Danea (22 page)

“I’m going to my apartment for some things,” she said after a long quiet few minutes. She slipped to the floor and left them to go in search of her shoes and pack with her keys.

“She’s still afraid for some reason,” Wade shook his head. “She stiffened up as soon as hybrids were mentioned. That’s not something you or I have experience with, Noah.”

“You still got work?”

Wade groaned but nodded. “Essays. First of the season and greener than spring grass.”

“I’ll go shopping with her. Not sure what she’s after…”

“I want things from my apartment. It’s not complex and I can go alone,” she told them both, her pack dangling from her fingers.

Both men turned to face her, Wade shook his head.

“Fighting stance, Danea?” Wade stepped in front of her, matching his parted feet to hers and going toe to toe. “We are not the enemy, angel. But keep in mind, if you want a battle, we’re more than up to the challenge.”

“I think he keeps ropes in the closet,” Noah murmured, his hands on her waist from the stance he’d taken behind her. Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes when she physically gave a little jump. “We don’t care if you’re half of a couple things or all of one. We don’t know what happened to make you believe we would balk at your DNA make-up
and if we had them here, we’d kick the shit out of them until they apologized to you for whatever it is that upsets you. But we don’t. So we rely on communication and when that doesn’t work…”

“We have rope,” Wade leaned in just enough to brush her mouth with his. “I have papers to grade…and before I start that, I have to
refill my caffeine and find the aspirin. Be careful. I’m not sure I could handle another emergency room visit this week.”

“If I apologize, you’ll be angry with me,” she sighed and leaned back against Noah. “I am sorry I didn’t…I just want to be a girl,” she whispered, angry at herself for feeling less than strong. She tilted her head to the side to peek over her shoulder at Noah. “I honestly thought you’d figured it out…at least part of it…because of the swimming.”

“I’ve been kicking myself for missing the clues, trust me,” he said dryly, kissing her and setting her away. “I’ll get finished dressing and be right down.”

Danea sighed. “So you don’t care,” she said, half listening to his feet pounding up the stairs to the bedroom.

“How does it matter, Danea?” Wade asked, hands surrounding the fresh cup of coffee he carried across the room to his desk.

“I don’t know,” she answered, dropping into the corner of the sofa and staring at her hands. “I was told it would…I guess I should have considered the source…I don’t know. I thought I did. I thought I had a lot of things figured out.”

“We messed up your
psyche,” Wade teased, leaning against the desk and studying his mate. That was a new word in his vocabulary, he mused, setting the cup down and walking to stand before her. He dropped to his heels and put the back of one hand beneath her chin until she looked up. He reached behind her and gave the ponytail a little tug, silver and gold strands breaking through the color of light brown she’d coated her hair with. He found himself wondering just how she’d look in her natural shade.

“Yeah…I guess you did…it’s all happened so quickly…”

“It wouldn’t have been quick if you hadn’t worked to avoid us for the last six months,” Noah commented, his feet on the stairs making his presence known to them.

“Subtle diplomacy, Sheriff,” Wade said with a heavy sigh.

“I’m a sheriff…and a wolf…I don’t have time for diplomacy. Too many chances to be misunderstood.”

“You knew all along,” Danea said, licking her lips in thought.

Noah sobered immediately and stood behind her. “I knew all along.”

“And you, too?” She asked with a patient look at Wade. He nodded. “Maybe it would have been easier to just tell me…”

This brought a carefully veiled lowered gaze from Wade and a hoot of laughter from Noah.

“Yeah…right…and how many states would I have been tracking you through on that path?” He leaned down and tugged on the ponytail. “I figured it was easier to get you hooked on really good sex than chasing you into the next county.”

“I…will go outside now,” she said clearly, standing up and heading toward the door.

“She still blushes,” Wade said just before she opened the door.

“Don’t make me steal the patrol car,” she answered and went outside.

“You think she’s okay out there alone?” Wade paced back to his desk, drained the remaining coffee and went in search of more.

