Cynful: Halle Shifters, Book 2 (7 page)

“Define real.” She opened her front door and tugged him in, plopping him on the sofa before turning on the lights and shutting the door.

“My idea of real, not yours.
The Devil Wears Prada
does not count.”

“Damn. There goes my vision of My Little Ponies dancing down your rainbow colored butt.”

He kicked off his shoes and lay down, his head beginning to pound. “Could you bring me some aspirin?” Back home he would have requested another Kermode help him, but he wasn’t home, and while he could call Alex or Ryan for help, he was strangely loathe to do so. He’d rather take aspirin and spend the evening alone with his mate than have his well-meaning friends come “help” him.

God forbid they called and told their family he wasn’t feeling well. He shuddered at the thought of his house filled to the rafters with yappy Foxes and growling Grizzlies. He’d dealt with that while recovering from saving Chloe, and the noise levels alone had his landlord threatening him with eviction. Any night where he’d had time to prepare for the onslaught would be fine, but he just wasn’t up to it right now. “So what is your idea of a chick flick?” This he had to see. He doubted it would be either sappy or sentimental. Maybe
First Wives’ Club?
His mother loved that film. Hell, even his father chuckled at the window washer scene.

She brought him his medicine and smirked. “You’ll see.” She picked up the phone and called for two pizzas, one Hawaiian, one pepperoni and mushroom.

He must have dozed off again because the smell of tomato sauce woke him. He hadn’t even heard the doorbell ring. His stomach growled. “Damn, that smells good.”

Cyn put the pizzas on the coffee table and brought them some sodas. “Ready for the horror?”

He grinned. He was beginning to feel better. “Sure.”

Two slices later he was staring at the screen, wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into. “Your idea of a chick flick is
She-Devil
?”

“That pink palace princess deserves everything she gets.”

Cyn’s grin was chock full of childish, evil glee. She munched her third slice of pizza, her gaze glued to the screen as Roseanne Barr blew up her own house with a happy sigh.

He smiled and settled back down, pleasantly full of good pizza. He watched his mate enjoy her movie and hid his grin.

His mother was going to adore Cyn.

Chapter Six

Julian nodded off again long before the movie ended. Cyn stared at him, worried at the thin strands of white still silvering his hair. She hadn’t seen the silver sparks in his eyes when he’d first picked her up. It had been too dark outside the shop and in the car. Now that they were in Julian’s home those sparks were obvious, and worrying. They weren’t fading the way they were supposed to, and he was almost as weak as he’d been after saving Chloe.

What the fuck had he done to himself?

She covered him with a blanket and left him, determined to let him rest. She left the film on loop so the lack of noise didn’t disturb him. She just turned it down before heading into the kitchen with the pizza boxes. She put the leftover pizza in the fridge and pondered what to do next. Should she leave him on the couch? Call Alex and Tabby and the rest of that insane gang of shifters? They might have a better clue what was wrong with him.

She didn’t like not knowing how to help him. Not one little stinking bit.

Hell. She was beginning to mutter in Spanish under her breath. Maybe it was time to call for some back-up. Cyn picked up the phone. If Julian was sick or needed help, then she needed Alex.

“Hello? Cyn? What’s wrong?”

Cyn grimaced at the breathless tone of Tabby’s voice. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Yes.”

“Oops. Sorry. Julian’s hair is white and he’s passed out on his sofa.”

Tabby sighed. “Why don’t you sound sorry?”

“Because I’m not. Put Alex on the phone for me. Good girl.
Good
girl.”

“Damn it, I’m not a dog, y’all. And stop leaving that bag of kibble in front of my door!”

Cyn heard deep, muffled laughter, and then Alex was on the phone. “What’s wrong with him?”

Damn, Bears had good hearing. She’d have to remember that. “Not sure. He picked me up at my shop, but halfway to his place he pulled over and asked me to drive. Honestly, once we were inside I was shocked. His hair is half white and his eyes are washed out.”

