Mary and the Bear (14 page)

He was a large man and like most large men, he didn't always know his own strength. She wasn't blaming him. The truth was, she couldn't wait for him to do it again. It did something to her ego to know that he found her so desirable that he'd lost control. When a man who valued control as much as Hugh did lost it, well how could she not be flattered and a little puffed up about it. Made her wonder what would happen if she actually tried to make him lose control. Now there was something worth thinking about.

She eased into the tub, spread her legs and let the heat soothe her. It felt so good. She could feel it right down to her bones. She lay there until the water began to cool. After draining some off, she poured more hot water into the tub until it was as hot as she could stand it. She soaked until it cooled as well. Washing swiftly, she pulled the drain and got out of the tub. She was still a little tender down there but otherwise she felt a whole lot better, ready to face the world.

She came out of the bathroom and dressed in something loose and comfortable before joining Hugh in the kitchen. Due to the sensitivity of her vulva, she'd forgone wearing underwear and chose to wear a loose, flowing skirt that fell below her knees. Teemed with a tunic that came down to her hips, she believed it would totally disguise the fact that she was bare beneath her clothing.

Hugh had made himself right at home in her kitchen, making coffee and scrambling eggs for breakfast. To go with the eggs, there was toast and breakfast sausages. When she entered the kitchen, Hugh kissed her briefly before leaving for his turn in the bathroom.

She poured a cup of coffee and help herself to some eggs and toast, leaving the bulk for Hugh. Judging from the massive amount of food on the stove, he still needed to eat.

While she was sitting at the table listening to the shower come on, she mentally reviewed the morning thus far. Although not sure what she expected to happen, this wasn't the notorious ‘morning after’ that everyone spoke so much about. It was all so, well, ordinary. It felt as though they'd been waking together a long time, long enough to fall into a routine. There was no worrying about bed hair or morning breath. They'd just gone about preparing for the day as though they'd been doing it together for years. It was kind of unnerving, yet relaxing at the same time.

He returned to the kitchen just as she finished eating. Looking pointedly at all the remaining food, he asked, “That's all you're going to eat?"

"I wasn't sure if you'd eaten. Besides, I've never been a breakfast eater."

"You need to start. You'll need plenty of energy if you plan to keep up with me.” He wagged his eyebrows suggestively, letting her know indirectly exactly what he was referring to.

She blushed engagingly, making him smile. “I'll keep that in mind,” she said dryly.

"You do that. Now, what are your plans for today?"

She shrugged and looked around as though an idea would jump out at her. “I hadn't really thought about it. I don't believe I planned on doing anything. Why?"

"I have to leave and I don't want to. Come down to the diner with me. Sit and talk with me while I cook. If you're feeling really generous, you can make some desserts to go with today's dinner. I'll pay you for them."

"Are you going down there now?"

"No, I need to swing by my place first and put on my work clothes. Then I'll come back here to the diner.” If he had of been thinking, he would have brought clothes with him last night. He'll make sure in the future to leave enough things here that trips home wouldn't be necessary, at least until he convinced her to live with him. One step at a time.

"Are you sure I won't be in the way?"

"There'll be no one in the kitchen but me."

"You're doing all the cooking yourself, with no help?'

"It won't be the first time. Besides, the menu's planned and the food's all prepped. I've just got to get it going and keep it coming. No big deal."

"If you say so."

His mind already on what needed doing, he headed for the door after extracting one last promise from her to come down. “Think about making those desserts. My customers will really like them. You can make them downstairs in the diner."

"I'd rather do it here, where I know where everything is."

"Nothing too fancy or time-consuming, then. I want you with me."

"I'll keep that in mind and be down as soon as they're done."

"Use the back door. I'll leave it open."

"Alright. Go before you're late."

He glanced at his watched and cursed. “I've got to go. Come down or I'll come and get you. The customers will just have to wait."

"I'll be there."

"You'd better.” He grabbed another kiss and left.

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There was a strange taste in her mouth. It was probably from the medicine, but it tasted like blood. She wondered if she bit the inside of her mouth while she slept. As for the medicine, it worked wonders. This was the most rested she'd felt in weeks, even her legs were relaxed. She'd really slept hard last night. Usually she woke several times during the night startled, her wolf agitated. It hadn't happened last night, for which she was grateful. She didn't intend to make the pills a habit, but it was nice knowing she had them to fall back on whenever necessary.

The delivery truck should be here in about an hour. There was enough time to cook breakfast. As she headed into the kitchen, she heard a familiar vehicle in the drive.
What did he want
? She opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Her brother Rory stepped out of the blue, crew cab truck he used for business.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?” She was a little wary, considering all the unfinished business between them.

He walked up to the porch like he owned the place, sliding his shades on top of his curly red head. Those curls should have looked feminine but there was nothing remotely feminine about him. He was a big, burly fellow, if a little on the short side. He stood only five-nine, but he loomed much larger, his power emanating from him like an aura.

He nailed her with a hard look. “If you're needing help, why didn't you call me? I'm still your brother, aren't I?"

Oh, hell. Kyle blabbed. “I take it you ran into Kyle?"

"You could say that, but you'd be wrong. Man called, wanting to know why my sister had to hire help when her brother owned a construction company. Same thing I'm wanting to know. Is there any reason why you didn't call me?"

Hell, he was pissed. His accent was showing. Come on, Shannon. Think fast. You do not want him knowing what's really going on with you. He'd find a way to use it against you. “This is Raven Pack business. It doesn't concern the Alpha of the Sparrowhawk clan.” Maybe that would cause him to back off.

"As long as it affects my baby sister, it affects me. I'm here, not as the Alpha but as your big brother. I ask you again, why didn't you come to me if you needed help?"