“Whoever it is wants her alive,” Noah went to the closet and found his jacket and holster. “I got a call while I was upstairs…the arrow was coated with a sedative. It explains why she was uncoordinated when she tried focusing on the beach and went down so fast.”

“No answers from Seth, yet
, but I shot him an email on beings we can’t identify by scent. I’m pretty sure I heard him grunt,” Wade said with a dry laugh.

“
That man should have been born a wild hog instead of a wolf. I’ll call if I hear anything else.”

Chapter Nineteen

Danea wasn’t surprised Noah was able to coax her back into laughing by the time she snagged a cart and began the trip inside the large store. She loved exploring for new things and dawdling over decisions and planning out meals in her head. She was half way through when she sent him off for another dose of coffee.

She stopped at the small deli and bought a flaky cherry turnover and a juice. She’d popped the last bite into her mouth when she saw the familiar figure running across the front of the market, arm up and hand waving.

Breanna plopped into a chair beside her, only a little breathless.

“Hey! I thought you always haunted the grocery after work?”

“Hey, yourself,” Danea leaned over and hugged the other woman. “You look all happy and chipper.
”

“It’s a gorgeous fall day…and we’re going pumpkin hunting tomorrow!” Breanna bounced in her seat excitedly. “Want to come along?”

“Oh…well…maybe…out on your own?”

“No…Jase is talking to Noah just by the coffee stand,” Brea waved a palm in the air. “And Nick has been off in California for the last week.”

“Wow…a whole week…however did you survive,” Danea teased, stretching out and tossing her cup into the trash.

“Well, it’s not easy. I miss him. We’
ll having a big dinner and I’m making a cake and…and…” she stared and her voice came to a stop for a long minute. “How…who…” She looked into Danea’s eyes and then back at the all too familiar shape of the mark on her friend’s shoulder. Then she followed the gaze Danea tendered toward the main entrance and the two men walking slowly back toward them. “Noah?! You and Noah?”

“Shhh!”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Breanna was up and on her feet, one hand wrapped around Danea’s wrist. She cast a quick, beautiful smile at the men. “Ladies room. Excuse us.”

Since Brea wasn’t really giving her a choice and the little Fae girl was damned strong, Danea stumbled forward and let herself be dragged to the end of the corridor and the restrooms. Thankfully, they were empty.

“Spill it. You’re marked,” Breanna leaned against the counter only long enough to get a feel and hopped up to sit, legs swinging. “I didn’t even know you were seeing each other! I thought we were BFF’s!”

Danea laughed and began to pace. “I didn’t even know they…he…I wanted to push him away and I really tried…” she stopped and turned to face Breanna. “You really miss Nick, don’t you?”

Surprise filled Breanna’s face. “Of course I do! He’s my…I…” She sighed and stared at her feet for a few seconds. “I was going to say other half but I’ve two of them, don’t I? And I never thought I could love one, let alone two of them. But I know it would hurt so bad…” her voice trailed off to a whisper. “He’s only there on business…he’s a little more patient at interviews than Jase. So they do it through SKYPE with Jase at the office and Nick present. He’s been there a week now. And we are so not talking about me.”

Breanna stopped talking when Danea turned away from her and lowered one side of her jeans just enough to show off the new marking on her hip.

Danea turned back to face her, wincing at the incredibly wide eyes and two palms over her friend’s mouth. She knew those hands wouldn’t contain a thing when Brea let go.

“You…I…Nick and Jase…Who…?” Breanna stared.

Danea swallowed hard and closed her eyes. “It’s been a seriously crazy week.”

“The only…that’s different than the one I put on…oh-my-God! That is…come over here and let me see that thing!” She demanded, jumping down and turning her friend around. She pulled on the band of
Danea’s jeans and gaped at the one inch intricate drawing. Then she saw it. The tiniest symbol. “Wade? You and Wade?
AND
Noah? Oh, god, I think I’m gonna faint…”

“Oh no, you don’t! I’m not facing Jase with you out cold on the floor,” Danea spun quickly and pushed Breanna into the chair next to the door. “He signed it? How do you know…?”

