered.

There weren’t too many white shifters that she knew of. In
fact she’d never seen one on the res before. Somehow in her gut she knew that
wolf was Gareth and not just because he was on Pack land.

Turning her attention back to her guests, she picked up on
the conversation as fast as she could. With the white wolf still on her mind
she smiled absently as Rain gathered her stuff. Mentally Harmony tallied the
backpack, purse, jacket, hat and gloves. It was hard to watch her and Keme head
back out to the car. Willow’s hand on her arm was comforting and she looked at
her aunt as Keme turned the car and drove back up the lane.

“So I guess I’m taking you home?” She hugged her aunt again,
simply to feel the warmth of her family against the chill.

“Actually I came to make sure you didn’t need anything. Lois
is picking me up on her way to the council building. We’ll be quilting today.
You are welcome to join us.” Willow made her way into the kitchen, sitting at
the table with a sigh as she acknowledged Harmony’s decline to quilt.

For the first time she noticed that her aunt looked pale and
tired, not the vibrant woman she remembered.

“I’m going to have to call Gareth to come out and look at
the stove, it’s not working. And I don’t think the furnace is up to par either,
even though he already looked at it. It’s chilly in here to me.” Without
asking, she fixed her aunt a cup of chocolate then sat down across from here. “Are
you all right?”

“Me? I’m just tired. But glad you’re home.” She let Willow
turn the conversation to people on the res who she would still know. There was
obviously something else going on with her aunt, but the woman wasn’t going to
tell her what it was. She would just have to find out some other way. It was
comforting to let the air be filled with the “this-and-that” of other people’s
lives.

As they continued to talk she made mental lists of everything
she needed to accomplish that day. By the time Lois arrived to take Willow to
their quilting group Harmony was ready to start working on everything else she
had to get done. Top of the list? Ask Gareth to check her furnace. She’d turned
it up again but the air was definitely no warmer.

Waving Lois and Willow off, she turned back to grab her
keys. While she was out she would just stop by her uncle’s office. Maybe he
could tell her what was wrong with Willow. Thinking about her aunt made her
skin tingle. She shook her head. Usually that only happened when Rain was
getting sick. Her mother’s instinct, she’d always told Rain.

Gareth scented the air, making a mental note to ask Micah if
he had any visitors. Normally he would know that but he’d been distracted
lately. There was a stranger’s smell on the air but it was so faint—just a hint
of something sour. Maybe someone had just stopped on the road to piss. He would
have shrugged in human form. Took all kinds. He wasn’t into waving himself
around in the cold air. Man could lose his balls that way.

Up ahead he caught sight of Micah. The tall man walked
alone, head down, his eyes on the path in front of him. With a wolfish grin
Gareth cut deeper into the trees. He used the strong wind to keep his scent
away from his Alpha so he had the rare advantage of pouncing on him then
streaking away. Micah gave a shout of laughter as he lunged for the furry white
tail but missed. Gareth let his mind relax as his Alpha shifted to give chase.
It had been far too long since they’d just cut loose.

Later when they both were being scolded by the Alpha female
for behaving like a couple of unruly teenagers, he cut a sideways look at
Micah. Then he leaned into Olivia as she caught them both around their furry
necks to hug them. “You two are incorrigible! What are you always telling the
cubs, Micah?”

He flowed into human form as did Micah. Olivia laughingly
did her best imitation of a deep, growling mimic of Micah. “You cubs don’t need
to be playing chase tail through the woods in the middle of the day.”

Micah turned to Gareth then threw him directly under the
bus. “He started it!”

Before Gareth could plead his case Olivia jerked a thumb at
the house. “Kitchen. Both of you. We need to talk about Harmony and her
daughter.”

The look Olivia sent him made him wish he were anywhere but
here. She had that look females got when they were going to be trying to match
him up. He didn’t want to explain—again—why he wouldn’t date a shifter woman. But
he was surprised when Olivia didn’t address that.

Once he and Micah were back in human clothing Olivia had
food for them. Gareth made a mental note to restock his clothing at the lodge.
He was down to one pair of jeans. Shifting often put him somewhere his clothes
weren’t, so he kept caches. It was easier to just leave clothes around the land
since Micah needed all of his seconds to be ready at a moment’s notice. If
Gareth got the call to show up in human form he needed to be close to a pair of
jeans. Of course, most of those weren’t in a cedar closet like those at the lodge.

Olivia kept the chatter light. She didn’t even skirt around
or hint at him seeing the new shifter. And that made him feel guilty. He
realized it had rolled into Wednesday. Had it been Sunday when Harmony had
mentioned her furnace? Making a mental note to check on his way back, he
realized Olivia had said something about Harmony. He waited for Olivia to
speak.

