CupidRocks (18 page)

“It’s really perfect. How did you know?”

“It called to me.”

“You bought it at Feldspar’s didn’t you?”

“Had you seen it there?”

“No, but they often talk about how a piece will call
someone.”

“Well, this one called me.” He took a deep breath and
glanced at Eddie, who nodded. “There was one other thing I had to give you.” He
stood and went over by the piano. He picked up his Hauser and checked the
tuning. Then he sat down in front of Mandy and strummed a chord.

“I wrote this last night. For now, it’s called
Mandy’s
Song
.”

He closed his eyes and sang his love song to his True Mate,
letting her know how overwhelmed he felt by her. How she changed his life. And
how, from this moment forward, his life was blessed. All because of her.

When he finished he opened his eyes. She was staring at the
ring on her hand. Oh God. She hated it. He saw a teardrop fall and hit the
ring. Shit. It was awful. Damn it. He shouldn’t have played it for her here.
Then she looked up and met his gaze. Tears streaked her cheeks and everything
she felt for him was in her gaze. All the hope. The longing. The love. He set
his guitar aside and she threw herself into his arms, pressing wet kisses all
over his face.

“That was beautiful, Joe. Thank you.”

He smiled and hugged her. He heard a sniff and looked up.
Both Carly and his mother were crying and even the other guys, including his
father, had moist eyes. Jules looked behind the tree.

“Looks like we missed one, bro.” He looked at the tag. “And
it’s for you.”

Mandy reached for it, but Joe’s reach was longer and he took
it from his brother.

“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She brushed tears
off her face while her face reddened.

“Looks like a picture,” Joe said. “Is it one of those
boudoir things?” He waggled his brows.

“No. You don’t have to.” She reached for it again and he
pushed her hands away.

“It’s for me and I want to open it.”

He pulled at the ribbons, tugging them off and shredded the
paper. He moved aside the bubble wrap covering the image and blinked. He
studied it and ran his fingers over the glass. It was a photo…of
him
from the concert the other night.

He cradled his Les Paul close while he stood above the crowd
on the stage. His face was ecstatic, filled with joy as he made the Gibson
sing. His lips curved. There was energy in the shot, yet it looked old-fashioned
because of the color tones Mandy had used.

“This is really amazing,” he said softly. He looked at her.
“Is this how you see me?”

She nodded, biting her lip. “Do you like it?”

He smiled. “Yes, angel. It’s really wonderful. You captured
something.” He shook his head. “I didn’t know I looked like this. That it was
so obvious how much I love to entertain.”

“You’re not just saying it? You really like it?”

He nodded. He caught her hand and pulled her close to give
her a hug.

“Well, what’s it look like?” Carly asked. He turned it
around so they could see it.

Eddie nodded. “That’s you, bro. She caught you. It’s like
you’re naked.”

Joe’s face heated. “I’m not naked, Eddie.”

“Might as well be.” The older wolf grinned. “Nice work,
punkin.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“It’s really beautiful. I never thought I’d want a picture
of myself, you know. But this is special. You really see
me
, and that
means everything.”

She leaned close to kiss him again. “I do see you and that’s
why I love you.”

Mandy rubbed the tears off her cheek and looked at the ring
on her finger then she looked back at Joe. He just kept staring at the photo.
He ran his finger over it. Joe looked back at her and blushed.

“I never knew I looked like that. I actually look good.”

“You always did.”

The timer dinged in the kitchen. “Time for breakfast
everyone!”

After breakfast, Maria helped Mandy put together a nice
chicken dinner while Carly watched. Eddie and Joe took the other males to the
studio to show it off.

“Did Joe surprise you?” Carly asked.

“With the ring?” Mandy had taken it off and set it on the
counter while she put the stuffing together. Maria worked on the side dishes.

“The ring, yes.”

“It’s beautiful. He really thought about me and what I might
like.”

“And the song?”

