Figure of Speech (Halle Shifters) (4 page)

Ryan’s shoulders sagged. “Damn it. I
really
wanted to beat the snot out of you.”

Alex cursed softly. “Fuck. That we can understand. Family comes first.”

Ryan held out his hand. “I’m sorry I called you an overused, undersized douche-nozzle.”

Jim took it, shaking Ryan’s hand firmly. “And I’m sorry I hurt your sister. I’m going to do what I can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Just…” Alex looked at him, and Jim could see the war going on inside him. His hazel eyes were browner than normal. Part of Alex was still pissed at him. “Talk to her from now on. Don’t leave her like that again.”

“Yeah. I don’t think you understand exactly how bad things were.” Ryan grimaced. “She was
dying
, and there was nothing we could do about it.”

“Wait.” Jim held up his hand as a cold chill went through him. “When I got the call I was told she was stable and in the best possible care.” Jim watched the cousins exchange grimaces. “Seriously? Dying? Why was I told she was going to be all right?”

Alex and Ryan scowled. “Who told you that?” Alex growled.

Well, shit. “My mother.” It was right after he told her he was going to find Spencer whether she liked it or not.

The two men shared a confused look. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Alex was watching him suspiciously, as if he thought Jim was lying to him. “Aunt Laura told me she’d called and told you about Chloe.”

Jim shook his head. “Nope. I never spoke to her until I got there and Chloe was already awake.”

“What the fuck, man?” Alex looked confused as hell.

Jim shrugged. “Maybe something got confused?”
God, please let it be that and not my mother being a bitch.
“I know your aunt was upset. It’s possible my mother just didn’t understand what she was being told.” A remote possibility, it was true, but still there. He refused to believe his mother had lied to him on purpose.

Ryan shot him a sharp look. “You kept telling her she was too young for you.”

“She is.” Jim still couldn’t get over the age difference, but he’d have to. There was ten years between them, and she’d practically been a baby when he first met her. “When I visited her in the hospital no one told me how bad she’d been.” She’d been bruised, battered, scared and scarred, but she’d been awake. Her green eyes had glowed when she’d first seen him, dulling when he told her that they couldn’t be together.

Fuck. If he’d known then what he knew now, he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from being with her. As it was, he’d been so torn between his duty to Spencer and his desire for Chloe that he’d become a bear to live with.

“If it weren’t for Julian, she would be dead.”

Jim almost howled out loud.

The cousins exchanged another, unreadable glance. “Speaking of Julian…”

“You might want to have a little chat with him.” Ryan cleared his throat. “The two of them have a…connection most other shifters don’t.”

Connection? Oh, Jim’s Wolf didn’t like the sound of that. Not one little bit. It didn’t matter boo-squat to him that Julian DuCharme was madly in love with his mate, Cynthia Reyes. He squinted at the two men, noting how uncomfortable they looked all of a sudden. “What kind of connection?”

Ryan zipped his lips as Alex shook his head and held up his hands. “Nuh-uh. Talk to Super Bear. Or better yet, Chloe. Let them explain it.”

“I’m not even sure I could if I tried.” Ryan frowned, looking confused. “It’s not a mate bond, but it’s really close.”

Jim surprised himself with a loud, animalistic snarl. The world lost color as his eyes shifted, the reds and greens of the parking lot turning yellow and brown. Anyone with a mate-like connection to Chloe that Jim didn’t have deserved pain.

Ryan wagged his finger at him. “Now you know how she felt whenever she saw you with another woman.”

Jim took a deep breath, trying to calm his Wolf. “I haven’t been on a date in over a year.”

“Bullshit,” Alex coughed into his hand.

“Seriously. The one time you all saw me out I was with a colleague, someone I was trying to lure into my practice. Remember Doc Klein?” He waited until they both nodded. “He retired six months ago. I just managed to replace him.” It was one of the many reasons he’d been so swamped. He’d had to take on not only his own patients, but Doc Klein’s as well. “He had that massive heart attack and was forced to take early retirement.”

From the expression on their faces they hadn’t known that little tidbit. Neither of them owned pets, and they’d been busy with their own personal issues. “No wonder you’ve been unavailable,” Alex muttered.

