Figure of Speech (Halle Shifters) (11 page)

“And squeeze him and love him.”

He approved. Anyone who liked
Looney Tunes
was on Jim’s happy list. “Okay, George. Irene is going to get the bad thing out of your tummy, so be a good boy for her, okay?” He popped into the exam room he’d just seen Irene going into. “You ready for Georgie-boy?”

“George? You named him already?” Irene chuckled when Chloe nodded enthusiastically. “Have Carla sedate him, I’ll be in when I’m done with this little guy.” Irene petted the older tabby cat.

“Hi, Mrs. H!” Chloe waved cheerfully at the owner of the building Cynful Tattoos rested in. “How’s Butch?”

“He’s good. He’s just in for his yearly checkup and booster shots.” Mrs. H, a tattooed older woman who adored the girls of Cynful and their mates, gave Chloe a huge hug. “It’s so good to see you back here.”

From the way Mrs. H eyed Jim, she expected to see Chloe here a lot more often.

“It’s nice to visit.” The sad little smile as Chloe looked around the exam room damn near broke his heart. “Anyway, I have to get going. I need to brag some lunch before I pass out.” She put her hand to her forehead dramatically. “I might swoon from hunger.”

Irene took one hand off Butch to wave them away. “Go. Feed her.”

“Will do.” Jim took hold of Chloe’s hand and, ignoring the delighted look on Mrs. H’s face, dragged her from the exam room. “Later!”

“Wait, where are you going?” Chloe didn’t try and stop him, but she didn’t lead the way either.

“I’m taking you to lunch.” He grinned. “It’s a fringe benefit of having a partner.” He ignored the puzzled way Phil stared at them. The guy was something of a gossip, but he was good at his job and the clients loved him. Soon enough he’d be informing everyone that Jim was off the market.

Even better, he’d tell everyone Chloe was too.

“As long as there aren’t any other fringe benefits,” she muttered.

Jim pretended he hadn’t heard her. They both had to work on their jealousy issues. He still had trouble seeing Gabriel Anderson as anything other than Chloe’s would-be boyfriend. Never mind the man was devoted to his wife, Sarah, or that he’d made it clear on more than one occasion that he and Chloe were nothing more than friends. Chloe hadn’t helped at all. She’d been jealous of his friendship with Sarah, making comments about how she’d spoken with Gabe, spent time with the man when Sarah hadn’t seen him in months.

Little had she known that he’d been hung up on a redheaded kid with the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen and a smile that brightened his day, not the sweet, hurting Sarah who’d been pining for her mate.

Jim knew now that Gabe had gone away to train as a Hunter, but at the time he’d thought his friend had been abandoned by her new boyfriend. He’d stood by Sarah’s side, trying to keep her spirits up, but in doing so, he’d gotten
Chloe
jealous. Chloe’s reaction led to misunderstandings galore, because he’d been too afraid to make his interest in her known. Chloe, in turn, had nearly destroyed Sarah and Gabe’s relationship with her jealousy over Jim’s platonic friendship with Sarah. It had been a cluster fuck of epic proportions on all sides.

It made his head hurt just thinking about it.

It had taken Gabe and Sarah a while to straighten out their relationship. He’d been relieved to see his friend get her man, but Chloe’s antics had made Jim believe that she didn’t want him. If he’d known then what he knew now, if he’d been a shifter instead of human, he would have acted completely differently. He would have claimed Chloe the moment he sensed her doubts.

But he hadn’t been. He hadn’t known he was Chloe’s mate, and they were both still paying for their actions.

“Hey.” Chloe tapped him on the shoulder. “Where’d you go?”

Jim smiled down at her. “Thinking about lost time.” She tilted her head, confused. “Remember when Max and Emma got married?”

Chloe grimaced. “How can I forget? Loved Disney, hated Sarah.”

He chuckled and held open the door of Frank’s Diner. “Me too. Except I hated Gabe.”

“Did someone mention my name?”

