Love at First Roar (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Werebear Romance) (Grayslake Book 4) (21 page)

“Pretty much.” She patted his chest, teasing smile in place. Another that didn’t reach her eyes. “You tell me and then I’ll tell you what my nose says.”

She tapped said nose that was lightly tipped at the end, thin and adorable.

“I saw…”

And he finished her sentence with a description and explanation, watching her expressions for any hint of recognition. He knew her family was filled with assholes and deadly bastards.

“The car was local, the driver was not.”

Kira’s voice didn’t waver or tremble, but she did cling to his shirt, fisting the fabric.

“Who was he?”

“I don’t know, but I know where he came from…”

The male’s scent stuck to Kira, tickling the back of her mind, but not truly settling in and giving her the man’s identity. There was no doubt he came from Kira’s home pack, but the rest lingered just out of reach. It was there and then it was gone before she could catch it. It didn’t even feel like a lost memory. No, it was more like it was purposefully hidden. But how?

After the encounter, Isaac made a call to Ty, giving him what information they had. Which wasn’t much in all honesty. She could one hundred percent tell the stranger wasn’t from the Redby pack.

Her old home was filled with the scents of the desert, dry air, and searing heat and it clung to the driver like a second skin. No, it wasn’t someone local.

Ty promised to look into it and now they were off for their afternoon of unplanned shopping and eventually dinner. Of course, shopping meant a lot of shuttling back and forth between the stores and home.

The word had her heart stuttering, the idea that she thought of Isaac’s as home. Well, really, wherever they were together—his house, or hers—was home.

That said a lot.

Kira padded into the home improvement store, the bright orange garish against the industrial exposed walls and high ceilings. The place echoed, voices overlapping, as man after man strode past. Most were dressed in torn, well-worn jeans and paint-splattered shirts. No matter where she went, the chain store always attracted the same type of males. Hardworking, gritty, strong.

She reached for a cart, only to have her action bypassed by Isaac. “I got this, you lead and I’ll follow.”

Kira grinned. “You’re gonna regret saying that. I’ve got you as my eyes now. Just
wait
until we get to plumbing.”

She ignored Isaac’s frown and set off into the store. The shelves went sky high, seeming to touch the massive ceiling and she was thankful for the large signs announcing the different sections. Even
she
could read them.

“We’re supposed to go to Gardening,” Isaac called to her and she waved a distracted hand.

“I know. Just a minute, though.”

Isaac huffed and she ignored him.

Ignored him through plumbing.

And then through electrical.

Again when they got to tile… Well, at least until she hunted a man in orange.

Then he was all about being present. Stupid possessive males.

Yeah, she complained about it almost as much as she liked it. No one had ever cared about her. No one ever glared at a male for getting too close or growled when another reached for her elbow to guide her.

“Hi,” she smiled at the store employee. “I’m trying to glue down some pennies and I need—”

“Pennies?” Both men spoke at once.

“Yes, pennies. You see, in my bedroom—”

“Why are we gluing pennies in our bedroom?” If she weren’t annoyed with Isaac for interrupting, she’d kiss him for calling it “we” and “our” instead of “your.”

She turned toward him and frowned. “I listened to this DIY show and the couple took sixty thousand pennies and glued them to the floor and then they—”

“You want to glue pennies to the floor?” She got them speaking in stereo.

“Yes. You glue them down and then you lay grout and
then
you put down clear epoxy.” She smiled. She could imagine the gleaming floor, sparking with the burnished hues. She’d never seen one in person, but she could imagine the gorgeous color. She and her mother didn’t just share a species, but the DIY home improvement gene, as well. At least, that's what she'd been told. Kira couldn’t wait to get to the DI part of her Y.

The employee squirmed, giving her the impression he was uncomfortable and confused. Yes, he was definitely confused. How could he not know of the penny floor?

“Kira, how are you going to do that?”

She sighed. “I just explained it. The pennies? The glue? Grout and epoxy?”

“You’re blind.” Skepticism was clear in his voice.

“Only a little bit of a lot of a bit. My fingers work.” She raised her hand and wiggled said fingers.

