Adrian (3 page)

A
fter I finish getting dressed
, Annie hands me a glass of wine and tells me to go into the living room while she tends to dinner. I walk into a large room that is open two stories high and over to the sitting area formed by three oversized couches in a semicircle. I sink down next to Adrian as he asks, “How was it?”

I sigh as I lean into him. I need the comfort of my mate because I’m freaking out on the inside and know I have to keep it together until later. “I feel like I just had a massage.”

He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I glance at Tori. The only two people a werebear can communicate telepathically with are their mate and their alpha. She speaks in my head.
“Warrior, huh?”

I glare at her.
“What the hell, Tori? Am I supposed to become your trained assassin or something?”

“Of course not.”
She stands and says, “I’m going to show Ginny the gardens.”

When we get outside, I notice the temperature has dropped as evening approaches. Neither of us put on a coat, and I wrap my arms around myself as we walk toward a fountain that is surrounded by bright color. Tori says, “Look. I’m sure finding out you’re a warrior is freaking you out right now.”

“Ya think? How can that even be possible?” I’ve always been the family peacemaker. Heck, I was the one who usually smoothed things over in our friend group too. Until I became a werebear, I could count on my hand the number of times I got really mad. Teaching me to fight would be like teaching Tori how to sing -- some things just can’t happen.

“I’m not sure.” Tori stops and steps in front of me so we’re facing each other. She grips my arms lightly. “Ginny, I know this is going to sound crazy, because believe me, I never thought I’d be an alpha. We’re given these gifts for a reason. I don’t know what this means for you, but destiny has a plan.”

I yank my arms out of her grasp and say, “No. Don’t give me that lame ‘a greater power has a plan’ excuse because something bad happened. It’s nice for those that believe. But when you don’t...” Tears sting in my eyes because coming to Orono didn’t make things better. Somehow everything has gotten worse. I take a shaky breath and say, “I’m here to learn to control my shift, and that’s it.”

“Of course, and you will. I’d never force you to do something you don’t want to do.” Tori links her arm with mine and starts to walk us back to the house as she says, “I’m not sure, but I think there’s more to this than we realize. For now, just be happy you have amazing new reflexes and can shift faster than Superman, okay?”

I snap back, “I’d rather be Wonder Woman!”

Tori grins as she leans against me. “You’re freaking Black Widow.”

I offer her a wry smile as I realize I’m taking my anger out on her. “That works.”

By the time I finish a glass of wine and we sit down for dinner, I’ve managed to get over myself. Even if my bear is a warrior, I realize it doesn’t mean I have to exercise that strength. Adrian knows I’m upset, but I told him I’d explain everything later. I’m afraid I’m going to break down in tears, and I want to be alone with my mate when that happens, because I’m going to need his comfort. He’s next to me, and his hand rests on my thigh as he reaches for the wine bottle. Burgundy liquid splashes in my glass as he refills my goblet, and Annie tells us a story about finding their three little girls having a food fight one morning.

I bite into the cheesy goodness of lasagna, and as if on cue three blond girls come running into the kitchen. A woman about my age, who I guess is the babysitter, stands in the doorway as the girls hug and kiss their parents goodnight. I gaze at Adrian and think about how some day we’ll have children that do the same. I’m barely old enough to imagine getting married, but the amazing thing about a true mate bond is it’s for life, and I can fantasize about the years to come for us with the knowledge that they probably will.

A yawn escapes before I can hide it, and Annie asks, “The tension’s gone, isn’t it?”

“It’s amazing. I haven’t felt this great since--” I realize only Tori would get what I was about to say, but Annie finishes my sentence for me anyway.

“Since you were changed.”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

Tristan says, “I imagine this has been quite unsettling for you. Having everything you thought you knew change in a matter of weeks isn’t easy to accept.” His gaze is serious but not as cold as before, and I think he’s referring to how the De Rozier clan moved to Maine to save themselves. I place my hand over Adrian’s as I think about how we never would have met if it hadn’t been for their glacier melting. I suppose some drastic changes do bring good.

