ChangingPaths (5 page)

“Hey. Come on in. We’re just moving bags and boxes out of
rooms. Finally got most of them unpacked. Please, no comments about what not-so-speedy
unpackers we are. Did you want to take a look around to see what needs fixing?
I know Rain said her room gets cold.” She went for what she hoped was a casual,
breezy tone though she felt as if she was babbling.

“Yeah, hope it’s okay. I was on my way into town anyway so
thought I’d stop by here first, in case I need to pick up anything at the
hardware store or something.”

She wondered why he didn’t look at her. God, was she that
abhorrent to him? She took a deep breath. That didn’t mean she couldn’t be
hospitable.

“No, that’s great. Come on in. Aunt Willow sent over some
homemade soup, do you want to join us for lunch? She sent over more than we’ll
ever eat alone.”

When he did glance at her it was as if she had three heads.
She bit her lip, hoping he didn’t think she was coming on to him. “You don’t
have to if you’re not hungry, I just thought…”

“No. Thanks. I appreciate it and I’m always up for a bowl of
Willow’s soup.”

“Good, that’s good then.” She led the way into the cabin and
through it to the small but ruthlessly cleaned kitchen. He followed, not close
enough to make her nervous but close enough that she could smell him. His scent
of fresh-cut pine wasn’t overwhelming like some caustic cleaner, but…clean,
comforting, and home.

She ladled soup into three bowls, the peppery aroma of beef
broth, vegetables and meat rising up into the warmth of the kitchen. She added
some of the homemade fry bread she and Rain had made after breakfast. It was a
skill she thought she’d lost but the recipe somehow stayed in her brain. “Rain?
Lunch.”

She didn’t have to raise her voice by much to have it reach
to the closer bedroom. She knew Rain had to have heard Gareth come into the
house. She looked up as her daughter came into the room, her curiosity evident
on her young face.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Rain.”

At least her daughter had
some
manners, she hadn’t
ignored their guest.

“Honey, you remember Gareth from last week, right?”

“Yes, Mom.” Sarcasm. The teenager’s best friend and constant
companion. That along with the eye roll that followed was almost too
predictable. Setting a pitcher of water on the table, Harmony took her own
seat.

“Well, eat up, everyone.” They all dug into the soup. After
the first few mouthfuls she looked up at Gareth. His hair swung forward again,
hiding the side of his face from her, and she marveled at the different colors
that played in the strands. From pale brown to almost white with a slight wave,
it was beautiful. When he glanced up she realized she sat there with her spoon
halfway to her mouth. Clearing her throat, she set her utensil down to pick up
her water.

“So, how long have you lived here, Gareth?” Better. Much
more breezy. She forced herself to stay calm.

“Nearly seven years.” His answer seemed abrupt but she didn’t
let that stop her.

“And you work at the lodge? For Micah, right?”

“Yes, Micah owns Wild Haven Lodge.” He glanced at her
curiously. She gave a nearly imperceptible shake of her head as she slid her
eyes toward Rain. She heard the unspoken “and is Alpha of the local Pack,” but
didn’t want to have that conversation with Rain right now. It was going to be
hard enough without tossing a stranger in the mix.

“So, what exactly do you do there?” She shook her head. “I’m
sorry, I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just that I’ve been away for such a long
time and I’m trying to catch up.”

“A little of this, a little of that. Something breaks, I fix
it. I also take care of the dogs.” He leaned back a bit.

“Dogs?” Rain spoke again for the first time. Harmony noticed
she was sopping up the remains of her bowl of soup with a second piece of fry
bread.

He nodded as he turned his face slightly toward Rain. “Sled
dogs, not pets.”

“What about horses? Are there horses there?” The teen
snagged another piece of bread.

“No, but there are plenty of those on the res. Your
great-uncle has some that are specially trained.”

Rain paused with the bread halfway to her mouth. “Trained?
Trained to do what?”

“Uh, let people who aren’t really good riders on their
backs.” He stammered slightly then shot a glance at Harmony. She was well-aware
that her uncle had horses who were trained not to shy away from the smell of
wolf but she appreciated his attempt at tact.

“I should probably take a look at your furnace. The
fireplace would keep the living room and front bedroom pretty warm if the
furnace went out but that back bedroom would be a walk-in freezer without the
central heat.” He got to his feet, carrying his bowl to the sink before taking
off his wool shirt. She felt her eyes widen at the sight of his muscular arms
and the tattoo that the sleeve of his t-shirt didn’t cover.