Instead of the expected “she’s a nice woman” talk, his Alpha’s
mate told them what she’d learned from Harmony’s uncle. By the time she
finished the tale of abuse Gareth knew his good eye was shining silvery-blue.
He looked down to see his nails digging into the kitchen table. From the long
furrows, he realized he’d been doing it for more than a minute. That brought
back too many memories of his sister and how he’d been unable to protect her
from her own abusive husband. The one who had eventually killed her and their
children.

At his low growl of “I’ll kill him if he comes near either
of them,” Micah swiveled his head. Brown eyes burned into him for a long moment
until Gareth feared his Alpha might tell him that he couldn’t. He hoped Micah
wouldn’t give that command because he’d never disobeyed an Alpha in his life.
In his gut he knew that was one order he’d never keep. Relief swam through him
when Micah just nodded.

“So that’s the way of it, Gareth? Good. Protect them.” Micah
reached out for Olivia’s hand. The simple joining twisted Gareth up more than
normal. Even when the world was crazy they had each other.

He excused himself. He needed air. After he slipped out of
the jeans he’d just pulled on he slung them over the railing. Then he let
himself flow back into his preferred shape. The ghost-white wolf leaped off the
porch to melt into the forest. If another pair of eyes watched, he never felt
them.

Stepping back farther into the trees, Tom cradled his rifle.
He knew better than to shoot at the shifter even if he did hate them all. All
of them who thought they were better than him just because they could get furry
and he couldn’t. He’d show them though. Take his wife and his daughter back. His
family didn’t belong here. They belonged with him. It was time to get that
across to that bitch he’d married. He turned back toward the road where he’d
left his SUV.

He slipped the rifle onto the backseat. One thing he did
miss was the old truck he used to have with its gun rack across the back
window. It had made him feel equal to the furries who had rejected him. He’d
shot one of his own birth Pack members on his way out. Yeah. That had been a
good day. Bitch had deserved it for refusing him.

The radio played some god-awful country but it was the only
station he could get out here besides the res station. Be damned if he would
listen to that crap. He’d had enough Pack brainwashing when he was young. Didn’t
need it now. He didn’t need any of the Pack now. They’d thrown him out.

Not this Pack. No, his own people had shoved him out when
they found out he was Moon-Denied. Of course they’d blamed it on him. Said he
couldn’t control his anger. He laughed. It was a mean, brittle sound that made
the air seem warm in comparison. They’d all kicked up such a fucking fuss when
he’d beaten the shit out of that human in town. Said it wasn’t right to flaunt
his superior strength even if he couldn’t turn hairy and run with them. Bunch
of pussies.

He spit out the window, thinking how he’d left, hadn’t he?
Let them think they’d driven him off. Tom laughed because he’d just moved on to
greener pastures. Well, snowy ones anyway.
Always fucking hated snow
, he
thought as he watched the trees flashing by on his way into town.

He’d get Harmony and the kid then take them somewhere it
never snowed. Maybe Mexico. He’d heard there was a colony of Denieds there. Not
that he needed them either. He didn’t need anyone telling him what he could and
couldn’t do. Fuckers all of them.

Tom didn’t bother wiping away the spittle that flew back
from the wind when he spit this time. It dried on his face as he turned his
mind inward to feed his rage. It was the only thing that kept him going. The
only fuel he needed as he hunted his own dear wife down. He’d show her who was
boss.

Harmony leaned into the passenger side to reseat one of the
bags. She’d found some great sweaters along with warm slacks for her and Rain
at the thrift store. Plus she’d scored a great retro hat that Rain would adore.
Her daughter had the face to carry off hats where her mother’s rounder face
didn’t. She grinned then slammed the door shut. As she did a large, dark SUV
sped by. Her nose caught a scent that made her want to throw up.

“Tom.” The name tore at her throat as if something was
trying to claw its way out. She put her hand to her mouth as she sagged against
the frame of the car. Her hand trembled so violently she had to grab it with
her other hand. Then she turned back to the street. She had to get to the
driver’s side so she could…
Rain!
The feeling hit her so hard she doubled
over. The SUV had been going toward the school.

She clutched at the door handle, pulling herself upright. As
she tried to regain her equilibrium she caught the Alpha’s scent. Her entire
body reacted. Her Alpha. Her Pack. The sight of him hurrying toward her sent
relief shimmering through her body.

“Hey there, Harmony.” Micah’s velvety voice seemed to wrap
her up in a warm robe. She breathed him in, wishing it were a pine scent but
grateful nonetheless for his presence. “What is wrong? Who has hurt you?”

“No. No. No one. I just…” She gave a shaky laugh. “I just
thought I saw someone I knew.”

Micah wrapped her up in his arms. She felt him shake his
head over hers. “No,
nishime
, you promised not to lie to your Packmates.”

When she trembled again, he gave her a very slight shake
that felt more comforting than frightening. “Harmony, you know I will not hurt
you. I cannot. You are my Pack now. Did you think you saw him? Your ex?”

She twisted in his embrace to face him. He moved back a bit
but didn’t let go of her. She found herself glad. When she caught Olivia’s
scent she was just as glad when Olivia joined her husband to circle her. “We
have you, Harmony. Tell us.”