Jim rolled his eyes as the deep voice of the town sheriff rolled over him. He reluctantly waved hello, ignoring the smirk on Gabe’s face. As much as they needed the Hunter’s help right now, the last thing he wanted was to see him. “Hello, Gabe.”

Chloe clutched Jim’s hand and waved. “Hi, Gabe.”

“Hey, little vixen.” The tone Gabe used with Chloe was soft and sweet, as if he was aware she was far more fragile than she let on. “How are you?”

“I’m good.” Chloe smiled easily at Gabe. Jim held back the growl that threatened to escape, aware Chloe had ignored Gabe’s attempt to hug her hello. She was trying, and so was he. “How’s Sarah?”

Immediately Gabe’s stance softened, his expression changing from concern for Chloe to a happiness Jim could only envy. “She’s good. She set off the fire alarm again yesterday.”

Chloe giggled. “How was dinner?”

“Smokey.” Gabe winked before giving Jim a far more serious look. “I’m going to talk to that new friend of ours, see what he knows about Chloe that we don’t.”

Jim nodded. He hadn’t forgotten about the attack on Chloe. In fact, one of the reasons he wanted to have lunch with her was to discuss something he should have brought up the day before. He’d been so focused on keeping the threat away from her that he hadn’t asked her the most important question of all. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

Gabe nodded. When he spoke, there was a tone in his voice that had his Wolf’s ears perking up respectfully. “Look. Chloe’s a good friend, like the little sister I never had. I’ll protect her, I swear it.”

Much to Jim’s surprise his Wolf immediately settled down, causing much of Jim’s tension to ease as well. Apparently the word of a Hunter was good enough for both beast and man. “That means a lot.”

Gabe tipped his hat to them both. “I’ll call once I’ve got some information. You two enjoy your lunch.” He stepped past them, pausing for a moment. “Want to come to dinner Saturday?”

Chloe looked up at Jim, and he couldn’t resist the pleading gaze any more than he could have kicked a puppy. “Sure.” The sheer joy that crossed Chloe’s face, the relief, was worth the pain of putting up with Gabe. “We’d love to.”

Gabe nodded once and walked out of the diner with a single wave.

Jim led Chloe to a booth, seating her before settling across from her. “So. I have a question for you.”

Chloe bit her lip. “Everything all bite?”

“Yes, everything is fine.” He covered her hand with both his own, startled at how she was shaking. “Chloe, calm down. It’s just, I’ve been thinking, and there’s something that would make me feel a lot better about certain…things. And I know I said you were going to, but I never really
asked
,
and you deserve that.” He smiled, hoping she wouldn’t see his own nervousness. “Move in with me?”

Her mouth opened, but the only thing that came out was a cute little yip.

“Oh, good.” All his tension eased at the expression of sheer want on her face. She needed this as much as he did. Jim patted the top of her hand, beyond pleased. “I’m so glad you agree.” He held his hand up in the air. “Waitress?”

Chloe closed her mouth.

Chapter Eleven

“I never said I’d do it, you know.” Chloe winced as Tabby worked on the kitsune tattoo she’d had done not too long ago. The pretty, feminine, three-tailed fox sat primly on Chloe’s shoulder, the tip of one tail covering its mouth to represent Chloe’s speech problems, and how she was overcoming her handicap. She wasn’t hiding who she was anymore, or what was done to her, and her kitsune tattoo hopefully showed that.

The other two tails were wrapped demurely around the Fox’s front legs, the left paw lifted and slightly twisted, but still delicate and dainty. The claws were barely visible through the fur, but there, a reminder that the fox, though damaged, could still fight with the best of them.

Chloe loved it.

Today Tabby was adding some green to the eyes to match Chloe’s, and some white with subtle gray shading to the body of her Fox.

Chloe had decided to add a wolf to the scene, one with Jim’s beautiful hazel eyes. She wouldn’t have Jim’s tattoo done until she saw him shift and could get a picture, though. She wanted to make sure she got his Wolf exactly right. The only thing she wasn’t sure of was what pose the Wolf would take with the kitsune. Would he stand over her protectively, or would he lay himself at her feet? Neither seemed quite right to her, so until she saw Jim’s Wolf she’d hold off on making the decision.