“And I wasn’t able to talk to anyone about any of this, not even Emma. Between my parents, Spencer’s illness, and Doc Klein? I was fucking swamped. Then I get the whole fur-faced thing plopped on top of that, and we’re lucky I’m not in a hug-me jacket humming ‘Psycho Chicken’.”

“You still need to…psycho what?” Ryan tilted his head. “There’s a song called ‘Psycho Chicken’?” He turned to Alex. “Why haven’t I heard of this?”

Alex grunted, ignoring his insane cousin. “You still need to make time for Chloe.”

Ryan was glaring again, but there was a little more sympathy in his gaze too.

“I plan on it.”

“Good.” Ryan held out his hand. “Make sure you talk to Julian before you confront Chloe about the bond they have. He’ll be able to explain it better than we can.”

“And ask Cyn how she feels about it.” Alex took his hand next. “She’s in the same position you are, so she’ll be able to give you a little more insight on how your Wolf will react when the two of them connect.”

The more Jim heard about this the less he liked it. He was definitely going to have to speak to Julian and Cyn, preferably before he spoke to Chloe. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Good.” Ryan looked relieved, but Alex still looked a bit worried. “Chloe won’t admit it but I know she’s concerned about how you’ll react to her bond along with everything else that’s wrong with her.”

“I didn’t leave her alone because she has trouble talking. I was taking care of a terminally ill brother.” Jim wanted that clear right from the start. “Besides, I knew nothing about shifters and mates. If I had, things might have been different.” If Chloe had been up front with him, he would have…

Hell, he would have freaked the fuck out, but he wasn’t completely unreasonable. Once he’d seen her shift he would have believed her. The undeniable draw toward her would have been explained. The need to simply breathe the same air as her would have made perfect sense.

“Would they?” Alex was watching him, his expression skeptical. “I’ve seen what happens when humans find out about us. Some of them accept it just fine, but most run as far and as fast as they can.”

“Not from Chloe, I wouldn’t have.” Not ever.

“You already did.” Ryan patted him on the shoulder. “But at least you’re not running anymore, right?”

“Right.” Jim rubbed his shoulder once Ryan lifted his gigantic, fifty-pound paw off of it. What the fuck did the Bunsun-Williamses feed their kids? Stainless steel Wheaties?

“By the way, does the Curana know now what was going on?” Alex glanced at his watch, frowning when he saw the time.

“I introduced Spence to Chloe and Emma at the same time. We stopped by Wallflowers and they bonded over tea and my assholeness.”

Alex chuckled. “Good. I need to go. Tabby’s expecting me. She’s got a doctor’s appointment.” Alex shook Jim’s hand again. “We’re watching you.”

Aw, that hit him right in the feels.

“Ditto.” Ryan shook hands too. “I need to call Glory and let her know we’re on our way back.” Already he’d pulled his cell phone from his pocket, a worried expression on his face.

“How are the panic attacks?” Glory had relapsed after being shot, the panic attacks that she’d suffered through in her late teens returning with a vengeance. Chloe told him she was doing better, but he wanted to hear it from Ryan as well.

“She’s doing better, but it will take time to get them back under control.” Alex was already striding toward his car. “We’ll see you at the family dinner on Sunday.”

Jim blinked. They would? “Okay.”

“Bring Spencer.” Ryan smiled, his phone to his ear as he followed after Alex. “Hey, SG. We’re on our way.”

Jim shook his head. Family dinner, huh? Maybe he was closer to being accepted by the Bear and Fox clan than he’d thought.

With that small hope winging through him Jim took off. He’d make Spencer’s dinner, then go pick his mate up for their first real date.

It was a going to be a good day.

Chapter Four

Chloe blew out a deep breath and stared at herself in the mirror. This was her first date with Jim, their first real attempt to be mates.

She was scared stupid.

Her hands were shaking, her palms were sweaty, and she’d swear from the way her heart was beating she’d run sixteen miles in her three-inch pumps.

What would she do if he changed his mind again?