“Wow! Awesome art!” Rain perked right up. She’d been begging
for a tattoo since she’d turned fifteen and Harmony had been holding out for
her to turn eighteen. Fortunately in most states the law was on her side too.
Still, she had to agree with her daughter about Gareth’s tattoo.

He looked at his arm as though he’d completely forgotten
about the ink. He pushed his sleeve up so they could see the whole thing. “I’ve
had it a long time.”

The artwork covered his entire upper right arm from shoulder
almost to his elbow. Two wolves, white fur tinged with silver, shared electric-blue
eyes, the same color as his eye. They faced in opposite directions, both with
their mouths open as though scenting the air or laughing. A full moon shown
behind their heads. She didn’t miss the symbolism. No one who knew anything
about shifters could miss that. She wondered if his wolf was white rather than
the gray and black wolves she was more used to.

“That’s so cool. I want a tattoo but Mom says I have to wait
until I’m eighteen.” Another eye roll but at least the sulkiness had left her
voice.

“Waiting isn’t such a bad idea. If I’d waited, I wouldn’t
have this one.” With that, he turned away and pulled a pair of coveralls out of
the toolkit he’d brought in with him.

“Why? It’s a cool design. Would you have gotten something
different? How old were you when you got yours?” Harmony heard her daughter’s
excitement in the rapid-fire questions.

“Probably, but then again, maybe not. This one was for me
and my brother. And we were sixteen. Our uncle was a tattoo artist and this was
a birthday gift.”

“Does he have one too? Your brother?” Rain’s head cocked to
one side. Harmony suspected she was wondering what it might be like to have a
brother.

“Yes, same one but on his left arm. Twins tend to do that
kind of thing if they’re into tattoos.”

Harmony could hear the pain in his voice. He so obviously
didn’t want to continue this conversation. But she wasn’t sure Rain could
detect it. Looking for a way to change the subject, she turned to her daughter.

“You know, Rain, there are a lot of other things you can do
to express yourself without permanently marking your body.”

“Mom, not that again, please!” Rain got to her feet, picking
up her bowl and carrying it to the sink. She grabbed another piece of fry bread
off the stove, tearing it in half savagely, before turning back to her mother. “You’ve
already told me I can do what I want with my hair, dress however I want as long
as it’s within the school dress code, listen to whatever music I want and blah,
blah, blah. It’s
not
the same. I want a tattoo and as soon as I’m
eighteen I’m getting one.”

Gareth gave her a smile as he made his escape toward the
back of the house. Harmony felt heat pool in her belly from that man’s grin.
Ignoring it, she listened instead to her daughter huff in exasperation.

Well, she’d succeeded in turning attention away from their
guest but she didn’t have the energy to have this fight with Rain again. “You
raise the money, you can get one when you’re eighteen. But,” she raised a
finger at the hopeful lift of her daughter’s head.

“But, I have conditions. You have to find an after-school
job to earn the money and the job can’t interfere with your classes in any way.
I want your grade point average to be a lot higher than it was last year. If
you want to go to college you’re going to have to do better in school.”

“Really? You’ll let me get a job? Cool.” Rain pumped her
fist in the air.

As usual the girl had heard only what she wanted to hear.
Harmony indulged in an eye roll of her own. They wrestled the discussion
between them for another fifteen minutes. Harmony gave her daughter credit. The
teen could be relentless when she was arguing her point. Just as Rain’s voice
was canting into the whine she’d avoided earlier, Harmony sighed.

“Micah sometimes hires high school kids as housekeepers at
the lodge. He pays well but you’ll earn it. He insists the rooms be spotless.”
Harmony nearly jumped at Gareth’s voice. She hadn’t realized he had moved back
to the kitchen. He shrugged when Harmony glanced at him. “It’s a decent job,
the hours wouldn’t interfere with her schooling or homework and she’ll
definitely earn whatever he pays her.”

“Thanks, Gareth! That rocks. I can definitely do that.” Rain
shot her mother a defiant look.

“Really? Do we have to talk about how clean you keep your
own room?” She almost laughed then saw the stubborn set of her daughter’s jaw.
Yes, this was definitely her child.

Harmony had to be impressed when Rain managed to keep the
whine out of her response. “That’s not the same, Mom. I can clean up after
other people!”

“I’ll talk to Micah about it when I go to the lodge. You’re
staying with Aunt Willow while I do. Don’t forget.” She glanced at the clock. “Speaking
of that, Gareth, I’m sorry but we have to go get ready. Is there anything you
need to do with the furnace?”