Mandy cleared her throat. “I knew he was talented but I
didn’t expect anything like that.”

“It’s a beautiful song,” Carly commented.

“Yes, it is.”

“The photo you gave him was lovely dear,” Maria assured her.

“It wasn’t nearly as special as what he gave me.”

“What you gave him is very special,” Maria scolded. “Very
few people see us the way we really are. You captured my son and he knows that.
It touched him deeply.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

“But if you really want to do something else for Joe, I know
what you could do.”

Mandy looked up and met her mother’s gaze. “No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“Yes, I do.”

“What?” Maria asked, looking back and forth as she leaned
against the counter.

“Carly thinks I should perform with the band.”

“And if not for Joe, think what a wonderful anniversary gift
it would be for your father and me.”

“That’s evil, Carly.”

Carly’s lips curved. “Me? Evil?”

“Yes, you are.” Mandy crossed her arms over her chest. “And
it’s not fair.”

“Regardless of that, you have a delightful voice, my dear.
You’d be an excellent addition, I’m sure.”

Mandy paused in the act of washing her hands. “You think I
have a delightful voice? For real?”

“Yes, I do. And I teach voice.”

“I know. Joe told me.”

“You could work on your breath control a bit, but you have
excellent pitch and an evocative delivery.”

She looked over at Carly then back to Maria. “You’re sure.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you. If I had any doubts I would be
honest. It would be cruel to lie to someone and I am never cruel.”

Finally, Mandy shook her head. “Having a good voice doesn’t
get rid of the stage fright.”

“Is it so bad?”

“I throw up. My mouth gets dry. I feel faint. It’s just
horrible.”

Maria tilted her head. “Many performers suffer from similar
fears, you know. It can be faced.”

Mandy bit her lip. “Maybe. But The Pack is great right now.
I don’t feel like I could add anything.”

“Yes, you could,” Carly argued.

“You already play the piano Carly. And you sing. There’s
nothing special I can add.”

“Sharon and I aren’t getting any younger. Both of us have
considered leaving the stage and just traveling with the band.”

Mandy’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

“Yes, way. But we both still enjoy performing so we stay.”

“So then…”

“It would be nice to not be responsible for the vocal stuff.
My voice can’t take those long concerts anymore and neither can Sharon’s, so
having another female voice would help. It would help to spell Joe. Some
nights, by the end of a concert his voice is pretty raspy. Very Rod Stewart.”

“I suppose, I could help with that.”

“Yes, you could. And eventually, we will be able to pass the
franchise over to you and Joe.”

Mandy shook her head. “I’ll consider it.”

“Be sure you do. Because this isn’t over yet.”

Mandy rolled her eyes and slipped her ring back on her
finger as they cleaned up the kitchen and waited for dinner to cook.

* * * * *

The day ended as it began. Full of family and fun. Mandy
baked Maria a birthday cake and they sang
Happy Birthday
to her after
dinner and she brought out another cake for her parents’ anniversary. Since one
was vanilla and the other chocolate, there was plenty of variety to go around.

They spent the afternoon playing charades.
Charades?
She couldn’t believe that her parents got into the game but they did. It was a
tradition in Joe’s family, but because of True Mate advantage, the couples were
split up so that they competed against one another, making the teams the ladies
plus Julian against the rest of the males. The women killed.

Supper was leftovers and the males huddled around the
television watching NBA basketball matchups. The women went back to the kitchen
to the sound of male joy and despair, depending on who played well and who
sucked.

“So did you think about performing with the band, honey?”

“You only suggested it this morning, Carly. Give me some
time.”

“You don’t have a lot of time. We’ll be rehearsing full out
for the concert starting tomorrow.”

“I don’t know, Carly.”

“Quit trying to avoid the question.”

“What question?” Joe asked as he came into the kitchen. He
started opening cupboards then closing them.

Mandy glared at her mother and shook her head. Meanwhile,
Joe kept opening and closing cabinets.

“Joe, what the hell are you looking for?”