Her Fox snarled, yipping and snapping at the thought. If Jim tried to walk away just one more time, she’d bite his ass. He was a shifter now, feeling the mating pull just as much as she did. If he ran, he was not only denying her but his Wolf’s needs as well. The Wolf would never allow that to happen.

She hoped.

Chloe gulped and slipped her purse over her arm. Jim should be here any minute, and no amount of fussing in front of the mirror was going to make this date any easier. She’d dreamed of him so much it felt like just another—

The doorbell rang, and she jumped.

“Okay, Chloe. This is bit. We’re a bad-ass Fox and we don’t take shit from anyone.” She bared her fangs at her reflection. “Grr.” She smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle in her skirt. “Right. Let’s go get our man.”

She spun on her heel and stumbled right into the wall. “Ow.” Shaking her head at her own clumsiness she stumbled toward the front door. “Oh, yeah. I’m so badass. Look at me, beating the crap out of the wall with my face.” She sniffed at a crack in the front door, very aware of what dangers could lurk in the most innocent places. A peephole could be covered, but unless it was another Fox on the other side of the door deliberately hiding its scent, she’d know who it was.

Her sniffer didn’t fail her. She opened the door to find her mate holding a bouquet of daisies. “Jim.”

“Here.” He held out the flowers with a small smile. “I thought they suited you.”

She blushed as she sniffed the daisies. “Tank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He looked around, the small smile becoming rueful. “May I come in?”

“Hm? Oh!” Chloe stood back and held the door open for him. His scent enveloped her as he brushed by her, making her shiver with need. Her Fox wanted him so badly she was surprised she wasn’t furry.

And that thought wasn’t wrong
at all
, was it?

“Um. I’ll go put peas in water.” Chloe dashed for the kitchen, almost tripping once more. The man was going to think she was a complete flake, a kid who couldn’t handle a simple bouquet of fucking daisies.

Chloe filled the vase, ignoring the sounds of Jim moving around her apartment. It wasn’t much, just a simple one-bedroom she could afford on her waitress salary and a little help from her parents. Not that she worked anymore. Her parents were covering her rent while she recuperated, despite the fact that they’d wanted her to move back in with them as soon as she was discharged from the hospital. When she’d refused, absolutely horrified at the thought of living with her mother again, they’d relented.

Her father understood. Her mother did not. While Chloe adored her mom, living with her was like being a sun worshipper in Antarctica. It just didn’t work.

“Chloe?”

Chloe yipped and spun around, almost dousing Jim with water. “Hi.”

He bit his lip and took the vase from her. “We have reservations at Noah’s.”

Noah’s. Oh, she hadn’t been there in ages. “The powers can wait.” She snatched the vase back and put it on the counter, ignoring his chuckle. After all, Noah’s had the best damn chicken cacciatore she’d ever had. “Let’s go.”

“A little birdie told me they have blackberry tarts for dessert.”

Chloe whimpered. She
adored
blackberry…

Wait.

“How did you know those are my favorites?”

He winked and held out his arm. “My lady?”

She took his arm, resting her hand on his forearm. She squeezed lightly.

Was the man made of muscle? There was absolutely no give there. If she wasn’t careful she’d be caught squeezing, and petting, and, hell, she might start climbing him like a spider monkey. She peeked up at him through her lashes, hoping he hadn’t noticed her feeling him up.

If she didn’t know better she’d swear he had a slight flush to his cheeks. Maybe she hadn’t been as subtle as she thought.

They left the apartment, Jim watching closely as she locked her door. He tested it himself, nodding as the door didn’t open.

“I can mock a door, you know.” She chuckled ruefully over the misspoken word and pointed at the door. “Your mother wears brass knobs.”

He burst into laughter. “I know, little vixen.” He led her down to her car. “But I
had
to check.” He shrugged. “It’s like a compulsion. I need to know you’re safe, even when you’re with me.”

“That’s your Wolf protecting its mate.” Chloe admired Jim’s vintage cherry-red Mustang. She’d wanted a ride in it ever since she first saw it, when she’d been applying for the intern job at his clinic.

“Mm, nah. Don’t think so.” He held open her door for her. “I’ve always been overprotective of the women I—”

Chloe snarled as she climbed into the car.

