Elijah: Calhoun Men _ Erotic Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance (11 page)

“No.” The single word broke her heart. Getting up, she looked at what he had been doing and knew that it was an animal, but was not sure which. “I’d very much like to come and work with you here. To see these old things brought back to life. If I get through this with Helenia, I’m going to think about going back to teaching. I’m not sure yet.”

The drawing was magnificent. Even with the single color that he had, he’d managed to bring the beauty of the wolf to life. She stood in front of it, wondering if he’d had colors what the picture would have held.

“I used to draw all the time when I was a kid. It relaxed me in a lot of ways.” When he picked up the eraser to no doubt run it over the drawing, she stopped him. “Someone will see it.”

“I should hope a lot of people see it.” When she put out her hand, he handed her the eraser. “Elijah is working with Doug today on the specs for the building. I was going to go to a few estate sales, as well as a couple of auctions. Were you serious about wanting to work with me? I could use a big strong man to help me lift and tote today.”

“I’d really like that.” When he grinned at her, she could see the Sterl that she was sure had been missing for a long time. “But you have to buy me lunch. Since I’ve been...since this thing finished up with me, I’ve picked up my appetite.”

“Deal.” She reached to Elijah
. Sterl is with me and we’re going to go on a hunt. I don’t know when we’ll be home, but I have an idea that we’ll be kind of late. He wants to work with me. And did you know that he drew?

His laughter made her realize how disjointed she’d sounded.
I’m glad that my brother is with you, and if you’re too late, call me please. And yes, he mentioned that he wanted to work with you in the shop. I’m assuming that he doesn’t mean the job you have with Trent.
She told him she thought that one was finished.
I doubt it. Not with Trent. And yes, I knew that he drew. He’s really good at it. I wondered for a long time why he didn’t go into that rather than teaching.

I’m going to work on him.
She gathered her coat and purse
. He drew me a wolf on the chalk board. I think I’m going to have him paint some things in our windows here. It would attract a lot of customers.

I’m sure by the end of the day, not only will you have him drawing again, but giving art lessons to the elderly.
She loved that idea and told him.
I was joking, love. But you and Sterl have fun. I’m sure that you both could use it, and be careful. You remember what Noah said, she’s weak and stupid but can hurt you.

Yes, I remember.

As they got into Sterl’s truck she asked him about it. She’d never had much of a car and even when she had one, it was a piece of shit.

“I was actually thinking of selling this one. It’s old, so it’s really not worth much, but it runs well. What if I showed you how to drive it and then you can use it for the shop? That way I get a tax break and you get something to use.” She laughed and told him she would do it. “Good. Perhaps you should think of getting something for yourself too. With the baby coming and all.”

“You know?” He nodded and told her it was her scent. “Oh. I guess I give off all kinds of clues that I have no idea about. Can I ask you why it is that no one hugs me? I mean, for such a loving family, no one hugs the women. Why is that?”

“We’re possessive. I mean, we will kill someone if they touch what we consider ours. And when you’re hugged, the other person’s scent is all over you. It can make our wolves very pissy.” She thought about that. “And with you breeding, it’s doubly hard on the wolf with someone else’s scent on you.”

It was a lot to think about, this wolf thing, but she let it go, knowing that sometime after the baby was born she’d be converted and understand more. As they pulled up in front of the first house where the tag sale was going on, she looked at him.

“Have you ever dickered with anyone before?” He said he hadn’t. When it was priced, he paid it. “Well, don’t do that today. Nothing is ever marked what they really want for it. And if you pay full price for something, then we’re not going to make much. Remember, we have to sell this, and if we break even, we won’t be in business for very long. And I have a list of things that your dad asked me to find as well. Can you look for them for me?”

She handed him the list, and he nodded. Some of the things on TJ’s list were things she had no knowledge of. Noelle had taken the list and looked some of them up, thinking that he’d been having fun with her. But there really was a bastard file, as well as a macaroni tool. She was glad that Sterl was willing to find them.

By the time they were both ready for lunch, not only had they found most of the things on TJ’s list, but a lot of items for the shop. She’d found most of hers in the second place they’d stopped, and Sterl had even managed to find himself a couple of items as well for his own home. As they were entering the diner, he told her that he was going to take her up on her idea about the art classes.