She knew he’d gone through his first shift already. Tabby had been kind enough to walk him through it, and Alex had been there as well. Tabby was so far along in her pregnancy that she could no longer shift herself, so while she’d talked, Alex had done the actual shift.

She should have asked Tabby to take a picture of Jim’s Wolf for her, but at the time she hadn’t even thought about it. It was too bad. She really wanted him inked into her skin along with her Fox, especially now that they were mated.

The buzz of the tattoo gun was almost soothing, unlike the current topic of conversation. “You bit him, and now he wants you safe in his den, especially since he and his Wolf know you’re threatened. They won’t be able to rest until you’re there where they can keep an eye on you.” Tabby’s response was way too cheerful for Chloe’s peace of mind. “All that’s left is a little cub or two.”

Chloe held still despite the fact that her heart was going a mile a minute. “Cubs?” Just the thought of tiny little Jimmys and Chloes running around sent her heart racing in fear.

“Or kits.” Tabby’s tone was far too innocent. “Want me to add one or two to your tattoo?”

“Gurk.” Chloe banged her head on the headrest. She was so not ready to think about kits. She could barely think about living with her mate, let alone having children with him. They’d
just
mated, and while the pull to be near him was stronger than ever, he’d denied her for four years. Could she take that huge a step without making him grovel more?

“You know you’re going to do it.”

“Have kits?” Gods, Chloe was going to hyperventilate if Tabby didn’t drop it. She could barely take care of herself right now. She had no business bringing a kid into this world until she was certain her issues wouldn’t impact his or her tiny little life.

“Move in with him.” The buzz paused as Tabby wiped away some of the blood and ink on Chloe’s shoulder.

“Of source I am. I’m just…” Chloe blew out a breath. “Nervous.”

“You think I wasn’t scared when Alex mated me?” Tabby sighed. “My Bear might be cuddly, but I was terrified my problems would rub off on him and taint him.”

“Bunny adores you.” Chloe could see the love her cousin had for the green-haired tattoo artist. You only had to mention Tabby’s name to see it. Everything about her big cousin went soft and sweet. Tabby was right too. Out of all her cousins, Alex was the most cuddly.

He was also the most deadly. He worked hard to keep his Bear’s instincts under control, using yoga and tai chi, meditation techniques and humor. But if he got his hands on the person who’d ordered the attack on Chloe, nothing would stop him from ripping the guy to shreds.

“Speaking of cubs, when are you spawning again?” Chloe grimaced as Tabby ran the gun over bone. God
damn
that hurt like hell.

“Soon,” Tabby growled. “And we’re not changing the subject. When are you moving in with Dr. Delicious?”

“Spoon.” Chloe blew out a breath as Tabby moved the gun away from the bone. While it still hurt, the thinner skin over the bone was particularly sensitive. “I’m blinking he’s not going to wait.”

“He’s probably packing up your apartment right now.”

She wouldn’t put it past him. “He’s at work, but he could have called in the cavalry.”

Tabby lifted the gun as she laughed. “The cavalry being Alex, Julian and Eric?”

“Yup.” It might be a Saturday, but vets didn’t get Saturdays off automatically. Now that Jim had a partner he’d assured her he’d only have to work every other weekend. She hadn’t realized how much he’d been doing without a partner; his time away from the practice, helping his brother Spencer, must have done some damage to his business, but he hadn’t said a word about it.

“I bet Eric is bossing everyone else around.” Tabby giggled. “How quick do you think Julian will put a stop to that?”

“Pretty damn quick.” Ryan’s voice cut through the buzz of the tattoo gun. Since Glory was working today he’d stayed at the shop, keeping an eye on his mate as always. It also meant that Jim had felt comfortable dropping Chloe off at the tattoo parlor. She’d assured him that between him and her family she was being watched twenty-four/seven. “I’m pretty sure he’ll shut that shit down faster than you can say pig humper.”

The gun stopped dead as both Chloe and Tabby looked over at Ryan. “Pig humper?”