“It could be the Wolf.” Jim shut her door and walked around the hood of the car, his shoulders shaking. Apparently, he was amused by her display of jealousy.

What was good for the goose was good for the gander. Chloe waited until Jim was putting on his seatbelt before she said, “My ex used to kiss me hello every time he picked me up.”

Jim smiled sweetly. “Would that be Gabe?”

They stared at one another for a few moments before Chloe rolled her eyes. “I swear, I’m taking your name off my pony princess tote book.”

“Then you can’t have any of my candy after class.” He stuck his tongue out at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “I never dated Gabe.”

His brows rose. “I never dated Sarah.”

“But we both did a good job of convincing each other, didn’t we?” She sagged in her seat. “Sorry about bat. I clever realized what it would look like when I talked about him in front of you and Sarah. I swear we were just friends.”

“I get it. And just so you know, I haven’t been on a date in over a year.” He held out his hand. “Truce?”

She studied his expression, but it was completely sincere. She decided to take a chance, and trust he was telling the truth. “Truce.” She shook it solemnly.

He leaned toward her and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to her lips. “Would you like to go out with me, Ms. Chloe?”

She licked her lips, eager to catch his taste. “Sure.”

He started the car and drove away from her apartment.

Jim admired Chloe’s dainty fingers as she held up the menu. Even her scarred left hand was delicate, the marks only highlighting her strength of will. “Anything look good?”

She lowered the menu long enough to smile at him. “The picking cacciatore.”

“Sounds good.” He leaned his chin on his hand, unable to take his eyes from her. He could stare at her all day long and never get tired of her expressive face. Everything she felt flitted across it, from the small wrinkle of her nose as she looked at the menu to the way she kept peeking at him over the top of it. Even the way she bit her lip and blushed when she caught him staring was incredibly endearing to him.

That openness had always been there. More than once he’d caught her staring at the animals in the clinic, distressed over the ones who wouldn’t make it, overjoyed at the new births, and just loving each and every one that came in. He’d often thought she might be too soft for the job, her heart too open, but that deep love of animals had translated into someone fiercely determined to help each and every one of them to the best of her abilities. Her compassion toward the animals and her empathy with the owners had earned her more than one admirer during her work at the clinic. He’d been fascinated by her vivacity, fighting his attraction with everything in him. She deserved someone nearer her own age, someone who could be everything she deserved. Or so he’d told himself over and over again.

Every woman he’d dated couldn’t compare to Chloe Williams, so he’d given up trying. He’d simply watched, wondering if there would come a time when he could approach her as an equal. Then she’d flirted like hell with Gabe Anderson, driving Jim farther away.

No, he’d told himself. She was better off with someone else.

When she’d been hurt he’d been frantic for news, but he had no right to push himself into the family’s space. He’d waited as patiently as he could, relieved when he’d gotten word that she would be all right. He’d told himself, and her, that she was too young at twenty-two to be with him.

But then he’d learned her career was over and wanted to kick his own ass. He’d heaped pain on top of someone who was already suffering so much. She would have made an incredible veterinarian, one he would have been proud to work with. As it was, he was even prouder to call her his mate.

“Hello. My name is Kelly, and I’ll be your waitress today.” The tall brunette smiled and poured them each a glass of water. “Can I start you with something to drink?”

“I’ll have a Poke, please.” Chloe smiled at the waitress and turned back to Jim, ignoring the confused frown that crossed the woman’s face. “Jim?”

“I’ll have the same.” He waited, hoping the waitress wouldn’t question Chloe’s words.

The waitress stared at her pad for a moment. “So…two Cokes?”

Chloe’s smile was so wide Jim could practically see her molars. “Yes, please.”

The waitress nodded as if she was used to dealing with someone with Chloe’s disabilities on a daily basis. “Would you like to start with an appetizer?”

Chloe bit her lip and stared at the menu again. He could tell his mate was hungry as she gazed at the menu, but from the way her fingers tapped the menu she was also nervous.

“Get whatever you want, sweetheart.”