It was Olivia’s soft statement that broke her. “I thought I
smelled Tom. I can scent us, you know. Aunt Willow swears I’m not truly Denied
because I’ve got such a good nose.”

Her voice trailed off. Her aunt’s own aroma had been wrong
somehow. She’d known her Alpha and Olivia by scent alone. Then she tucked that
away. Now wasn’t the time for olfactory exploration. As her breathing returned
to normal she willed her pulse to move from the runaway-horse speed to a more
sedate marathon-runner’s throbbing beat.

“I’m sorry. Thank you. I guess it just startled me. I mean
it couldn’t have been him. I just made a mistake.”

“Harmony, are you sure?” Olivia squeezed her tight as Micah
stepped back. “We are here for you. We will protect you. Ga—”

“Gather up what you need,” Micah cut his wife off smoothly. “We
will follow you back to your place.”

“I have to go pick up Rain. Rain. “Her hands covered her
mouth for a moment but she steeled herself into removing them. “I guess I was
worried it was Tom and that he was going to hurt Rain.”

Olivia murmured soothing words as she stroked Harmony’s
hair. “It’s okay, Sister. I know that fear. I’d kill before I let anyone hurt
either of my children.”

Micah lightened their moods considerably when he gave a
credible scoff asking, “Hey, what about me?”

Olivia shot him a look as she hugged Harmony. “You? I’d wait
until you shifted then shoot you and use your pelt for a rug.”

At Micah’s short laugh she had to smile. She let them take
her into the coffee shop for a hot cup along with a pastry. When she left them
she felt as if it had all been a bad dream—nothing more. Rain waited for her at
the school’s gate, texting on her phone. When she saw her mother she waved
goodbye to the kids she’d been standing with. Harmony saw Keme, who gave a
respectful nod. He moved off with the boy and girl, who also smiled at Rain.

“So tell me about school.” Rain filled the silence with
tales of the teacher she already knew hated her but also gave detailed insight
into the kids she’d been hanging with. She heard the telltale signs that her
daughter was already making friends. Rain had always adapted well.

She toyed with the idea of telling Rain that she thought her
father might be in the area but decided against it. That stress wasn’t
something she needed to add to her daughter’s life right now. Let her get
adjusted to the school. As they pulled into the driveway for the cabin, she
cursed.

“Damn!” She blurted the word out when she remembered she’d
wanted to call Gareth again about the furnace. It seemed to work when it wanted
to and not really when they needed it most. Rain cocked her head at her mother.
She looked so wolfish in that moment that Harmony had to laugh.

“Sorry. I just realized that I didn’t get everything done. I
need to go back into town to call Gareth about the furnace.” She stopped the
car. “Want to come with me?”

She prayed Rain would say yes, but in the way of teens she
did exactly the opposite. Ensuring that Rain was safe in the cabin with
something to eat, she headed back into town. The cell service was just as
spotty as the furnace heat, so she’d head closer to town for a stronger signal.

She didn’t bother telling her daughter to be wary of
strangers. She had raised a street-smart child who would react poorly if she
went the overprotective route. Plus she would know something was up. She wasn’t
ready to have that conversation.

The trip into town was cut short when Gareth emerged from
the woods ten minutes into her drive. She pulled over to flag him down. The
sight of him made her belly clench. There was something about him that
resonated in her. She didn’t know if it was his blond hair or the wide
shoulders or the kindness on his face. She saw him and wanted him. God help her
but she wanted him.

“Hey, Gareth. I was just going into town to call you. I
think the furnace needs checking. It was freezing this morning even though I
had it set on seventy last night.” She smiled at him.

He leaned into her window, setting her pulse racing. All she
could think of was that kiss they’d shared at Micah’s. She resisted the impulse
to press her mouth to his again but imagined what those lips would feel like.
He smiled at her.

“Tell you what. Give me a lift back to my place. I’ll grab
my toolbox and follow you home.”

She couldn’t help herself. “I think I’d like that. Can I
keep you if you do?”

Gareth very nearly stuttered. This gorgeous woman had just
flirted with him and his first reaction wasn’t to flee the scene. Instead he
tossed her a grin as he slid into the car. “I guess I’ll have to see what you
have in the pantry. Your Aunt Willow says you’re a great cook.”

He watched the pulse beat in her throat then followed that
down her arm to where her fingers stroked the wheel. She turned to look at him.
He wanted her to tell him to kiss her…again. In the way of all Pack shifters he
would wait for the female to show her interest before acting on it. He still
felt bad about taking advantage of her need for comfort. What kind of a jerk
turned that into a passionate embrace?

Not that he wanted to wait. No, he wanted much more. He
wanted to take her in his arms to kiss her until neither of them could breathe.
He wanted desperately to cup her breasts. His cock throbbed in a primal
yes
to his thoughts. He clamped down on the those and his libido. This was not the
time for that.