Because I didn't know if I could trust you.
She thought it, but didn't say it. Despite their differences, he was blood, and she'd never do or say anything to deliberately hurt him. In the heat of an argument? That was different. They both tended to be a little loose with the lips when angry. But to deliberately say words that she knew would cut, that she couldn't do. So now she had to find a reason to give him that wasn't a lie, yet not the full truth. He would smell a lie. It had to be something he would believe.

As much as she loved her brother, this was one thing she couldn't tell him. There was no telling what he would do, what levels he would sink to ‘for her good.’ They already disagreed and fought over what was good for her. She wasn't giving him ammunition to use against her.

"I'm building a safe room for the Alpha. The Raven Pack doesn't have one and one will be needed soon. The Alpha's mate is human and hasn't gone through her first Change yet, and the Beta just had a cub. A place will be needed for his first time as well. Since I'm living here rent free, I volunteered to create one for the Pack."

What she said was true to a point. Every Pack has a safe house or a safe room. It was a place where new shifters went for their first couple of Changes until they learned to control their beast. It could also be used by the Alpha as a holding cell for Pack members who got out of line until an appropriate disciplinary action could be determined.

She just hoped he didn't remember that she'd never like the idea of safe rooms. She thought they were nicely decorated jail cells. Not allowing any hint of weakness to show, she silently dared him to disagree with her.

"Then it's a good thing I brought my tools. I'll assume you made all the necessary measurements and you ordered everything that we'll need?"

He was letting it go. Just like that. Either she was getting better at lying or, for whatever twisted reason his mind had concocted, he was letting her get away with it. At least for now. “Yes, I took measurements. The supplies should be arriving in about an hour. Since you're here, and you don't appear to be leaving anytime soon, come on in. I was just about to cook breakfast."

"Sounds like I arrived just in time.” He followed her back to the kitchen and helped her to cook. They fell into a routine born over many years of doing the same. There was a strange kind of comfort in it, knowing that no matter what else about their relationship had changed, this remained the same.

As they ate, they spoke of mundane things. Rory updated her on the happenings within the pack since she'd been gone. They hadn't found anyone to replace her, and before she realized it, she was agreeing to continue keeping the books for his business and for the pack, just as she had before. “I won't come to Sparta. You'll have to bring the books to me."

"That's fine. Whatever paperwork we have that can't be transmitted electronically will be hand delivered or mailed."

His ready agreement made her instantly suspicious.

"Show me the room.” They'd eaten and the dishes were washed and put away.

"Actually, it's the basement. I think it's perfect for what we've planned."

"I'll let you know how perfect it is after I've seen it.” He followed her to the door off of the kitchen that led below. “What are you going to do about this door?"

"I ordered a steel reinforced one to replace it. I actually purchased two. I plan to put one here, and the other one will be installed at the bottom of the stairs."

She opened the door and led the way down. “Right now this is open, but I intend to close in this stairway and put the second door right here for extra security."

"So if someone gets past the first door, they still have to get past the second one."

"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking."

He walked around the basement, looking around. “There's a bathroom down here. That's good. It looks like someone started remodeling this area and then stopped midway. The walls need finishing. What about these windows?"

"They're relatively small. I bought some steel netting to cover the windows. I don't think they are big enough for anything to get through, but you never know."

"The netting won't keep anything in unless you spray it with silver. It's not sturdy enough. A shifter's claws will go right through it. You need to install bars on the outside."

"Wouldn't anything trying to get in simply pull the bars off of the window?” She silently cursed herself. She'd told him they were trying to keep something from getting out. If that were the case, she shouldn't be worried about something getting in.

He gave her a look that spoke volumes, but didn't comment on her slip. “We'll put the netting on first, then put the bars over the netting. We'll spray both down with silver paint. The smell of the silver alone should be enough to deter any shifter from using the window as a means of getting out, or in. By putting everything on the outside, you'll still be able to open the windows. You don't want to cut off your air supply."

Grateful yet worried that he hadn't commented on her slip of the tongue, she gave the windows another look. She hadn't thought about the window as a source of fresh air. She was more concerned about security risk they posed.

"Have you located the breaker box?"

"Yes, it's over by the washer and dryer. The shut off valve for the water is down here, too, along with the furnace."

"Good. This would be a good location to put a panic room. It can also work as a safe room but it will function better at keeping people out."

She looked at him sharply. He stared at her knowingly. She neither confirmed nor denied his suspicion and he didn't push the issue. He knew what she doing, just not why she was doing it.

His sharp ears picked up the sound of an approaching vehicle. “Your supplies are here."

"I hear them. Did Kyle say if he was still coming?"

"Yes, he'll be here. I changed the time of his arrival. When he gets here, he'll be working for me. I've already set up payment arrangements."

Shannon didn't bother arguing. This was one of the reasons she and Rory usually fought. He was manipulative, controlling and domineering. It wasn't just the alpha in him; it was his nature. He had to be in charge, things had to go his way and he was always right. Add to that a quick temper and it was a wonder they didn't fight more often than they did.

Kyle showed up just in time to help with the truck. They unloaded it, piling everything in the basement for easy access. Under Rory's direction, they removed the basement door and framed the stairway first. Once that was finished, Rory and Kyle dry walled the interior wall, a tedious and time consuming process due to all the varying levels. When that was done, they broke for lunch, which Shannon prepared.

After lunch, Shannon prepped the wall for painting while the guys installed the first steel door. Rory worked like a man possessed. By the time he left late that night, both doors were installed, the walls had dry wall on them, and the windows were secured. He was coming back to install motion sensors and a video camera that could be controlled from the basement. By the time her brother was finished, the basement would be tougher to get into than Fort Knox.