Adrian says, “Sometimes it brings you wonderful surprises. Coming here was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

I turn to gaze into his eyes, and the love I see makes my heart want to burst. I say, “Me too.” I speak to him telepathically.
“No matter how upset I am about this, I’d do it all again to have you.”

Adrian tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and his touch makes my insides quiver with desire as he says,
“Me too, babe. Me too.”

Tori clears her throat, and I turn to glare at her as I communicate with my alpha sister in a snippy tone.
“You and Keith don’t have sex anymore?”

She grins at me as she says, “I think we should get back. Some of us need to get to
bed
.”

I roll my eyes at her as we stand. What I really need is to play music. It’s the best way I know to deal with what troubles me, and I recall the grand piano I saw at Tori’s. I wonder how soundproof the room is and then decide I can always ask to play when we get back so I don’t wake anyone.

When we arrive at the Veilleux mansion, I announce my plan. Keith says to Adrian, “I have a nice scotch if you’re interested,” and the guys retreat to Keith’s study. A teapot clatters on the stove as Tori turns on the burner and says, “Don’t step on the muffle thingy. I miss hearing you play.”

I grin at her because she purposely pretends she doesn’t have a clue about music, and I say, “Fine,” before I leave her to walk down the hall. My footsteps disrupt the silence of the grand space when I get there. I flip a switch, and a large crystal chandelier illuminates the room. I lower the dimmer so that it glows and make my way to the piano. The wood is smooth under my hand as I drag my fingers along the top and seat myself at the padded bench. Someone must have liked to play in the Veilleux family, because the seat is designed for comfort, and I sink into the cushion as I flex my digits. The key cover clunks as I lift it, and I stroke the keys lightly to feel the smooth ivories before I begin to play.

I start off with simple scales to warm up and notice the piano must have been tuned lately, because the tone is true. I start off with Beethoven’s
Fantasia
. I love the way the notes spill out in bursts, but each time I get to one of the scales, I realize my fingers move too quickly. I sigh and stop to relax before frustration takes over. I hadn’t noticed anyone had entered the room, and when a coaster clatters on top of the piano followed by a glass thumping, I glance up at Adrian. He seats himself next to me without a word and begins to play Beethoven’s
Contra Dance
, which is a beginning duet most piano students would know.

He sets the tempo, and I join in. I realize he’s trying to help me with the pace, and I bump him in thanks as we play. I turn it into a game and change the song on him. Tori and Keith have come to watch as he chases after me while I lead him through all the music I can remember from my childhood lessons. I glance at Tori and wink when I turn the tune to
Chopsticks
. Adrian chuckles as he keeps playing, and the next thing I know we’re competing for speed. I ramp up the movement of my fingers steadily, and Adrian stops as I watch my hands in amazement. The notes are so quick now that they almost blend together, and Keith says, “Whoa.”

I can’t seem to stop, and I let the music take me away as I move my hands up and down the keys at a speed I hardly believe is possible.
Oh my god.
I stop, and silence slaps me in the face with my realization. “My reflexes.”

Adrian grins at me as he says, “I think you just kicked my ass.”

I launch into the new song Aleck wrote that was giving me trouble. I let my fingers do what they want, and it’s almost as if the less I focus on making them move quickly, the easier it is for them to flow. I let the song take me away as happiness fills me with warmth.

When I’m done, Tori smiles at me. “This is your new gift, Ginny. Use it wisely.”

I nod at her as tears fill my eyes. Adrian puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his chest. “Babe, why are you crying?”

I shake my head and whisper, “I don’t know.” But I do know. I’m crying because I’ve spent the last month hating my new state. I was sure that becoming a werebear was a curse I had to endure to have the love of my life, and now I know that if I had only let the change happen instead of fighting it every step of the way, I would have realized that it isn’t. I gaze through a watery veil into Adrian’s face. “Thank you.”

