ChangingPaths (18 page)

Last one back’s a rotten egg!
She took off through
the woods, running as fast as she could. She could hear Gareth laughing in her
head as he gave chase. She slowed down at the edge of the clearing. The
first-time shifters were all in the center of the circle. At her hesitation,
Gareth nudged her to join the others. She trembled slightly but found Keme, who
leaned into her, making her feel safe again.

The drummers started up again. Gareth encouraged them all to
come back to their human selves. Rion helped with the occasional comment. As
her friends all regained their human shapes, Rain closed her eyes. She thought
about her own body. She thought about fingers and toes, a short nose and human
ears, a butt instead of a tail.

She didn’t want to open her eyes to find out that she was
still a wolf. Sternly she told herself that she wasn’t going to panic like an
idiot again. The first clue she had that she’d succeeded was the shiver that
went across her entire body. She hadn’t been cold at all when she was a wolf
but now she was
freezing
!

Opening her eyes, she saw Olivia standing in front of her
smiling. The Alpha’s mate held clothes out to her. “Congratulations, Rain
Softly Johnson. You’re a shapeshifter.”

Rain laughed as she took the clothes to pull them on as fast
as she could. She dropped to the ground to pull her socks and shoes on. When
she looked up again, Keme stood there holding out his hand. She placed her hand
in his so he pulled her to her feet. Her belly did a funny little roll at how
strong Keme was.

“How are you feeling?” The question made her forget about
everything else.

“I’m starving!” Rain’s stomach gave a growl as if
punctuating the truth.

He laughed then turned them both toward the center of the
circle where Micah now stood, holding both hands high in the air. Everyone
around them got quiet, waiting to hear what he would say. Rain watched as he
turned slowly around, meeting the eyes of every new shifter. When he got to her
she took a deep breath and swallowed hard, keeping her eyes on his as Gareth
had told them all to do. Later they’d show their respect to him as Alpha, but
for now it was time for him to acknowledge them all.

“My family, my Pack, let us welcome our new Moon-Called to
the circle with us. As your Alpha I am honored to share this Gathering with all
of you. I now ask you to join me in this blessing of the Pack.”

Micah spread his upheld arms wide as he turned to face the
moon. “Under this full moon we ask for the blessings of the elders upon us. Let
Father Sky and Mother Earth be pleased with our healthy young, our growing family.
Let us remember that Creator in all His forms shines down on us tonight as we
walk our sacred paths as Pack.
Ahau
!”

Rain held her own arms up like the others to call out “
Ahau.
”

Keme bumped her shoulder with a grin. “You’re Pack now.
Family.”

Micah turned back to the gathered shifters with a wide
smile. His wife stepped to his side to be encircled by one massive arm. Rain
wondered how that would feel—to be someone’s chosen. She sighed softly. Keme
must have heard. His hand reached out for hers as the Alpha spoke again.

“Now, let us all go to the lodge. I am sure you all know
there will be plenty of food and fellowship. Everyone is invited.” When he said
this he faced the drummers who Rain knew to be like her mom, Moon-Denied. They
broke into a smooth rhythm that had many of the shifters half-dancing as they
moved out of the circle.

That brought her back to reality with a thump. Mom couldn’t
do this. She’d never know this feeling. She’d never run with the others
smelling the air, the trees, the earth the way Rain could. Her mom was Denied.
Why? Rain felt the tears welling in her eyes but when she tried to pull away
from Keme he tugged on her hand.

“Rain? What’s wrong?” His honey-brown eyes searched her
face.

Looking away, she pulled her hand again. “Let go, please.”

“Tell me what’s wrong.” He put his hand under her chin
gently, tilting her head back. “What is it? Did you hurt yourself out there?
Did someone bug you?”

“No, it’s…Mom.” Her voice skipped as the hurt surged up. She
didn’t want to cry but everything felt so much bigger. What if her mom decided
she didn’t want to be around her because she could shift? Emotions flooded her
as the tears began trailing down her cheeks.

He pulled her closer. The feeling of his arms wrapped around
her helped. She leaned into his chest with her face looking toward the moon. So
full, so bright, so beautiful. Why couldn’t her mom be a part of this? Keme
hugged her tight. He whispered against her hair, “You’re just sad that she can’t
do this?”

Rain nodded. The warmth of his hand smoothing down her hair
felt good. Some of the tension inside her eased as she turned her face into his
chest. A soft rumble made her feel safer. Her arms eased around his waist. He
laid his head on hers as he squeezed her gently again.

“Rain, don’t you know how proud she’ll be of you? This is
why she brought you back here. So we could all be with you. So you would know
what it meant to be part of a Pack. She’ll be so happy for you.” His jaw moved
on her head as he spoke.