“I know how to paint as well. I have a few canvases at the house that I’ve played around with for a while. A lot of them, well a few anyway, I’ll never show, but I have a few fluff pieces as well.” She’d noticed that he’d bought a box of paints as well as a few dozen paint brushes. It had made him so happy that he’d gotten them for less than the sticker said that she didn’t have the heart to tell him she might have gotten a better deal. “I noticed that you’re not using all of the building, the second floor. Do you think you can rent it out to me? I’d really like to paint up there.”

“I’d be glad to have you up there. It would give me someone to talk to when no one is around.” He told her she was going to do well. “I’m not so sure. I mean, I love buying things that I can put in there, but who is going to want a stack of tea towels with flowers embroidered on them? I just thought they were pretty.”

“They were. And I bet it’s one of the first things you sell.” She didn’t think she’d sell much of anything, but smiled at him. He was looking younger all the time. After ordering a huge lunch, she asked him about his house. “Mom and Dad helped me buy it. Which is good because after I was hurt, there was no way for me to live at home with all the stairs. I haven’t done much to it. I have no idea why, because it’s old and needs a lot of work, but I’ll get to it. I think that I’ll be able to fill it with some of the things we saw today. I like the older, primitive things we saw.”

“Elijah wants to do some things to our house.” She grinned. “I have a hard time thinking of it as our house. Anyway, he wants to enlarge the dining area, as well as put in a new fireplace in the living room. I love the house the way it is, but I can understand why it’s not going to be big enough. He’s had to hold off Myra from just doing it for him.”

“She scares the shit out of me.” Noelle laughed as her sandwich and fries were set in front of her. Sterl had two large meatball subs and a double order of fries. She’d learned that too, that they could eat all they wanted and not gain an ounce. “But I like her. Despite her clothing choices, I really do like her.”

When they were finished eating, he paid the check. His reasoning was that he’d had such a wonderful time that he wanted to give her something. They were still laughing as they made their way to the truck and on to the next few houses.

Chapter
11

Scott wasn’t sure what was wrong with the couple in front of him, but he was positive that he’d missed something. Every time he had to tell the man, the Dom for them, that he was to order his sub to do what he wanted, not just hit her, he would get more upset with him. Finally, when he’d had enough, Scott stood in front of him.

“What do you think you’re doing? Get out of my way. This is what she likes.”

Scott had no idea why, but he had a feeling the man was using sexual play for a license to beat the woman with him.

“I don’t think she’s enjoying this as much as you think she is.” He turned to look at the woman curled into a tight ball. “You’re not supposed to simply hurt her, but to bring her pleasure with this. All you’re doing is causing her a great deal of pain.”

“She likes pain.” Scott thought it was more like she was used to it rather than any kind of enjoyment. “Get on back over there and watch us. That way when I take her, you know that she’s doing it right.”

He’d said that before, wanting Scott to watch him while he fucked the woman. There wasn’t supposed to be any kind of sexual contact in here. And even if there was, Scott wasn’t going to watch this man. Yes, there were times when one or both of the partners would have a climax, a powerful one too. But there wasn’t any intercourse. His business wasn’t a brothel, but a place to come for guidance on how to give both partners pleasure. The man picked up the whip Scott had taken from him twice already, and Scott decided that enough was enough.

“The session is over. I think that it’s time that you left.”

The man stared at him, and Scott knew that he was going to be trouble. Touching his hand to the button that would bring him help, he was knocked back when the man hit him in the face with a chair. Scott hit the floor and was up again before the man could do more harm to him.

As the doors exploded open, Scott moved out of the way of the man as he came at him again. He never knew their names, only that he called them Dom or Sub. Today he wished he’d had something more than that, as this was about to get ugly.

The Dom took out three of Scott’s employees, knocking them against the wall and heavy equipment before he grabbed the sub by the hair and started to drag her to the bars. Blood was making it hard for him to see, but he hit the man twice before he finally let her go. This time when he turned on Scott, he was ready for him. Two punches—one from him, the other from Elijah, who just seemed to appear in the room—and the Dom finally went down. Scott fell to the floor, feeling every one of the hits now that it was over.

The police arrived ten minutes later. He knew both of them, but it was no less stressful for him. This was the third time in less than a month that someone had called in the police for a customer who had the wrong idea as to what he was there for. When Elijah handed him an ice pack, he looked around.