“Symbols…Fae symbols…kind of like an alphabet…” Breanna was out of the chair and back on the counter, the bright lights from above reflecting around them through the mirror. “Talk.”

“What’s to talk? I thought they were crazy and sometimes I feel like I’ve gone nuts, too,” Danea leaned against the counter, glancing over her shoulder at her friend. “They forced me to stop avoiding them both
…”

“You didn’t tell them,” Breanna said softly, sighing and reaching to run her hand gently over
Danea’s head. “I know how you feel. Sometimes it…I wait to wake up…and my parents are still dead and I’m all alone. But I’m not…”

“Nothing seems to make sense. All I want to do is work and make them happy. And they’re so sweet and kind and…and attentive…” Danea felt the heat flood into her cheeks.

“And the sex is amazing,” Breanna whispered with a husky giggle. “I get it…honestly, I do.”

Danea rolled her eyes. “Yeah…amazing is a good word. And there isn’t jealousy or…we argue…well, mostly it’s me, I think,” she sighed. “I’m not used to being taken care of…and it feels really strange sometimes…”

“Oh, let me guess…the independence thing gets on their nerves,” Breanna said with a laugh.

“And they just want to make me laugh and…and be happy…I feel that, I do…” she made a face at Breanna. “Mother told them. I didn’t…I think they’re still a little angry that I didn’t…but I didn’t know how…I was afraid it would matter because I wasn’t a full blood…”

“Your dad is really sweet sometimes and I know he loves you, but he is a jerk,” Breanna said flatly and without hesitation. “The whole pure blood thing…” she shook her head. “Sullivan is talking to Seth Anderson and pooling information. Though I’m thinking Seth is pulling his hair out and Sullivan is being less than forthcoming.”

“Your grandfather is cute…and very stubborn,” Danea winked at her. “I know where you get it from now.”

“Bah!” Breanna laughed with her, both of them coming to a stop when the door eased open.

Jessica
Bently stepped into the restroom, carefully made up blue eyes going from one woman to the other.

“I saw the sheriff’s car in the lot and wondered if you were with him,” she said casually, stepping up to the mirror and opening the small purse in her hands.
“Rumors say he’s living out at the Professor’s house with you.”

“Can’t imagine why I’m of interest to you,” Danea caught
Breanna’s gaze and shook her head. “You have a crush on your professor. You aren’t the first and you’ll definitely not be the last. He’s a really good looking man.”

“So why’d he chose you then?” She said with a derisive laugh.
“Schools are filled with rumors, especially about available men.”

“You’re barely twenty. Shouldn’t you still be looking at the boys in school?” Breanna tossed out with a chuckle at the fury in the younger woman’s eyes. “Because I can tell you…real men don’t care for the spoiled little girl act. It’s kind of like disciplining their puppy to have to keep pushing you away.”

Danea and Breanna jumped when the door slammed behind her.

“Okay…that got on her nerve,” Danea said simply.

“I could throw a spell on her for you,” Breanna frowned in thought. “The only problem is the demon side is kind of messing with the Fae side so I’m not entirely sure if I’d have her growing mushrooms on her toes or snakes out of her hair…” she scrunched up at face at the happy laughter from her friend. “I’m working on it, though…when are you going to get rid of that goop on your hair?”

“I…”
Her hand went up to touch her hair with a scowl at Breanna.

“Hey! I can do that one!” Breanna jumped from the counter and moved Danea to stand in front of the mirror, by the sink basin. “Hold still.”

“Oh…no…Brea…really…it’ll grow out…” Danea tried pushing away only to find Brea bracing against her. “I don’t want snakes in my hair!” She wailed.

“Oh, stop whining and let me concentrate,” Breanna reached up and pulled the band from the ponytail, her hands running the length of the light brown hair. She recited the words she learned. “This is nature. This is easy, trust me…”