“Kira, you can’t exactly—”

“Blind?” The employee cut in. “Guy, why you letting her out like this? This isn’t place for a blind chick, man. Not with all this shit going on here. Ma’am, we have a website. Why don’t you have someone help you order—”

She winced. Oh, wrong thing to say.
Here comes big bad bear.

“Order?” Oh, Isaac’s voice was way too calm.

She didn’t care about other people’s opinions, but if there was one thing she’d learned from spending time with Isaac, it was that he didn’t allow
anyone
to talk shit about her eyesight. There was no brushing her off or giving alternatives that meant she didn’t get to do things like everyone else in the world.

Kira and Isaac could bicker all they wanted, but woe to the man—or woman—who said a word.

There was no getting around the male grumbling and roaring. Now she just kept an eye on him and made sure blood wasn’t spilled.

“Look, Depot Giant is a large place and you’ve got a ton of contractors coming in and out of here. Most of them are in a hurry. We don’t want the blind chick getting in the way.” The employee held up his hands in surrender. “Let her buy her penny shit from home.”

Oh, he shouldn’t have said that
getting in the way
part.

Isaac seemed to grow before her eyes, his shoulders flexing and then expanding.

She stepped forward, reaching for Isaac, and gently laid her hand on his lightly furred forearm. So not good. “Isaac? It’s not a big deal. You can help me do some research online.”

Instead of letting her lead him away, he gently snared her hand and turned back to her, brushing a kiss across the back before encouraging her to grasp the cart once again.

“Of course, it’s a big deal. My
mate
,” he glared at the employee, “wants to shop and she’s gonna. In fact, he’s going to be our personal shopper.”

The male blustered, frustration and anger hitting her in the face, but another scent blew over her. One that was wholly bear and filled with the natural aromas of Isaac’s clan.

“Isn’t that right, Ash?” Isaac raised his voice.

A larger man stepped forward, sidling up to the employee, and she saw he wore one of the store’s garish shirts. The newcomer was easily Isaac’s size, maybe a hint larger, and was one hundred percent werebear. A wave of strength mixed with a hint of menace came to her on the cool store air.

“What’s right? Is Larry helping you with everything you need?” The stranger looked to Larry. “Larry, are you helping one of my best friends and his wife with everything they need?”

“Of course, sir,” Larry stammered. “Everything they need. In fact, your friend just asked me to stay with him while he’s here, and of course, I’ll make sure they have what they need.”

Kira sighed. There went their afternoon of DIY shopping. Now she’d be stuck with a stranger picking out her supplies instead of the fun of discovery with Isaac.

But instead of complaining, she pasted a smile on her face. “That’s wonderful. I’d appreciate any help you can give me.”

The two werebears were satisfied and damned happy with themselves. Larry seemed like he’d piss himself any moment. And Kira merely grabbed their cart and headed toward Appliances. Maybe a new stove would soothe her annoyance. One of those induction jobbers. It’d boil water in less than a minute. Yeah, that sounded good. Nice and sleek and…

“Kira?” Damn, he found her. Though, in all honesty, she hadn’t gone very far.

She’d only reached the opposite end of the aisle. Well, it was a long-assed aisle, but still, only one aisle. She turned toward Isaac, pasting a faux smile on her face. She could endure this. Make it through the shopping trip and then they’d hash this out in private.

“Yeah, I’m heading to—”

“
Kira!
” His voice echoed off the concrete walls, bouncing back from the metal paneled ceiling, and struck her in the chest.

Wait. No, that was a forklift.

Or the forks on a forklift? She wondered what those were called. Huh.

And hey, it wasn’t really her chest. It was more like her shoulder.

And it didn’t go
in
her shoulder or anything.

It kinda bounced off. Well, she bounced off it and stumbled right into one of the shelves, and a shit-ton of caulk rained down on her, whacking her in the head and scattering all over the polished concrete floors.

The forklift kept going, plowing into the shelving opposite her. The mile-high metal teetered with the force of the collision, creaking and groaning before slowly tilting under the power.

The heavy pounding of feet on the smooth flooring rushed to her, Isaac stopping at her side while Ash leapt over her and into the seat of the lift. Jerky Larry was on his heels and Ash roared at the employee to secure the other customers and clear the aisles.