“Snacks. Chips. Anything. We’re getting hungry out there.”

“You just ate an hour ago.”

“Snacks are required for a game. It wouldn’t be a game
without it.”

“Oh good grief.” She grabbed him by the hand and pulled open
a door, flipping on the light switch. “Welcome to the pantry. This is where
that sort of stuff is located. I keep the dishes in the kitchen.”

“Oh, thanks.”

When he came back out of the pantry with several bags of
chips in hand, he glanced back and forth between the three females.

“What was the question Mandy is avoiding?” he asked Carly,
who smiled. Mandy shook her head. Her mother opened her mouth then closed it.
“Well?”

Carly paused as Joe headed for the kitchen door. Finally she
shook her head. Mandy breathed a sigh of relief until Maria spoke.

“Carly has suggested that Mandy would do well performing
with your band. What do you think, son?”

He froze at the door and turned around. His face lit up.
“Really, angel? You’d join us?”

“Oh God.” She sat down at the table and glared at Maria. Her
mother-in-law shrugged.

“Which means what?” he asked.

“I still have stage fright. It’s really bad, Joe.”

“We can all help you. Support you. You know, a band is
family. We would never leave you hanging. If you forgot the words or had fears,
we’d be there to back you up.”

“I wouldn’t want to upset Sharon and Tom.”

“Now I call bullshit on that one.”

“Carly!” Mandy cried, shocked to hear her mother swear.

“Well, it is. Sharon and Tom have asked you to come back a
number of times. I know they have.”

Mandy frowned, clenching her fingers. Joe came over to her
and set the bags of chips on the table. He crouched at her side and took her
hands in his.

“Angel, I know you’re scared, but I believe in you. Why not
try it? Just once.”

“Rehearsal drives me nuts. I had to leave when you guys were
practicing.”

Joe grinned. “I am kind of exacting. Eddie rides me about
it.”

“You are. There were a couple of times that I would have
wanted to smack you.”

“I just want us to be the best.” He shrugged.

“Lighten up. Just a little.”

“If it will encourage you to try. I’ll do it. Please, Mandy.
Face your fear. I’ll be there with you.”

“I don’t think I can do a whole concert.”

“Then join us for one set to start.” Joe paused and
considered a minute. “The third set is still pretty fluid. We could add some
solos for you and maybe you and I could sing a duet or two.” Mandy bit her lip.
“And you wouldn’t have to hang out for the entire rehearsal if you’re only
performing in one set.”

His warm brown eyes pleaded until finally, Mandy couldn’t
say no anymore. Her gut tightened with terror but she caved.

“Oh all right. But only one set.” She shuddered even as Joe
gathered her up and gave her a big hug. “There’s only two days to rehearse.”

“You’ll be fine, angel. And I’ll be there to keep you safe.”

“Keep me safe, yeah. But who’s going to stop me from
throwing up?”

Chapter Sixteen

The following two days were rehearsal and more rehearsal. Practice
and more practice. Even Maria got into the act by giving her some impromptu
voice lessons. Mandy didn’t know whether to kill Joe or not because he was a
harsh taskmaster, but part of her loved the process. Enjoying the music. Joe
was right about her. Music was in her soul.

At first, they’d just sat around and played. Picking her
songs. She could handle that easily, but then Joe told her to stand up front
and sing as if they had an audience. It wasn’t a jam session anymore. And the
fear grew. With each practice. With all the long hours and each voice lesson.
It gnawed at her gut because she realized she was really going to do this. She
would get on stage with the band and perform in front of a live audience. And
Joe had her placed up front beside him. She wasn’t hiding in the back with Tom
and the drum kit, or protected by keyboards. No, she was hands-free and at
Joe’s side.

“Can I at least have a tambourine?”

“That’s a cliché, Mandy. All those female singers with a
tambourine.”

“I’d feel like Stevie Nicks, you know?”

Joe laughed. “Stevie usually holds a mike, angel. Go with
that.”