She blinked at him, blushing adorably again before staring at the menu blankly. “The pos…toss…cross…” She took a deep breath, her hands beginning to shake.

The waitress leaned forward. “If it’s easier you can point,” she said softly, her expression compassionate rather than pitying.

Chloe blew out the breath she’d been holding and pointed. “That.”

“Tomato basil crostini.” The waitress didn’t say it slowly or loudly, something Jim noted. She was treating Chloe with respect rather than trying to “help”. The woman would be getting a huge tip tonight for the way she was handling Chloe’s disability.

“Thank you.” Chloe’s relief was obvious. “Some words are harder than others.”

The waitress smiled. “Take as much time as you need.” She turned to Jim. “And you, sir?”

“A cup of the butternut squash soup, please.”

The waitress made a note of it. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

Chloe put the menu down, her hands still shaking. “I hate this.”

“Don’t.” Jim grabbed hold of her left hand, massaging the scarred fingers. “None of this is your fault. You did nothing wrong. The bastards who attacked you need to be strung up by their balls with piano wire.” He squeezed her hand. “And I’m a guy saying this.”

She huffed out a laugh. “That’s something.” She looked up at him through her lashes. “It doesn’t bother you?”

“The way you talk or men being strung up by their bits?”

She nodded.

“Which one, sweetheart? You’re starting to scare me. Or at least my bits.”

She covered her mouth as the giggle escaped. “My speech.”

“Nope. Not at all.” He had no real trouble figuring out what she meant. Her speech might be odd, but it wasn’t incomprehensible. He just had to put a little thought into it. “I know it bothers you, though.”

She shrugged. “I may get better, or I may get worse. We just don’t know.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” If that was what she needed tonight, he’d listen. Being a sympathetic ear when needed could be the biggest gift a person could give.

“Not now?” Her expression lightened, her natural sunshiny nature coming to the fore. “But thank you.”

“Hm.” He stroked her fingers, trying to bring back the mood they’d had when they’d first walked into Noah’s. “Then what
should
we talk about?”

She blinked, her fingers tightening on his. “Um. Nice night?”

He chuckled as the waitress dropped off their appetizers. “So it is.”

He kept the conversation as light as he could while they ate, asking about her family and swapping stories about how he met Spencer. “So there he is, this man I’d never met, staring at me like I was public enemy number one. I swear I thought he was going to try and run over my toes or something.”

“What did you do?” Chloe was so caught up in the story a piece of chicken fell back onto her plate completely unnoticed.

“I told him our sperm donor was a douche.”

God, that laugh. He’d live for that sound alone. “You didn’t!”

“I totally did.” Jim chuckled, remembering the look on Spencer’s face. “He just grinned and said, ‘Then
mi casa es su casa
, bro,’ and that was that.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. It turns out he’s a great guy, just has a sucky dad.” He grimaced, wondering what Spencer’s life would have been like if their father had deigned to acknowledge him. “When I was growing up my parents had their problems, but nothing like the mess we’re all going through now.”

“They sheltered you from it.” Chloe took a bite. “Mm.”

“More than likely. I think what killed my mother wasn’t finding out that my father cheated, but that he’d done it so early in their marriage. I mean, I was what? Seven when Spencer was born? Then finding out he’d produced a son?” He shook his head. “In her mind it’s unforgiveable.”

“And you acknowledging him only made things worse.”

“Not for them, for me. But I won’t give Spencer up. He’s the only member of my family I give a damn about anymore.”

“Do you think they’ll come around?”

Chloe’s concern was touching, but misplaced. “Honestly? I don’t care. I would have, even six months ago, but too much has happened. Sometimes you just have to cut the toxic people out of your life, even if they’re family.”

She sighed. “I just wish it didn’t have to happen at all.”

“Spencer was worth it.” He tried to explain, hoping someone with as close a family as Chloe would understand. “He’s the only one who’s accepted me exactly the way I am. If I wanted to keep having a relationship with my mom, he wouldn’t care one little bit. The only thing he does care about is the fact that she hurt me. I know he wishes things could be different with our dad, but he’s one of the most resilient people I know. He rolls with the punches almost as well as you do.”