“I’m too fucking old for this shit.” Elijah just laughed. “I’m sick of people too. I think I’m going to take the land that Mom and Dad gave me next to where Trent has the cabin and live there for the rest of my life.”

“Nah, you’d miss me. But I’m just glad I was close enough to come and help you. He was out to kill you, I think.” Scott wasn’t even sure what his problem had been. “The woman that he was with, she’s pressing charges too. Not against you, but the man. Apparently, he’s had her in his basement for a couple of weeks doing all sorts of things to her. The police are headed there now.”

“Christ.” As he was helped up, he walked around the damage and thought he really was going to close his doors after this. “Two of my guys are going to the hospital. Lucy, who runs the desk, said she’s done, and I’m pretty sure that my insurance company is going to laugh at me when I asked them again to replace some of this shit. I’m done too.”

“Good.” He had expected something more from his brother, but was glad that he’d not had to justify himself to him. Elijah had always been the most supportive of his brothers. “Do you want to come and work for me?”

“Doing what? I have no idea how to tell if a business is going to make it. And I’m way too jaded right now to hear a sob story about why someone’s business is failing.” Elijah told him of the plans he had concerning his house. “Seriously? I can do that. I loved working with the builders when I had some things done to my house. Trent did a great job, but I wanted something else in the bedrooms.”

“I’m sure I don’t want to know.” Scott said nothing. They knew that he liked it rough. You didn’t live in a small town without everyone knowing your business. But his bedroom was normal. There was a bed, two dressers, as well as a couple of chairs. The only thing he’d wanted different was the closet. It had been made for someone who wore a lot of nicer clothing than he owned. “Anyway, I’d like to start as soon as we can manage it. I have a lot of work on my plate right now with Trent being gone on that retreat with some of the pack members. But if you can give me a few hours a week, I would love it.”

“All right. I’d love that too.” As he was leading the police around the room where everything had happened, he also offered them the tapes of the day. After they left, he was sitting in his own office when Elijah came in the room with him. “I’m really going to do it. I just got off the phone with my lawyer, and she’s going to put this place on the market for me.”

“Will you miss it?” Scott shook his head. “I love going to work every day. I mean really love it, but lately, with having Noelle at the house with me, it’s getting harder and harder. I don’t want to sell out, but I think I’m going to find some people to work for me that can take some of the load off. I want to be with her all the time, and I find that to be more fun as well.”

“I thought of that too. Getting more people to come in and do what I do. Be the boss and not be working. But I really have had enough. It’s hard to maintain a life when you’re trying to help people with theirs. I just need to cut ties and move on.” Scott leaned back in his chair, feeling pretty good after saying it aloud. “I think this has been a long time in coming. For both of us.”

“Yes, I think you’re right.” Elijah told him what Noelle was doing today with Sterl. “She’ll bring him out of his shell. Not that I don’t think he will come out anyway, but this will help him. Joe is wonderful, but she knows too much about him. Noelle is sort of the girl next door type, and he might say things to her that he’d not to us.”

“He’s going to open a studio over her shop. I think he’ll do well at that. I’m not sure that teaching kids is something that he’s going to go back to. He’s seen too much.” Scott nodded. “Randal, however, was born to be a teacher. Christ, how many years has it been that he’s been teacher of the year? Ten?”

“About that. Yes, I agree, Randal is suited to being a teacher more than most I know. And he cares. Mom told me that he’s set up a food pantry in his room for kids that might not have lunch. They have to pay for it by bettering themselves in some way. Two days ago a child wanted one of those pudding things and to pay for it. He had to make a good grade on his test. I guess he did so well on it that Randal had a party for the entire class. And the single moms just think he’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

“Mom told me that his last parent teacher conference ended early because a bunch of the women, both married and single, had cornered him. I almost feel sorry for him.” Scott did as well. And was envious too. “Do you date much, big brother?”

“Not really. I mean I go out, but only when I have no choice in the matter. Pack functions mostly. Occasionally Mom will set me up with a date for something. But I don’t socialize all that much anymore. I’m must be really getting old.” Elijah asked him about a mate. “Do you really think that we all have one out there? I mean, someone for all of us, and she’s just waiting to come here and change our lives?”

“I do. I might not have a month ago, but I do believe that now.” Scott wasn’t so sure. “Will you welcome her should she find you?”

“Welcome? I’d probably fall down at her feet just for the chance to get laid on a regular basis.” He realized how crude that sounded. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little stressed out. I think I’m going to go home, shift, and run until I fall asleep in the woods. I’ve not been doing that as much as I should either. My wolf hates me.”