“You’ve got me using this head set.”

She waved at the microphone she was wearing on her head. He
nodded and without another word, he took it off her and set up a mike stand and
gave her a hand-held mike.

“Try this. It will give you something to do with your hands.
Remember, this first concert, you only have to worry about one set.”

“A set that’s mostly me,” she muttered.

“Yeah, it is. But I think you can do it.” He looked at Sharon
and Tom. “What do you guys think?”

“She was always good with us. We missed her,” Tom said.

“Even Red missed her.” Sharon laughed. “And you know what he
was like, Mandy.”

She laughed. Red liked being stage center. Right up front.
And he didn’t like to share, but he’d willingly shared the stage with her. He’d
been the Steven Tyler of the group. His voice was his instrument and he had a
stage presence the rest of them had often envied.

Mandy clutched the mike as Joe started rehearsal again,
playing the intro for one of the songs she was going to sing. She missed the
entrance when Leo and Maria slipped into the room. Joe stopped playing and the
rest stopped with him.

“Let’s try it again,” he growled. “You know your cue, Mandy.
So sing out.”

He started again and Maria nodded at her, smiling gently.
This time Mandy caught the entrance. She glanced at Leo but she couldn’t read
him, so she closed her eyes.

Joe stopped playing and everyone dropped out. She turned to
glare at him. “What?”

“Sing like you mean it. I know you can. Lose this tentative
shit.”

“But…”

“Okay, turn around and face me.”

“But…” She waved at his parents.

“They aren’t your audience. Not right now.
I am
. Sing
directly to me. Only to me. Don’t look at anyone else. Don’t think about anyone
else.
Sing. To. Me.
”

He counted it off and started the intro again. Mandy wet her
lips and swallowed, but she stared at Joe. He looked up when she was supposed
to come in and she did. As she sang to her mate, he smiled. Encouragement on
his face. He nodded at her. He leaned forward, got into his playing, so Mandy
walked over to him and started to flirt.

After all, he’d picked love songs or sexy songs for her, not
the rock music they usually played. She could sing these songs to Joe and mean
every word. And she did. As they practiced, she focused on him, loosening up.
Her natural performance skills kicked in and the fear started to recede. At
least a little.

When she finished, he gave her a hug. “That was great. Now
let’s do it again. You need to work on your phrasing. Eddie, give her some
tips. You’re always really good with that.”

From then on, she was in the band. With the same critiques
and praise as the rest. And she found that she thrived on it. She wanted to
improve. She wanted to make them all proud. But the fear grew. It ate at her.
Even when she wasn’t practicing with them.

They practiced all morning, but she slipped out right after
lunch. She took her camera and headed out on her own to get away from everyone.
No matter what she did, the concert loomed in her mind. She couldn’t escape it.
The fear unsettled her. Distracted her. She came back in the afternoon and they
practiced her set again but she blew every song. Over and over until Joe was
exasperated. He took off his guitar and glared at her.

“I’m scared, okay?”

“You’re letting your fear rule you. Own you. You’re better
than that, angel.”

“You’ve never been afraid like this.”

“Like hell. When I first started playing in bands I was
terrified every single time I strapped on my guitar. I was sure I sounded like
shit. When the audience didn’t jeer me, I was shocked. I just knew I was the
worst player out there.”

“You?”

“Yeah, me.”

“So how did you get over it?”

“I faced it. And I kept doing it. There were times I sucked.
Times I screwed up. I’d forget the words. Forget the guitar licks.”

“Did you get booed?”

“A few times. And those were inspirational.”

“How could getting booed possibly be inspirational?” She put
her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“Because those boos inspired me to never let it happen again.
And the negative responses got less and less. And the cheers grew. And I ate
those up. They felt good. Fed my ego. Until I craved them.”

“I had it and lost it,” Mandy sighed, looking down.