Ryan shrugged. “Alex asked us not to curse in front of his kid, so we have to be creative, right?”

Chloe and Tabby exchanged a quick, amused glance before Chloe lay back down again, putting her face against the headrest. “That’s one way to put it.”

“The best you could come up with was pig humper?” Tabby shook her head and got back to working on Chloe’s tattoo. “Did your mama drop you on your head when you were a baby?”

“She says no, but I have my suspicions.”

Chloe bit her lip to keep from laughing, but that didn’t last long as Tabby began going over bone once more. “Owie owie ow ow.”

“I want to do some more work on this. What do you think about some color in the background? It would make the fox stand out more.”

Chloe debated that for all of two seconds. So far she loved the work Tabby was doing. Seeing what Tabby could do with free reign would be interesting. “Go for it.”

“Yes!” The cheery yell was accompanied by what Chloe assumed was supposed to be a dance of happiness. Instead, Tabby looked like a hippo wiggling on an uncomfortable rock. “You’re gonna love this, sugar.”

“I like it already.”

Chloe gasped. She had the strangest urge to cover up Tabby’s work, but her mate had already seen it. “Jim?”

“Hey, pretty girl.” Jim’s scent overwhelmed her, overcoming the smell of ink and blood. His lips brushed the top of her head gently.

“Why aren’t you at twerk?” He’d dropped her off with orders to stay close to Ryan.

Ryan choked on a laugh. “Yeah, why
aren’t
you at twerk?”

Ugh. Of all the words to get wrong, it would have to be that one. And in front of Ryan, no less.

Luckily Jim ignored her brother, focusing instead on Chloe’s emerging tattoo. “I’m done for the day. I heard you back here, so I thought I’d see what was going on.”

“You sure you like it? Tabby wants to approve it.” She winced. “Im. Improve.”

“I love it.” He was quiet for a moment, but she couldn’t move to see why. “Is that…my Wolf?”

“Wha?” Tabby had started Jim’s Wolf already?

“Yup. Surprise, Chloe!” Tabby allowed Chloe to sit up long enough to look at Tabby’s cell phone. On the screen was an image of a gray wolf. Jim’s Wolf. “Did you think I wouldn’t nab a pic for you?”

“Thank you.” Chloe sniffled, hoping she wasn’t about to start bawling like a baby. She put her forehead down on the headrest, trying to hide how red her cheeks had become.

Jim leaned over and whispered something to Tabby before kissing the top of Chloe’s head once more. “I’m going to have a word with Ryan real fast before I have to head back to work. Stay here. Ryan will take you to my place before going home with Glory. All right?”

Chloe gave him a thumbs-up, but most of her attention was on the half-heard whispers between Tabby and Jim.

What had he meant by “play”?

“Any news yet?” Jim couldn’t see Chloe from the back room, but he could hear the quiet chatter as she and Tabby spoke softly to one another. The scent of her blood was making his Wolf restless, but the knowledge that Tabby was inking his image on Chloe’s skin made him shiver with a possessiveness he’d never known before.

She was his, body and soul. Now he just needed to make sure her heart was his as well.

Tabby was doing a marvelous job. The play-bow his wolf was doing in front of her blushing little kitsune made him smile.

“From Cheetah-boy? Not yet.” Ryan scowled at something on his screen, muttering something about…manure overages? As a veterinarian Jim often found himself in shitty situations, but he’d never had to account for them on a spreadsheet before.

“So our buddy Francois hasn’t managed to get ahold of whoever it was that almost made Barney shit petunias?”

“Language,” Ryan muttered absently. “And no. Neither of them will tell me.” Ryan sat back with a sigh. “Listen, Barney and Francois have both decided to keep my Hunter status hush-hush. They want me off the Senate books.”

“Because of Chloe.” Now it was Jim’s turn to scowl. “They probably already know.”

Ryan nodded. “I agree, but keeping me a nonsanctioned Hunter means that very few of them know.”

“And that might flush out whoever’s been watching Chloe?” Jim would have to do something about the security around his home. If both Spencer and Chloe were there, he wanted to make sure they were both safe from ravaging shifters.