“Shit. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” The phone clicked shut. Cyn headed back into Julian’s living room to wait for Alex and Tabby, because where one went the other was rarely far behind.

She sat on the edge of the sofa and studied the man who claimed he was her mate. The white streaks didn’t bother her at all; in fact, they gave him an otherworldly look that was stunning. His Native American heritage was obvious in his dusky skin color, deep brown eyes and high cheekbones. His full lips invited kisses; his strong jaw showcased his stubborn side. The thin laugh lines at the corners of his eyes made her smile. His waist length hair was loose, lying around him in an inviting pool she wanted to sink her fingers into. He had the lean build she’d always preferred in her men, but with enough muscle underneath those scrubs to make her feel like she’d won the lottery. He had to be one of the handsomest men she’d ever seen, bar none, and he said he was all hers.

She still wasn’t sure she believed it, but she certainly wasn’t going to turn his fine ass away.

She sat and watched him until a soft knock on the door got her up off the sofa. She let Alex and Tabby in, directing Alex to where Julian lay.

“Oh crap. He looks like three-day-old dog poo. What did he do this time?” Tabby kept her voice low, but that southern drawl was more pronounced than usual. Tabby was worried, and that couldn’t be good.

Alex rested his hand on Julian’s forehead, his brow furrowing. Whatever the hell he was doing it didn’t look comfortable.

“Well?” Cyn tapped her foot, impatience riding her hard. What was wrong with Jules?

Alex sat back with a sigh. He swayed and nearly fell of the sofa. “If I were to guess, I’d say he saved someone’s life today.”

Cyn ground her teeth. “Oh. Really.”

Alex’s hazel eyes had gone deep, dark brown. “He can’t help it, Cyn. I think one of the reasons Kermode hold themselves apart from the rest of us is because Bear’s gift is, for them, a curse as well.”

She smiled, and it wasn’t pretty. “So. How close to death was he this time?”

Alex’s brows rose. “He’s exhausted, but he’ll be fine. I gave him what I could, but only rest will cure what ails him now.”

Julian’s cell phone rang. Cyn, not caring she was snooping, picked it up and frowned at the name displayed. “Who the fuck is Tai?”

Both Alex and Tabby shrugged, but before they could speak Cyn answered his phone. “Hello?”

There was a pause, then a male voice spoke. “Is Julian DuCharme there?”

“He’s sleeping at the moment. Could I take a message?”

“Who is this?”

The arrogant command in the man’s voice got Cyn’s back up.
None of your business,
cabrón
.
“A better question would be who are you?”

“Fine. Who are you?”

Lovely. Another smart-ass. This one had an undertone of condescension she had no intention of bowing to. “Cyn.” She left it hanging and waited for his answer.
 

There was a deep, frustrated sigh. “Could you tell Julian that I called?”

Another command. She had the feeling she was going to
love
this guy. “Why?”

“What do you mean, why?” He sounded baffled, and a little annoyed.

“You’re not his boss, you’re not his significant oth…wait, are you?”

The man actually growled before abruptly cutting it off.

“Because that would mean he’s cheating on your ass.”

“He’s not my—”

“He does have a nice one, doesn’t he? Ass, I mean.”

“His life is in danger.”

Cyn paused, her intention of playing with Julian’s rude caller momentarily suspended. “Is that a threat?”

Tabby, a Wolf and a predator, took a step back at the cold chill in Cyn’s voice.

“Tell him this: Two becomes one, one becomes three. Bear knows the way, but Fox holds the key. Tell him, mate of Julian, that every fucking Kermode has had this same dream. All except me.”

She took a deep breath. A shiver ran through her. “I’m not his mate.” How the hell did this stranger know she was Julian’s?

“The dream I had showed Julian lying on the ground, covered in blood.”

She didn’t even react when the asshole hung up the phone. Alex had to pry it out of her cold hand. “We heard.”