“No, it looks pretty good. I opened the vent in Rain’s room
more. That was probably all that was keeping the heat out. I think you’ll be
okay but I’ll leave my number in case anything goes wrong with it.”

He paused then said, “I am going into town. Did you need me
to pick up anything for you there or do you need a ride to the lodge tonight?”

“No, Pete had my car delivered a few days ago after getting
me a complete tune-up and five new tires, so we’ll be fine. Rain, go find my
purse.” Shooing her daughter with one hand, she watched as he peeled off the
coveralls and rolled them up into a ball. He shrugged back into his wool shirt
and picked up his bag.

“I really do appreciate you coming by to check on us.”

“No problem. Like I said, you’re on my way into town. Here,
this has both the lodge phone number and my cell on it. They can get a message
to me if you need something fixed.” With another wave he left. She watched him
walk across the yard. For some reason she felt the need to run after him, wrap
her arms around him and ask him to stay. Gripping the screen door tightly, she
willed that urge away. It was time for her to go meet the Alpha to ask his
permission to stay here permanently.

She sent up a fervent prayer that her Aunt Willow was
correct about Micah Keeps Vigil, that he was fair and that he’d let her stay
even though she was Moon-Denied. She called her daughter then headed for the
car.

Harmony couldn’t help how her hand shook as she reached for
the door. She hadn’t met Micah, whose time with the Pack had begun after she’d
left. She really hadn’t had much to do with the other Alpha either. He didn’t
want to waste his time with the Moon-Denied. With a shuddering breath she
tapped on the door. It felt a little weird to knock since this was a real lodge,
complete with paying guests from time to time, but she didn’t want to overstep.

Harmony knew the woman who answered was the Alpha’s mate.
Willow had described her perfectly right down to the infant she carried, not to
mention her scent of oranges and vanilla. Harmony smiled at her tentatively.

“Hello. I’m Harmony Johnson, Willow and Jake Johnson’s
niece. I’m here to see the Alpha.”

The woman smiled. “Yes of course, Willow told me about you.
I’m Olivia and I’m glad you’re here. Come inside. Is your daughter with you?”

She shook her head. “Um, I haven’t told Rain a few things
about me…I mean us. So I didn’t want her asking questions about why I had to
have this conversation.”

The woman blinked amazingly blue eyes at her in surprise. “You
mean…she doesn’t know you’re a shifter?”

Harmony gaped. She’d never been called a shifter before.
Everyone just called her one of the Moon-Denied if they were being politically
correct. There were worse terms that she chose to ignore. Before she could
reply, a tree walked into the hall behind Olivia. No, not a tree. A mountain. A
man so tall with a chest so broad she took a step back in instinctive fear.

“Oh it’s okay. That’s just my husband. Come in.”

At the gentle tug on her arm Harmony entered the scariest
place she’d ever been.

“Micah! You’re looming. You’re scaring the poor thing to
death. Go look imposing at your desk. At least then you will be at eye level.”
The blonde shooed her husband. Harmony gaped again as she watched this woman
wave her hands at the Alpha as though he were a loose chicken on her porch. And
he moved at her motions. There was a knowing gleam in his eye when he caught
Harmony’s gaze. The wink he tossed her way went miles in making her relax.

But her nerves fired up again when she entered the nearest
room. He might be just below eye level now that he was seated but she could
smell the power rolling off him. He was more than an Alpha. There was something
else about him but she wasn’t sure what it was. Before she had time to consider
it another scent came to her. Pine—clean and strong. Gareth had been here
recently. She smiled. It was nice to have that scent to hold on to.

“I am glad you have come to see me so soon, Harmony Dancing
Johnson. I hold your aunt and uncle in high regard. Your great-uncle is one of
my seconds as well. Why do you come to me today?”

He slipped into a more formal tone with the last question.
She responded in kind as she’d practiced with Willow.

“I am Harmony Dancing Johnson. My mother and my father were
born into the People. I was born into the People. My daughter and I want to
apply for membership and residency.” Her voice only shook a bit.

His brown eyes held a hint of his wolf as he looked at her.
He stood up then came from behind his desk. “And what do you bring the People?
Why should we accept a single female with a female cub?”

Even though she knew the ritual by heart thanks to Willow,
the archaic, sexist words still made her angry. Some of her temper snapped out
in response. “Because I am of the People. My gift is myself and my daughter
returning to our home. I will not need charity. I am an illustrator for
children’s books. My daughter will not go begging at your door, Alpha.”