He tipped up her chin. “But you have it in your power to get
it back. And it
is
in your power.
Your
control. All you have to
do is face down your fear, Mandy. Dig deep.” She knew she could do it. She
could sing. But what if she forgot the words. He stroked her cheek. “If you
forget the words, we’re all here. We will
never
leave you hanging.
Ever.”

“You’ll start singing with me?”

“Yup. And we’ll improvise something. Don’t worry, angel.
Trust me.”

She walked into his arms. Enclosed in his warmth, she felt
safe. Protected. Loved. She nodded. “I’ll try.”

“Remember what Yoda said, angel.”

She laughed. “Do or do not. There is no try.”

“Right. So do it.”

She nodded and they went back to practicing. Mandy forced
the fear down and the rehearsal improved. She hit her songs and even managed to
move around a bit. Feel a little more natural. When they finished her part of
the rehearsal, she left, determined to shake off her dread and relax a little,
so she grabbed her camera again. Solitude and nature. It helped.

Joe watched Mandy walk away with a frown. Was he pushing her
too hard? He knew she could do this but the anxiety was so deeply ingrained
that he felt like a bully every time he pushed her. He looked up when Eddie
clapped him on the shoulder.

“We made a huge mistake with her when we didn’t press her to
perform again after that bad day. I know you feel like shit, but you’re doing
the right thing.”

“Are you sure? She’s terrified and no matter what I do, I
can’t get her to relax.”

“She won’t, honey,” Carly assured him. “Not until she
performs. Once she’s out there, she’ll relax and you’ll be amazed.” Carly and
Eddie exchanged a smile.

“How so?”

Sharon laughed. “She’s got star quality and she’s every bit
as wild on stage as Red ever was.”

Joe glanced at Tom when he chuckled. “It used to freak Eddie
out. She always looked older than she was and she’d act like Madonna.
Strutting. Challenging every male in the audience with her femininity. Guys
twice her age would hit on her. We’d have to hold the old wolves off.”

“What did Mandy do about it?”

“She laughed,” Eddie groaned. “She never knew how sexy she
was and she’s a born flirt, just like her mama.”

Carly slugged his shoulder. “I am not.”

“When you’re performing you are, and she’s just like you.”

“So she slept around a lot?”

“Ah, hell no,” Eddie growled.

“No. She never went off with anyone and she let Eddie, Tom
and Red protect her. But she just has this…presence when she performs. You’ll
see,” Carly assured him.

“Is it like she is with the family?”

“Yes, honey.”

He gave them all a look of extreme disbelief.

“Carly’s right,” Tom assured him. “Just wait. Mandy can hold
an audience the way you can. She’s
that
damn good.”

They went back to rehearsing but Joe kept their words in the
back of his mind. Hopeful. That evening, they all took a break from rehearsing.
The males watched football while the females played a game of cut-throat
Scrabble in the kitchen, but Joe couldn’t keep his mind off Mandy.

When she’d come back to the house she’d smelled so good. It
must have been the mountain air that clung to her, but he loved her smell. Not
only that but it turned him on. He’d had to fight his hunger to grab her and
drag her off to the bedroom. If he did what he wanted to do, she’d get pissed.
She’d been super touchy all day. Thrown off because of the concert hanging over
her head.

“You cheated!” Mandy yelled. Joe sat up and looked through
the kitchen archway.

“I did not. You’re overly emotional, my dear. It’s a
perfectly good word.” His mother sounded reasonable, but a bit strained.

“I don’t care. That’s not right.” Mandy’s voice rose.
Something was wrong. He didn’t know what, but something. Losing her temper like
that didn’t feel like normal behavior for his mate.

He rose and went to the kitchen. Mandy stood up and grabbed
the board, flipping it over. His jaw dropped. What the fuck?

“Your mother cheats,” she glared at him.

“She’d never cheat, angel.” He felt all the other males walk
up behind him.

“Oh shit,” Eddie groaned. Joe glanced at his father-in-law.

“What?”