Rain sniffled again then nodded. “You’re right. She will be
happy for me. She wanted me to shift.”

She lifted her head and looked up at Keme. “You always know
just what to say, don’t you?”

When he smiled Rain felt her belly dip as if she were on a
rollercoaster. The scent of hazelnut deepened until there was a hint of
something else…maybe wood. It was dark and a bit scary. Not “knife-wielding murderer”
scary. More like “her heart might have just left her body” scary. His eyes
locked with hers. For a moment they just stared.

Then she did something she never thought she would. She went
up on her tiptoes and kissed him, right on the mouth. Oh his mouth was so soft.
She felt his gasp of surprise but then he kissed her back. His arms tightened
around her but when she leaned back he let her go immediately.

He didn’t look so sure of himself now. She couldn’t help the
laugh that bubbled out of her. As he opened his mouth to say something another
person stepped up. Alicia grabbed her hand and pulled.

“Come on! All the fry bread will be gone if we don’t hurry.”

Rain laughed then ran toward the lodge with the other girls.
She looked back once to see Keme standing right where she’d left him, a smile
on his face and the fingers of his right hand touching his lips. She turned her
head, smiling and laughing with the others. There was more shoulder bumping,
more teasing remarks as the teens streaked toward the food.

Gareth shook his head as he walked toward Keme. He’d seen
the lip-lock Rain had planted on the young man. Even with the protective urge toward
Rain, he had a feeling that he knew exactly how Keme felt. If Rain packed as
big a wallop as her mom, the guy was feeling that kiss all the way to his toes.

“Keme? You okay?” He couldn’t help the grin that crossed his
face as Keme dropped his hand and turned toward him.

“When we’re older I’m going to marry Rain Johnson.” The boy
spoke with a mix of awe and fierce determination.

He clapped him on the shoulder. “You do that, pup. Just
treat her with respect. And try not to let her lead you by the tail. You look
as though you just got hit by a train.” He laughed as he rubbed his other hand
over the mating mark on his chest. He kept laughing as they made their way back
to the lodge.

Harmony bit her lip as Rain left the house with some of the
other girls from the res. In the three days since her first shift Rain had
opened up a great deal, making even more friends among the other girls. Keme
had been a constant at their place too. He walked Rain home from the lodge
after her shift in housekeeping ended. He stayed for supper as often as not.
They studied with other kids at the cabin or at other homes. And, of course, he
took her to school every morning.

Even though she still worried about Rain getting too serious
too fast, she knew Keme was not going to be a man like her ex. Gareth had told
her about the exchange he’d had with the younger man after the Gathering and
how serious Keme had been. Harmony had gotten a good laugh out of the image of
her daughter kissing the shifter boy into stupid. Then she’d gotten more than
laughter when Gareth had asked her to do the same to him.

Taking a deep breath, she jerked out of her reverie.
Standing completely still, she stared out into the woods nearest the road. A
sour stench, barely discernible, hung in the air. Was that really Tom’s scent?
Why couldn’t she remember him smelling that bad? There’d been no word or action
from him since their last encounter. She held on to her prayer that he’d just
gone away. That had never been part of his agenda but one could hope. The scent
drifted away, if it had even been there in the first place. Harmony shook
herself hard. Then she shut the door, double-checking the lock.

Now the comforting scents of her home surrounded her. Rain’s
sweet gardenia, Gareth’s clean pine, the vanilla and cinnamon candles she had
burning in the living room. From the kitchen the aroma of pot roast in the slow
cooker and the bread baking in the oven wafted toward her. To some it might
seem too much. To her it smelled like home. Gareth and Rion would be here for
dinner soon.

She couldn’t help it. Her mating bond ached, she knew they
would be leaving the next morning. He’d promised to return as quickly as
possible. Still, without knowing exactly what was wrong with his mother, there
was no telling how long he might be gone. She touched the mark on her neck then
smiled. There really was no doubt that he would return. The Alpha had even
given his blessing to their mating the day after the Gathering. Now Willow and
Rain came up with new ideas daily for the wedding that would soon follow.

She turned the light on in the oven to check the bread. Just
a few more minutes and she’d take that out. The crockpot had already been
turned to low. She checked the rice cooker to make sure that would be done as
well. Peas on the stove just needed a last-minute warming. She slipped her
apron off.

As soon as Gareth and Rion got there she’d put everything on
the table. She’d gone into town that morning to mail off the set of
illustrations she’d been working on since they’d arrived in Wisconsin. She had
already received another contract from the same children’s publisher, so she
would start on those after Gareth left. She would need something to keep her
occupied since Rain was so excited about her new abilities. In her heart she
admitted to a tinge of jealousy there.