She drew in another breath. “But she was hoping for a job.
Gareth mentioned you sometimes hired school-aged kids to work here and that you
might have an opening?”

His chuckle brought her head up. She hadn’t even realized
she’d been looking down and away from him. “Well now. I guess you are related
to Pete. He got the same tone on that line about his ability to provide for his
family. And yes, your daughter can help out here. We will set up her schedule
later. Now let us finish this. Harmony Dancing Johnson, will you protect the
Pack? Will you run with us at the full moon and at the calling of your Alpha?”

She blinked rapidly in surprise as the pain tore at her. “I
will protect the Pack. I cannot run with you because I am Denied by the moon.”

There was honest shock on Micah’s face now. “Denied? You’re
Denied? But you—”

Olivia stuck her head in at that moment. “Micah, a word?”

“Excuse me.” Probably due to the look on his mate’s face, as
though something was definitely wrong, he left without saying anything else.

“Yes, my heart?” He smiled down at her. “You realize you are
interrupting a ceremony?”

She waved an impatient hand. “Yes, I’m sorry. But you can’t
tell her she doesn’t smell right. I heard the whole thing. You were about to
say something like that. She’s
off
somehow. Someone has messed her up.
Willow told me she was both mentally and physically abused by her ex. So maybe
we don’t need to…” Her voice trailed off as she put a soft hand on his arm.

He patted that hand as he nodded. “You think she is like
you. That she does not know how.”

Olivia bit her bottom lip. “Yes, I do. And I just feel that
we need to approach her differently. I can’t tell you why. It’s my gut.”

“I trust your instincts, Olivia. And in this I will follow
your request.” Micah kissed his wife before he went back into his office.
Harmony stood just where he’d left her, her head slightly bowed. “Sorry. My son
needed me. So you are Denied. Do you agree to the laws that bind all Pack
members, Called and Denied?”

Harmony answered the remaining questions as she’d rehearsed
with her aunt, including her aunt and uncle’s promise to stand as sponsors.
Whatever Olivia’s reason for interrupting them she’d managed to give Harmony
enough time to release some of the tension that had gripped her since she’d
arrived. Sucking down the pain of knowing that any Gathering she was called to
wouldn’t be a Moon Gathering as she’d dreamed of when she was young, Harmony
looked up, meeting her Alpha’s eyes. When Micah took her hand to pull her into
a gentle hug, she caught her breath. That kind of acceptance was a marvelous
thing.

“We take care of our own, Harmony. You are now one of us.
And, if you will follow me, I think my wife baked something as a welcome for
you.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond. His voice rumbled in her ear
through his chest. He must have sensed her unease because he gently pushed her
back to look into her eyes. Instinctively she turned her head just a bit but
maintained some eye contact.

“You are Pack now. It has been a while for you, has it not?
We are affectionate with one another in all our forms. The Wild Haven Lodge
Pack does not shun the Denied, Harmony.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as her throat tightened. Afraid to
speak she nodded. Relief came when a young girl scampered in.

“Micah! You have to hurry.” The urgency in the child’s voice
made the man stiffen as he released Harmony.

“Talia, what’s wrong?” He covered the distance to her in two
easy strides.

“They will eat
everything
if you don’t hurry. Olivia
told me to tell you that.” With a bright giggle the child ducked Micah’s
playful grab. “Come on!”

Micah motioned for Harmony to precede him. She followed her
nose to what had to be a den. Her aunt and uncle, Gareth, Olivia and the young
girl were all there. Even her Great-Uncle Pete was there.

“What is this?”

Her aunt gathered her into a hug. “Surprise! We’re your
early welcoming committee. Rain is meeting some of her cousins at the house.
Now grab a sandwich before Gareth eats all the food.”

The man in question gave a short laugh that made Harmony
light up. “Me? It’s that cub there that we should be scared of. Tally! That’s
your fourth sandwich. Slow your roll, pup.”

Harmony lasted for nearly twenty minutes before it got to be
too much. She excused herself as she slipped outside. All of this open
acceptance seemed overwhelming. It didn’t feel real. She knew how the Pack
treated the Denied. Were they setting her up?

She took a deep breath. The sun was just beginning to go
down and the air already delivered the promised chill for the night. She had
not missed the cold when they’d lived in California. The scent of the woods
filled her nostrils. Home. No other place she’d ever been smelled quite like
home. Sure everyone inside was discussing her Moon-Denied status, she started a
little when the door behind her opened.