“I doubt that he hates you, but I’m betting he wants to get laid once in a while as well.”

Scott thought he might be right. As they gathered up the few things that he didn’t want to leave in an empty building, Elijah said he’d come back and help him load up the rest tomorrow. Scott was feeling better and better about this.

As the two of them made their way to his truck, Scott looked around, feeling tense all of a sudden. Something was off. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt it. Looking at Elijah, he was sure that he did as well. The air even tasted a little off.

Do you see anything?
Elijah told him that he didn’t, but to act normal.
And what is that exactly, this normal you speak of?

When the man came out of the shadows, neither of them moved. Scott could feel his wolf ready for whatever came their way, but Elijah put his hand on his arm when he moved toward the man. As he curled back in the shadows, a term that Scott thought was perfect, he had to fight with his wolf to not go and hunt him down.

I don’t think he wants anyone to see us talking to him. Or maybe just one person not to know.
Scott asked Elijah how he knew that.
I have no idea. But I think he wants us to go to him, but make it look like we’re doing this on our own.

And you got all that because of some guy poking his head out of the darkness? And so you know, if you think you’re going in that dark building by yourself, then you’re fucking nuts.
Elijah told him he wasn’t.
Good.

You’re going with me.
When he started to protest that wasn’t what he meant, Elijah moved toward where the man had been. Vampire, his mind screamed at him, and he hesitated just a little.

You’re going to be safe. Nothing will hurt you.
Noah laughed when Scott started cursing.
Does your mom know you talk like that?

Yes. I don’t do it in front of her, but I’m pretty sure she knows. Where the fuck are you, and how do you know that it’s safe to follow this man?
He told him he was there as well.
Why didn’t you come out instead of letting a stranger do this?

Because he’s not yet aware that I’m here. He has information for Sterling, and he’s passing it on. I’m here to make sure that he gets to tell you before Helenia figures it out. I’m watching him.

Scott moved into the building behind his brother. The vampire wasn’t anyone that they knew, but he stayed back in the corner like he was afraid of them. Noah assured them that he was.

“I know where that monster is. She’s hiding out in the cemetery where she don’t belong.” Elijah asked him who he was talking about. “That white thing. The one that is making one of the tombs that we been using her own. Killed two of my friends by throwing them out in the sun before I managed to get on her better side. I don’t trust her, but she needed me and I came to do her bidding.”

“And how did you know to come talk to one of us?” Scott nearly told Elijah, but was told to wait by Noah. “You just happened to stick your head out when we were in the lot and just happened to have information about this woman that you think we might need? I don’t believe you.”

“She cut me.” Scott felt fear roll over him and his wolf. “If I show you, will you hurt me? It can’t heal until she gets what she wants. And that is to tell you where she’s at.”

“Show us.” Scott turned on his phone using the flashlight app to see the man. When he cringed away from it, Scott moved it to his body and not his face. The man lifted his shirt up, and Scott staggered back a little.

“She said that once I gave you the message that I knew where she was, then she’d help me.” Scott asked him if he thought she’d do that. “No. I don’t. But I have a way of taking care of it myself. I’ve seen what she’s done to others that disobey her.”

“You weren’t to show us what she did, were you?” The man shook his head. “Is she really there? At the cemetery?”

“She is, but not in the tomb of Flowers. You’ll have to figure out the rest. If I say it, she’ll know what I’m about.” He looked behind him, and Scott wondered if there were more like him here. “The walls here, they sure could use a nice coat of paint, don’t you think? But I’d have a look at them with the light thing you have and not the sun. The sun can take things away.”

Just as Scott was going to ask him what he meant, he moved by them. The speed at which he did so made Scott think that he’d gone into the sunlight quickly so that he’d not be able to change his mind. The screams from the man were cut off abruptly, and Scott looked at his brother.

“He killed himself rather than go back and tell her that he’d done it.” Elijah said he had. Pulling out his phone, he asked him what he’d meant by the walls. “I think there might be a message. I have no idea why I think that, but I’m completely weirded out, and that’s the first thing that popped into my head.”

Using his own phone, he looked at the walls behind where the man had been. When he found it, he realized why the man had said to do it with their phones and not the sunlight they could have used. The vampire had used his own blood to help them.