“We’ve got to go. We can probably find a place to go out to
for supper.”

“I don’t want to go out for supper,” Mandy yelled.

“No, you aren’t going to join us, punkin. No way.”

“Why the hell not?”

His brothers walked into the kitchen and went directly to
Mandy. Jake touched her arm and Joe growled. Both of his brothers started to
crowd her. Julian leaned forward and breathed in, his eyes closing.

“Get away from her.”

Maria stared at her sons and groaned, “Oh dear.” She glanced
at Leo. He shook his head.

“I’m not up to dragging them off, Maria. I’m not that young
anymore.”

Carly blinked. “But. She’s not due yet.”

“Due for what, Mother?” Mandy glanced at Julian and turned
to Joe, smiling at her mate in invitation.

“You’re in heat.”

“No, I can’t be. I’m not due until next week sometime.”

“How do you know?” Joe asked.

“I’m pretty regular. I experienced heat just a few weeks
ago.”

“With Zach.”

“He was handy.” She shrugged.

His brothers moved closer and she giggled as Jake nipped her
earlobe. “Well my brothers
aren’t
. You both get the fuck away from her.”

“She smells good,” Jake purred, leaning in to sniff her
neck.

“Oh lord, this is not good,” Eddie muttered.

“At least Zach isn’t here too,” Carly agreed.

“He’d better not show up or I’ll rip out his throat,” Joe
snarled.

“Joe!” Mandy cried. “Zach is my friend.”

“I don’t care. He’d better stay far away from you.” He
crossed the room and caught both his brothers by the arm, dragging them away
from his mate. “Back off.”

They both turned to Mandy again and she shivered and
stretched. Sexy and sinuous. Joe pushed Jake away but Julian headed for her.
Joe grabbed his younger brother too.

He growled and they growled back. Neither of them had
challenged his dominance in years, not since they were pups. It pissed him off.
He elbowed Jake in the gut and he grunted, throwing a punch at Joe. He ducked
but it was close.

“Not in the house. If you’re going to fight, go outside,”
Carly ordered. “Eddie. Leo. At least shove them at the door.”

Both the older males groaned and Leo colored.
“Unfortunately, your daughter’s scent is appealing to me as well.” He glanced
at Maria. “I apologize,
liebling
.”

Maria sighed. “It’s biological. Just get those boys out the
back door.”

Joe growled as Eddie and his father shoved him and his
brothers toward the porch. He tried to slip away and grab Mandy, but Jules
caught his arm so that he was pushed outside too. He tugged his arm away from
Julian but when he went for the door, Jake tackled him and they fell off the
porch and rolled around in the snow. He sprang to his feet and went for the
door again but Jules tripped him. Jules headed for the house as Mandy came out
the door. Her scent broadcast on the breeze and he snarled. Intelligent thought
was gone. All he wanted was to mount his bitch and keep the other wolves away
from her.

He bounced to his feet and punched Jules. “You stay away
from my bitch.”

“She’s not yours yet. You haven’t mated her.”

Jake tried to get around him while he was occupied with
Jules. He grabbed his brother’s shirt and dragged him back, kicking him.

“Stop them.” He heard Mandy yell.

“They’re challenging Joe for you, honey. It’s out of our
hands.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mandy lunge toward him
but Carly and Maria both caught her and held her tight. She struggled to get to
him, but they wouldn’t let her go.

“She’s my True Mate and you both know it.” He stood his
ground glaring at his brothers. They should know better, damn it.

Jules peeled off his shirt and Jake did the same. When
they’d stripped, they shifted. Joe snarled. Those bastards. He was going to
crush them. A haze of red covered his vision and he stripped, shifting without
thought. He went after Jake first, knocking his paws out from under him. Julian
started a low stalk toward Mandy. Joe howled a formal challenge. Jules froze
and turned his head. He lifted his muzzle and howled a response. Joe growled. He’d
have to take on both his brothers and defeat them so he could mate Mandy.