The sound of male voices drifted to her. Harmony looked out
the kitchen window, smiling at the sight that met her gaze. Gareth and Rion
walked side by side through the yard. One twin hip-checked the other then
ducked the playful cuff that came his way. They’d really made great strides in
rebuilding their relationship. Her happiness for their reconnection brought a
tightness to her chest. Laughing, she rubbed it away. She was so happy for both
of them. Just then Gareth looked right at her and she caught her breath. He
smiled before turning his attention back to his brother.

She watched them embrace. Wait. What? Her brow wrinkled in
confusion when Rion waved at her before wandering back into the woods. It
looked as if he was moving toward the lodge. Gareth watched him for a minute
then lifted his head. She knew he was scenting the air. He did it every night
before coming inside.

Apparently satisfied that nothing was out of place, he came
up on the back porch. She saw his nod of approval when he had to use his key to
open the door. Watching his muscles ripple as he took off his jacket and toed
off his boots never got old. It simply made her skin tingle. This gorgeous
shifter was all hers.

“Isn’t Rion coming for dinner?” She smiled at him. Turning,
she pulled the fresh bread from the oven to let it rest on the rack. His arms
came around her from behind as he nuzzled at her neck. She arched up to meet
his lips.

“Nope.” He nipped at her shoulder, making her quiver.

She tried for a stern tone. “I thought he was. I made all
this food.”

“Babe, you live with two shifters, it’ll get eaten. Where is
Rain, by the way?” His rumbling laugh shook against her back.

“Gone to the res with some of the girls. Another movie night,
she said but I’m sure they’re planning to sneak out of the meeting hall to go
running through the woods. At least that’s what the shifter kids used to do when
I was her age. I went to the movies. She won’t be home until the morning.”
Somehow the memory didn’t bring up as much pain when she had him with her.

He slid his hands under her sweatshirt. For a moment he kept
them there. She reveled in the warmth of his touch. Then she moaned as his skin
slid against hers. He moved up her abdomen to play with the edge of her bra. “So…we’re
all alone tonight?”

“I can call Willow over if you don’t feel safe being alone
with me.” She smiled as she leaned back into him, tilting her head so he could
reach her neck better.

“You might need to. I’m scared of what my mate might do to
me. You almost killed me last night.” He slid one hand under her bra to cup her
breast. His thumb played lazily across her already erect nipple. The other hand
he stroked back down her stomach. His fingers splayed against her abdomen a
moment. She felt her heart leap. They hadn’t talked about children of their
own. Then he reached into the waistband of the soft yoga pants she wore.

“Have I mentioned how much I love these pants?” He easily
slid his hand beneath her panties. Her moan earned her a soft kiss on her
shoulder before he started teasingly playing with her pussy lips.

She laughed, reaching up to cup the back of his head with
one of her hands. She reached back with the other to stroke his already
straining cock. “I believe you might have said something along those lines once
or twice.”

“Have I mentioned how much more I love them when you’re not
wearing them?” He stepped back long enough to yank the pants and panties down
over her hips. She whined when his hard body pulled away from her back. He
soothed her with a kiss on the small of her back. Then as he pushed her
sweatshirt up as he stood, she found herself hot from head to toe. Unhooking
her bra, she removed it then watched the lace flutter to the floor. Turning to
face him, she toed the pile of discarded clothes out of the way. She loved the
look on his face. That special expression that was meant for her and her alone.

“I believe you might have said that a time or two.” Then she
nodded at him. “You have too many clothes on, mister.”

He pulled his own shirt off over his head then dropped it
beside hers. He fumbled a bit, undoing his jeans, so she teased, “Gareth,
dinner is ready.”

“Later. I have a different hunger to satisfy first that only
my mate can fill.” His jeans hit the floor just before he pulled her into his
arms. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed his chin as he stroked up and
down her back. She breathed in deeply. The pine scent had entered that dark,
lovely smell she now knew meant that he wanted her. As much as she wanted him
he wanted her too.

Emotion tightened her chest again. She drew back to look at
him. To just see that beautiful face. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, babe.” He leaned into her for a scorching
kiss, then backed up, leaned over to put his shoulder at her waist. Then he
stood, slinging her over his shoulder. She smacked his ass as he turned. There
was only one place they were headed now. She just barely grabbed at the
crockpot to switch it off.

“Hey! Put me down! I can walk.”

“You say that now but I plan to make sure neither of us will
be able to walk by sunrise.”

With that promise—or threat—he tossed her on the bed. As the
quilt bundled around them he stooped down to latch on to her nipple. Sucking
hard and pinching the other one between his calloused fingers, he moaned. She
lifted into his caresses, her hips undulating. As he moved onto the bed fully,
she spread her legs, wrapping them around his hips. Her hands smoothed then
fisted as he nipped on first one nipple then the other.