“Hey, you’re welcome, but I’m not sure what I did.”

I sniff and say, “You found me.” I touch his cheek, and he leans down to kiss me. Tori clears her throat again, and I flip her off as I keep kissing Adrian.

She says, “Yeah, just take it upstairs. I don’t want to think about you two on this piano. Okay?”

Adrian breaks our kiss and winks at me. “There’s a great big bed in our room. I sure am
tired
.”

I chuckle as I let him lead me away.

I
spent
three days immersing myself in the ways of werebear. I learned more about our abilities, and that for me it’s important to let my bear out on a regular basis. Apparently my warrior traits mean I’ve become physical in nature, and it was recommended I satisfy my need to fight by taking some kind of class like kickboxing. When I balked at that, Tori reminded me that it’s always a good idea for women to take a self-defense class. Looking at it in that light helped, and I promised I’d find something.

When we got back to Brunswick, I noticed our apartment had a shiny new door. Aleck and Aaron must have taken care of it while we were gone, and I decide that I’ll make them cookies this afternoon as a thank-you. Adrian had to go in for a security shift at the college, and music plays in the background as Aleck tinkers with a new song in the living room. A bowl clatters on the countertop as I gather supplies to bake. I’m not quite sure what Aaron is doing, but I guess it involves a girl. He’s enjoying himself immensely with the college’s female population since few women can refuse a sexy drummer.

When I reach for the sugar, I notice the canister is light and open it to discover I don’t have enough for my cookies. Considering the sisters that share our duplex come over for something almost every day so they can flirt with the male occupants of my house, I figure they owe me, so I grab my measuring cup and head on over.

I ring the bell and shift from foot to foot as I wait. Maggie peers through the lace curtain at me before she opens the door to say, “Goodness, Ginny. What a surprise.”

I hold out my measuring cup and say, “I’ve run out of sugar. I don’t suppose I could borrow a cup from you?”

“Of course. Come right on in.” She lets me by and yells loudly enough that I jump, “Colleen! We have company!”

Maggie leads me into the kitchen and opens a cabinet to pull down coffee filters. I guess I’m here for a visit. I smile as I set my measuring cup down and take a seat at the small kitchen table as she says, “You know, I see so much of the boys, but my sister and I barely know you.”

“Well, there’s no time like the present.” It’s not as though I have anything else to do considering I’m no longer enrolled in classes.

Colleen shuffles in and grins at me with a set of perfect teeth that must be dentures. “Why, how good of you to come by.” She sits across from me and winks. “Living with all those boys. Oh, how I wish we could have done that in our day.”

I smile back. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” I scowl dramatically. “We do share a bathroom.”

Colleen frowns back. “Oh my, I hadn’t considered that.”

Coffee gurgles and drips into the pot as Maggie joins us. “Pity about the door, but brothers do like to roughhouse.”

I nod, grateful that she doesn’t know it was actually me that smashed through it. Colleen says, “Adrian tells me you’re going to be a doctor.” She pats my hand with her papery-smooth one. “That’s something. Do you know what kind?”

“Surgery interests me the most right now.”

Colleen gasps as she glances at Maggie. “Did you hear that? A surgeon.”

I can’t help but chuckle when the women do. These two are adorable, and I’m beginning to see why my roommates like them so much. I ask, “Have you two always lived here?”

Maggie says, “We sure have.” They share the story of how they both married young and lived only houses apart as they raised their families, and when they both were widowed within a year of each other, they bought this house together and turned it into a duplex. I smile at the way they finish each other’s sentences, and it makes me think of my sisters. I hope we’re still this close in our golden years.

I swallow down the last of my weak cup of coffee as Colleen says, “So as you can see, we love being around young people.”

I say, “The boys love being around you. They think you’re quite special.”

Maggie grabs my hand and squeezes with her bony fingers. “You are sweet. You really must come over again.” She stands and takes my measuring cup. “Sugar, you say?”