Everyone needed to get the fuck
out
of his goddamned store, motherfucker.

Kira wondered how much Ash would owe the swear jar.

For a moment Larry didn’t move, but Ash’s roar shoved the guy into motion.

Larry’s shock smacked her. Apparently the man’s werebear boss wasn’t much of a curser.

High-pitched screams—from
men
—and loud bellows surrounded her, customers and employees scattering to do as Ash ordered.

All the while, someone yanked at her shirt, tugging and pulling, shaking her with the effort. Kira slowly turned her gaze from the large machine onto a trembling Ebenezer and then to a very angry Isaac. Very angry. The emotion attacked her with vicious stabs, sinking into her blood, and she reached for him. Hand trembling, she stroked his arm, his shoulder, his face.

“Hey, what’s got you worried? I’m fine.”

He didn’t look at her. Nope, kept grumbling and growling as he tugged. “Got hurt… Bastard… Gut him like a deer.”

She rolled her eyes. Okay, admittedly, her shoulder hurt like hell and she was ninety-nine percent sure she broke something, but she was still breathing.

“I’m fine, Isaac.”

He prodded a particularly tender spot and she turned her attention to her injury. Well, at least she wasn’t bleeding. Her skin was a nice shade of purple, slowly easing to a hue so dark it was almost black. But, good news was the blood remained on the
inside
not the
outside
. Always a plus.

She was tempted to remind him of that fact, but he was still growling. She’d hold back that little tidbit for later.

Another round of falling caulk surrounded her, causing Isaac to snarl at the offending products, baring his fangs while more of his brown fur coated his cheeks.

He was threatening caulk.
Caulk
.

“Isaac, hush.” She stroked his neck, squeezing him. One last tube whacked her in the head and she caught it. She glanced at the tube and then shoved it in Isaac’s field of vision. “Hey, is this the glue I need?”

Isaac sighed and finally looked at her. She didn’t need to see him to sense his pain. “You’re not gonna let me worry, are you?”

“Not so much, no. Am I bleeding? Am I gonna die?”

He growled.

“I’ll take that as a no, then. So, help me up and get me home. You can set my shoulder or collarbone or whatever. I may or may not have broken something. And then—”

“You broke
something?
”

“You yell a lot, did you know that?” She peered up at him and almost smiled when Ebenezer’s bark came on the heels of her question.

“I— You— You can’t—”

Kira rubbed her thumb over his pulse point, noting it slowed beneath her touch. “I can. I’m fine and I wanna go home.”

“You broke something,” he snarled.

“But that doesn’t change the fact I wanna go home. I’m a,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “shifter, Isaac. I’ll heal.”

“You’re stubborn.”

“You wouldn’t want me any other way.” She grinned.

“Pain in my ass.”

“Yup.” She wasn’t about to deny it.

“Fine,” he huffed. “I’ll take you home.”

“Not yet, you won’t. I need to interview you.” Ty called to them and they both sighed. The Itan stomped toward them, his steps louder than any other’s. The moment he was within earshot, he spoke again. “I’m not so sure this was an accident.”

Well, goody.

* * *

Isaac cuddled his rage to his chest through Ty’s questioning, holding it tight as he prodded Kira’s bruise while his brother threw inquiry after inquiry at them.

The answers were always the same. Wandered through the store. Talked to Larry, spoke with Ash, Kira wandered away, and then the rampaging forklift.

Now that they were free, he was able to embrace some of his anger and vent his boiling fury.

Soon anyway. The moment he got to a secluded spot and out of earshot of his interfering family. Hell, maybe even when he got away from Kira. She’d endured and experienced so much anger in her life, so much violence. She didn’t deserve to be pummeled by his.

And Isaac was very much on the violence train at the moment.

“You doing okay over there?” He didn’t look at her as he sped past home after home. They were traveling through town, ready to swing by Keen’s house to drop her off before racing away once again.

“Yup.” She quickly agreed.

In his periphery, he watched her poke and prod her injury.

“You should leave it alone. Let your mole do the work,” he grumped.

“Eh, she’s almost done. We were lucky it wasn’t broken. Otherwise we would have had to re-break it.” So matter-of-fact. As if healing those types of injuries were common.