“Exactly.”

“Huh. It’s stupid enough it might work.” Jim tapped his finger on the tabletop. “I wanted to ask you or Julian something.”

“Hmm?” Ryan stretched with a grunt.

“It’s about my brother.”

“I’m sorry.” Ryan’s expression became pained. “No, turning him into a shifter won’t cure him.”

Jim sighed. “I thought so.”

“It’s not like in books or movies. Whatever illnesses or injuries we have as humans carry over into our shifter selves. It’s why the Poconos Pack Luna still has a limp, or Sheri is still legally blind. If you had, say, diabetes when you were changed, you’d be a diabetic Wolf.”

Jim nodded. Ryan’s remorse over his inability to help was far too obvious in his voice and face for Jim to disbelieve him. “I’m still thinking of asking someone to change him. Spencer and Chloe are the only family I have left, and I want to share this with him.”

“Wait. First off, the moment you mated my sister you got the entire Bunsun-Williams clan as family.”

Jim stared at Ryan, then shuddered dramatically. He’d seen the “clan” in the diner before, wreaking havoc. The poor waitress hadn’t known whether or not to join in or run for the hills. “Oy.”

Ryan laughed. “Let’s talk to Max and Emma first, see how they would want to handle it.” Ryan held up his hand when Jim started to protest. “It’s how things work, Jim. This is Max and Emma’s territory, not the Bunsun-Williams territory. They get final say.”

“I don’t think they’d say no.” Glory stepped into the back room, making sure the curtain was shut behind her. “They’re pretty easygoing about that sort of thing.”

Jim nodded. He trusted Emma’s judgment. “Emma’s met Spencer. She seemed to like him.”

“If Emma liked him I really don’t think it will be an issue. In fact, she might offer to have him become a Puma.” Glory pulled a couple of sandwiches from the fridge, handing one to her mate before sitting next to Ryan. “Some Packs or Prides would turn him away because of the wheelchair, but I don’t think the Halle Pride would.”

“Or the Poconos Pack?” Jim remembered Emma and Max’s wedding, and the large, redheaded man who’d married Belinda Carlisle. Rick Lowell was a scary-ass man, but Jim doubted he’d have any trouble accepting Spencer into his Pack.

“Speaking of which, we need to have Rick formally induct you into his Pack. Tabby keeps poking Alex about that.” Ryan sounded uninterested, but to a Bear, there was no such thing as a Pack or Pride. They, like Foxes, lived in family groups, where the head of the family was the unofficial “Alpha”.

Jim, as a Wolf, should have felt that something was missing, something he desperately needed. Instead, he felt fine. There was no desperate need to belong, no howling desire for an Alpha. His Wolf was content just the way it was. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Not your fault, Jim.” Ryan took a humongous bite of his sandwich.

Before Jim could correct him Glory added her two cents. “Ryan’s right. You got bit protecting us. No Pack would diss you for that.” Glory patted his hand in a gesture that was probably meant to be reassuring. Unfortunately, she hadn’t quite gotten used to the extra strength her Grizzly gave her.

Jim picked up his demolished hand and cradled it to his chest. “Ow.”

Instead of apologizing, Glory grinned. “Told ya SG stood for Super Glory.”

Ryan widened his eyes and shook his head no.

Jim waved his hand feebly in front of Glory. “I need this to fix kittens and puppies, you evil kitten-slaying woman!”

She started to stick her tongue out at him but let out a burp instead. Startled, Glory reared back, her eyes crossing as she glared suspiciously at her tongue.

Jim’s brows rose. “That’s attractive.”

Ryan’s head hit the table, his shoulders shaking as he laughed his ass off.

“Okay, so we need to talk to Max. Got it.” Jim leaned in, keeping his voice down. Ryan was still busy laughing, so he’d have to rely on Glory to make sure Ryan understood what he was saying. “I need to figure out a way to up my security without making Chloe worry too much.”

“Barney might have some ideas.” Ryan lifted his head off the table and wiped a tear from his eye. “Ah, geez, I needed that laugh.”