“Yes, please, and I’d love to visit again. Maybe next time you stop by I’ll be there.”

I glance at Colleen, and she avoids my gaze. I think she might even blush a little, and I hold back my laugh. I want to assure her that Adrian would still flirt in front of me. Maggie hands me my sugar, and I thank them before I let myself out.

When I get back to my side of the house, Aaron is home and sitting at the table with his laptop. He’s in a tight T-shirt to show off his full sleeves of tattoos. I say, “Hey, I just visited your girlfriends next door.”

“Cute, aren’t they?”

“They are.” Sugar rushes as I dump it into my bowl, and my whisk scrapes as I begin to mix. “Thanks for fixing the door. I feel so stupid for breaking it the way I did.”

Aaron says, “No worries. We all get it, you know.” He’s scrolling through something on his screen as he talks.

I nod. “I’m beginning to understand that.”

“Whoa. Check it.” Aaron’s computer scrapes against the table as he turns it toward me, and I see a YouTube video of us at our last show, back when I was still human. “Look at how many hits we’ve gotten, and what’s uber sweet is the most-liked comment advertises our gig tomorrow night.”

“Wow.” This is great news, but my heart rate increases as I begin to worry. What if I freak out on stage and start to shift? I’d been avoiding the reality of tomorrow night, but now I need a plan, because turning into a bear in front of a huge crowd would so not be good. The bones in my bottom thud when I drop into the chair across from Aaron.

“Hey, you okay?”

I shake my head. “What if I shift?”

He nods at me slowly, and I notice his spiked hair must be full of gel, because it doesn’t move. “We need a plan.” He waves at my bowl. “Don’t stop making the cookies, girl. We’ll think of something.”

I stand up and roll my eyes at him. Aaron’s not the type to worry about anything except maybe where his next meal is coming from, and I should have known he wouldn’t be much help. I communicate with Adrian.
“Hey, got a minute?”

“What’s up?”

Bright light from the fridge illuminates me as I grab two eggs.
“We need to figure out what to do tomorrow night in case I start to shift on stage.”

“But you won’t. What could possibly frustrate you or make you mad?”

I sigh. Why don’t these guys take me seriously?
“I don’t know, Adrian. But I’m not going to stop worrying until we have a strategy, so think on it.”

“Will do, babe. Love you.”

“I love you too.”

I listen to the music coming from the living room while I finish mixing the batter. As I spoon out the dough, I decide I need to ask Aleck for help. He’s not going to like it, but I think he needs to be my pinch hitter. The cookie sheet clatters as I place it in the oven, and I take a deep breath as I walk toward him.

He’s using my keyboard, and a pencil is stuck behind his ear as he plays. I sit across from him and wait until Aleck is ready to talk. He looks up immediately.

I wring my hands as I say, “I have a huge favor to ask you.”

“You’re worried about shifting on stage.”

“Yeah.” I frown. “How did you know?”

Aleck shrugs. “Because I would be if I were you.”

“So what do you think we should do?”

“Well, I can be backstage right near you and drag you off if you start to shift.” He says it in a stoic manner as if the answer is obvious.

“You’d do that for me?”

Now it’s Aleck’s turn to frown as he says, “Yes.”

“And you realize you’d probably have to play for me too, right?”

He nods, and I lean over to kiss his cheek. The girls are going to go wild over Aleck’s brainiac appearance and quiet ways. He’s going to get unwanted attention, and I hope he’s okay with the sacrifice he’s making for me. “Thank you. I know the idea of being on stage is something you hate, and I promise I’m not going to shift if I can help it.”

He stares at me, and I back away as I bite my tongue to keep from asking him to tell me what he’s thinking. As I turn around to leave, Aleck says, “I don’t mind, Ginny. You’d do it for me.”

I keep walking as a big grin covers my face. He’s so getting more cookies than Aaron.