Of course it would be him. One of the Alpha’s seconds, one
whose injuries would have been shunned by another Pack just as one of her
status could have been.

“Micah asked me to come talk to you.” He settled himself on
the rail beside her, staring out as she had been, at the open ground around the
lodge. “Your aunt said you think your daughter might need some help with her
first shift.”

“I…” She took a deep breath, still not quite sure exactly
how to respond to any of this. She’d never expected to be welcomed, of all
things, by the Alpha. Now to have one of his seconds seeming to offer to help?
It was all too much. And yet she wanted that and so much more. But not from
Gareth.

“I know Rain is going to be able to Change. I just know it
in my heart. Even though I c-c-can’t.” She hated the tears that fell from her
eyes, hated that quiver in her voice, hated that any man saw her crying when
she’d vowed never to cry in front of a man again.

“Hey, don’t…” He had gotten to his feet and moved closer to
her. He ran a hand down her hair as if knowing that anything else might be too
much. Of course Pete would have told Micah about the restraining order. Harmony
realized there was no reason Micah wouldn’t have passed that on to another of
his seconds.

Turning her head slightly, she met Gareth’s gaze. The
shadowed light on the porch let her see just enough of his features to note the
concern there. Not the discomfort some men showed around a crying woman, but
what looked like real caring. This close she could see the pale stubble on his
face and the harshness of the scars on his cheek.

“I’m sorry.” She covered her face with both hands, hunching
her shoulders as she tried to stem the tears. The stress must have finally
caught up with her though, because she couldn’t stop them, or the shakes that
gripped her. Slowly, so slowly she could feel her heartbeat between each step
he took, he eased closer.

When she didn’t move he wrapped his arms around her to pull
her against his chest. Even through the heavy coat she wore, she could feel his
heat. This was something else she’d missed, how
warm
some shifters were.

She leaned into him slightly and that seemed to be all the
encouragement he needed to truly gather her in. One of his arms around her
shoulders, his hand still stroking her hair, the other arm around her waist, he
just held her as she fell apart. If safety had a scent, it was Gareth. She
wanted to just stand there and be with him all night.

As she sniffled her way back to some sort of sanity he handed
her a soft bandana that she used to wipe her face. Still enclosed in the circle
of his arms, she raised her head to thank him but the words stuck in her
throat.

She could feel his strength through the gentleness with
which he held her. The patch covering his right eye rested just above his
cheekbone, so she could see the strong lines of his face. His clean aroma
pulled her in and without volition her thumb moved up to touch his bottom lip.
He made a sound deep in his chest and she raised her eyes again. The hunger on
his face nearly caused her to flee but he somehow sensed that too. She knew, as
all of those raised in a Pack knew, that she would have to make the first move
if she wanted to experience that hunger.

Covering her hand with one of his, he tilted his head,
moving his face closer but still giving her plenty of time to pull away, turn
away, to move out of the circle of his arms. She didn’t do any of that. Instead
she gripped a fistful of his shirt at his back, pulling him closer, and stood
on tiptoe to kiss him.

A heartbeat, a startled breath and then he was kissing her
back. And in a way she’d never been kissed. Despite the strength in his body,
his lips were gentle. She could feel, honestly feel, him holding back. It had
to be the stress because she didn’t want that. For once she wanted to kiss a
man without wondering when he was going to hit her. For once she wanted to take
control. So she did.

Opening her mouth under his, she traced the seam of his lips
with her tongue until he yielded to her then she thrust her tongue into his
mouth. He tasted of coffee, of cherry pie. She wanted more. She inhaled him
deeply, letting the pine embed itself into her scent memory.

Wrapping both of her arms around him, she pulled him even
closer, tilting her hips to feel the hardness of his body against hers. Harmony
wanted to just give in to this feeling. With a low growl Gareth lifted her so
that she could wrap her legs around his body. He turned so that she felt the
wood of the building against her back. Gareth’s heat poured into her as he
levered his body against hers.

She should have been afraid since he held her so securely,
his hands hot against her thighs, his body tight against hers. But how could
she feel fear when his mouth was still so damn gentle? She reveled in their
kisses, her hands stroking his shoulders even as she kissed him for all she was
worth. She felt his erection at the juncture of her thighs. Her own body
softened against his. The smell of her arousal rose. She felt a low growl
rumble through his body and into hers. Still he let her lead, her body trembling
with the heat of the kiss.