Tabby took a deep breath, her hand going over her still flat stomach. “I’ll rally the troops.”

Alex shot Cyn a worried look before picking Julian up like he weighed less than nothing. “I’ll carry Julian to bed. Man has to be getting a crick in his neck.”

Cyn could barely see her friends moving around her. She was too busy bristling over the threat to Julian. She might not want to admit what she felt for the annoying, quirky, hot-as-fuck Bear, even to herself, but there was one thing she hadn’t failed to grasp.

Tai’s vision was never going to come to pass. Not if Cynthia Reyes could stop it.

Julian stirred. Something was different, out of place. What the hell had woken him—?

A loud snore interrupted his thoughts. He opened his eyes and stared down at the face he’d grown to love since he’d moved to Halle three months ago. Despite the hectic scramble to get his nursing certificate and keep his visa he’d managed to make friends with all the girls at LA, but none of them meant more to him that Cyn did. The first moment he’d seen her, her dark hair was streaked a delicate pink. Her laughter was contagious to a man who was feeling desperately homesick. Her dark, sparkling eyes had captivated him. He’d been smitten before he’d ever caught her scent, but when he had that was all she wrote.

She was the one.

He’d been wandering through Halle, happy to have made it, worried that he hadn’t been in time. He hadn’t understood why Bear wanted him to leave home and come to this small college town in the middle of Pennsylvania, but the hassle of getting into America without a work visa had taken months to clear away. In the end it had taken Tai’s political clout to get him here.

He’d almost ignored the tattoo parlor, but the girls had propped the door open to the early summer breeze. He’d been enchanted by the easy laughter, the sweet smiles of the two girls he’d seen. Then Cyn had stepped out from behind the curtain blocking the work area from the front of the shop, laughing and joking with the sisters of her heart, and his world had tilted on its axis.

He’d found his mate.

Convincing her he was hers, on the other hand, was turning out to be a major undertaking. Good thing he was stubborn when it came to the things he really wanted.

He hated to admit it, but he was curious why she was sleeping in his bed. They hadn’t reached the part of their relationship where Cyn would be comfortable sleeping with him.

Or had they? He sniffed the air, hoping against hope that he hadn’t somehow mated her and, spirits forbid,
forgotten it.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he hadn’t, not yet, anyway.

Another indelicate snore made him smile. She was so tough when awake, so vibrant and alive, it was odd to see her like this. She was practically sprawled on top of him, one leg thrown over his, one arm pinning him down, her head tucked just under his chin. She felt so good, so right, he was reluctant to move her.

But god
damn
did he have to piss.

He moved cautiously, gradually working his way out from under her and headed for the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief as he finally let nature take its course. The headache was gone, and when he took a look at himself in the mirror he was almost back to normal. A few white strands remained, a few gray specks in his eyes.
Nothing to see here. Please move along.

“Jules?”

He headed back into the bedroom at the sleepy sound of her voice. It had taken on a husky quality that sent blood racing straight to his cock. “I’m here.”

She was sitting up, pushing her mass of multicolored hair out of her face. “Where’d you go?”

“Bathroom.” He hit the foot of the bed and, instead of getting in on his side, began crawling up it until he was hovering over her. “Hi.”

She glared up at him. “You’re in big trouble.”

He whimpered. Fuck. He had her in his bed and he wasn’t going to be allowed to play? That was like chaining a recovering chocoholic in front of a Godiva store that was giving out free samples. “Why?”

Cyn bopped him upside the head. “You could have
died
, asshole.”

He sat back on his heels, his erection completely forgotten. This was something that couldn’t wait, something every Kermode had to do before mating with someone from the outside. “This is who I am, what I am. Bear made me this way for a reason.”

“Does that mean you have to risk your life?”

“Yes.” He sighed and stroked his hand across her knee. “He was two minutes from death. An aneurysm. What would you have me do, let a man die right in front of me when I can save him?”