She untied the string of his patch to toss it on the bedside
table before threading her fingers back into his hair. He slid down her body,
licking, biting, even sucking on his way to the juncture of her thighs. Her
pussy was already softening, getting wet.

Much like the first time they’d made love, her mate pushed
her thighs apart to feast on her pussy. His tongue felt like velvet as he
trailed kisses on her inner thighs. He used his fingers to hold her open—to
hold her down. Teeth grazed her clit, dragging a shuddering near-scream from
her as her first orgasm took her up and over.

She rode the waves of sensual pleasure as he pressed his
tongue into her. His hair covered her belly and thighs, so she indulged herself
in stroking it as he continued to stroke her pussy with his talented tongue.
Arching as much as she could, she urged him to go deeper, harder, faster. He
refused.

He knew now just how to touch her, just how to push her to
satisfy her best. His fingers and tongue were everywhere. She held tight to his
silky hair, pulling him tighter against her body as she bucked her hips under
his tender assault. He lifted his head to smile at her as her pussy clenched
and jumped from the second climax.

“You. Are. Making. Me. Crazy.” The words clipped out on
ragged breaths as she tried to reclaim some control.

“I know.” That was all he said as he licked her sensitive
clit. Her sobbing moan won her his laughter vibrating on her aching pussy. Then
he softly soothed her for a few minutes with long, slow, delicious licks that
soon had her begging for more. This man could have anything he wanted.

He lifted his eyes, loving the sight of his woman, his mate
as she tilted her head back onto the pillow. Her eyes were closed, her mouth
open and her chin trembling as he thrust his tongue into the warmth of her
body. Her taste filled his mouth as her sweet honeysuckle scent filled his
senses. He wanted that scent all over his body. He wanted to stay in bed with
her until the sun came up. He loved the way she jumped when his nose bumped her
hard clit.

Turning his attention back to his self-appointed task, he
used his thumbs to open her gorgeous pussy. All pink and swollen, wet, warm and
welcoming his attentions. He trailed his fingers down then into her body,
pulling some of her moisture out, before covering her with his mouth. Licking
sucking, even biting gently, he got her clit even harder until it throbbed in
his mouth.

He slowly pushed three fingers into her, curling them up to
hit the soft, spongy spot. He focused on her G-spot as he stroked it,
alternating between fast and slow, soft and hard. She squirmed under him,
panting as she yanked at his hair. He loved that feeling. Loved that he could
get her that much out of control.

Sliding his thumb just inside her entrance to coat it with
her moisture, he trailed that silky wetness down to her asshole. Sucking hard
at her clit while thrusting his fingers deeper into her pussy, he increased his
strokes as he slowly slid his thumb into her ass. She screamed out her third
climax. Her juices flowed over his tongue. He growled as he eagerly licked her
pussy.

Gareth felt her body convulsing as he moved fast up her
body. He growled again as his wolf rose to the surface to claim this woman, his
mate, again. He shoved his aching, throbbing, rock-hard cock into her. The wet
warmth very nearly had him coming before his first stroke. Pinching at the base
of his cock, he fought off his own orgasm. He made shallow thrusts into her
pussy until he knew he wasn’t going to spill like a pup with his first female.

Rumbling low in his throat again, he moved both hands up to
cup her face as he slammed his cock into her. “Open your eyes, Harmony. Look at
me. Open your eyes, babe.”

She lifted heavy lids to look at him, her gorgeous brown
eyes glistening as she panted in time with his thrusts. He knew his wolf was
close to the surface, knew his eye would be more silver now than blue as he
fucked his mate, claiming her again and again. He wanted his scent all over her
too. Wanted her to feel him tomorrow just as she felt him now.

His cock pounded with his heart as he drove into her hot
pussy.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
It was all his brain could think as she writhed
wantonly beneath him. Her hands dug into his shoulders. The sharp, welcoming
pain as her nails bit into him caused him to throw his head back on a guttural
howl. It was her name. Just her name on his cry as his balls tightened. He
claimed her mouth with his as he bowed his body. Nothing else, just this woman,
his woman and hot, passionate love.

They came together screaming into each other’s mouths.
Bodies dripping with sweat, the two clung to each other. As the air settled
around them he heard her very softly say, “I don’t want you to go.”

He rolled over so she lay on top of him. Soothing his hands
down her spine, he let her talk.

“I know it’s selfish. I just can’t stand the thought of you
being away from me. I’d beg you to take me with you if I wasn’t worried about
Rain and…” her voice trailed off but she tugged at him to hold her harder,
tighter.