Once Upon a Shifter (29 page)

She yanked her wild, curling hair out of the ponytail and wrapped the waist length in a bun at the nape of her neck, then smoothed the loose trousers she always wore for physical work over her hips.

“Clothes,” she muttered. “He definitely needs clothes.” She wouldn’t be able to do more than stare at those broad muscles shoulders and chiseled chest if they weren’t covered. Never mind the impressive cock she got more than one tantalizing glimpse of.

She moved to the small pile of Darrel’s clothes she had found when she was packing. He was about Roman’s size, but he had been less muscle and more bulk.

She picked out the least offensive shirt, a black and grey plaid, and a pair of worn jeans. Roman would have to go without underwear—Darrel had worn the most hideous, patterned tight underwear she’d ever seen. She threw out what he did leave behind, as a favor to everyone.

“You can do this—you can help him dress without drooling all over him.” She took another deep breath before she went out and faced a naked, deadly gorgeous man—who also happened to shift into a bear.

God help her—what had she gotten herself into?

Two

Corey Black was terrified. So terrified he almost shifted.

But he managed to keep it together. He had to—as the oldest in the group, it was his job to protect the younger kids. At almost thirteen, he could do it, keep himself between the others and the man who shot Uncle Roman.

He shoved down the need to cry over that. Uncle Roman was too strong not survive—he’d go to Dad and the rest of Corey’s family and find them, probably before it even got dark.

“Shut up, you sniveling brat.” The man’s angry voice jerked Corey out of his thoughts. He was yelling at Faith, Corey’s cousin. She’d never done a thing to make anyone mad—

“Leave her alone!” Corey stepped in front of her, fear clawing at him. The man had a gun, and he’d already proved he’d use it. “She’s scared. Yelling at her won’t help.”

The man crossed his arms, pointing the gun the other way, and Corey’s heart stopped trying to burst out of his chest. “Who are you, little man?” It was the first time he’d asked for a name.

“Corey. What—what do you want with us?”

“Now there’s the question I was waiting for.” He moved so fast Corey didn’t have time to escape the hand that caught the front of his shirt. His free hand held the small but nasty looking gun, aimed at Corey’s face. The younger kids behind him screamed, or started crying. Corey reached his hand back, and felt them crowd against him. “You’re the bait, my little shifter, for a much bigger shifter.”

“Who?”

The barrel of the gun caught Corey’s chin, the icy metal tilting his head up until he met the man’s cold blue eyes. And he understood why the man smelled wrong. He was a wolf who couldn’t shift.

“Greyson Black.”

Corey fought the scream clawing up his throat.

The man was after his dad.

Three

His blood was on fire.

Roman swallowed, and that hurt as much as breathing. He usually healed himself in bear form; doing it as a man sapped strength he couldn’t afford. He needed—

Her.
His bear growled at him, wanting to claim her. Now.

He had to stop thinking of her, picturing the curvy body he knew she hid under those oversized trousers, picturing her trapped between him and the wall as he drove himself into her heat—

With a groan, he changed position, and a fresh wave of pain burst through him.

“Roman?”

Her low-pitched voice wrapped around him, along with the lavender and vanilla scent he’d already marked as her. He opened his eyes, found her bent over him, wearing a plaid shirt. The neckline gaped enough for him to see the curve of her full, firm breasts, cradled by lace. He groaned again, his already hard cock standing at attention. It really had a mind of its own; he didn’t have the strength for sex, no matter how loudly his bear grumbled.

“Okay,” he whispered, flinching at his raw voice.

“Liar.” She straightened and crossed her arms, like she knew he’d been looking down her shirt. “I should put you right to bed, but I think some food in your stomach is going to help you heal. Can you eat?”

“Always.” He needed the meat he had been smelling since he lumbered into her front yard. If he hadn’t been so distracted by his shoulder, he would have smelled that sinfully delicious scent from the trees.

“Good. I have some clothes for you.” She picked up a neatly folded pile off the coffee table and held them out. “They were left behind by my ex, and they might be a little big, but at least you won’t be…” A charming blush stained her cheeks, and she shifted her gaze to the wall behind him.

“Thanks.” He reached out to take the clothes, forgetting about his shoulder. He growled when fresh pain spiked him. “Damn it.”

“Let me help you.” She draped the shirt over her shoulder, then knelt in front of him, the jeans in her hands. “Foot up.”

He obeyed, smiling at her bent head. God help him, she was adorable, treating him like a toddler who needed mommy to dress him. He was beginning to understand his brother Elijah’s fascination with human women. Carefully, he slipped his other foot in the worn denim, grimacing when he saw how dirty it was. He always showered after a shift and a run in the woods. Not happening today.

Jenna slid the jeans up to his knees, and to his disappointment she stopped, pulling the shirt off her shoulder as she stood.

“Let’s get this on you, then I’ll figure out the jeans.”

“Okay, Doc.” He hid another smile when she looked at him.

“Amused?”

“I haven’t had a woman dress me since I was in training pants.” He let the smile spread across his face. “I like it.”

She blushed deeper, and his cock twitched. Damn she was pretty, with that color flushing her cheeks. Roman found himself enjoying her company—not something that usually happened with a human woman. They were so fragile, so skittish. She had attacked him with a storm door, and after he probably scared the hell out of her, offered to help him.

Not a normal human woman. Shit—he couldn’t—

You can
, his bear growled, pushing his need to claim her closer to the surface. Those lush hips and high, round ass drew him. She was petite, but he had already been given a taste of her strength. She would bear his cubs, and have the care, the strength to wrangle them when they needed it—

“Roman.” Her low, husky voice snapped him out of the daydream. His bear clamored for attention, wanting to touch her. Hell,
he
wanted to do so much more than just touch her. “I’d like to get you dressed before the sun rises.”

He stared at her. She smiled back. Shit.

“I can finish,” he said, his voice a gruff, angry rumble.

It worked. Jenna handed him the shirt and stood. “Fine. I’ll get the stew ready, and see how much food I have in the house, since I’m about to be invaded.”

Her cool voice, and the narrowed blue eyes, left an ugly guilt in his chest. She stalked across the living room, to the huge, open kitchen Roman had spent countless hours in. Why Grey had sold this place was still a question Roman couldn’t get an answer to; every time he asked, Grey would mutter something about wanting Corey closer to family.

His mate left two years ago, the most flighty female shifter Roman had ever met. She had considered Corey a burden, and needed to find herself while she had time. Grey had shut out the family right after she disappeared, so that answer didn’t sit with Roman.

Personally, he’d been relieved when the woman left. She’d done nothing but make Grey and everyone else around her miserable, which told Roman she had never been meant as Grey’s forever mate. The only good thing from their brief union was Corey.

Now Corey was out there, with a bastard intent on revenge. And it was Roman’s fault.

We’ll get him back—get them all back, and I’ll finish what should have been done years ago.

The anger helped shove down the pain, and he dressed, sweat sliding down his back by the time he finished. He was still not done healing, not even close, and his body was telling him it needed rest. A luxury he didn’t have time for, not yet.

“Ready?” She stood in front of him, serious and so lovely it made his heart pound. “Let’s get you up.”

“Already there.” Roman couldn’t stop himself. He wanted to see her smile again. She did, that damn sexy blush riding her cheeks.

“Tell me if I hurt you.” She sat next to him and draped his arm across her shoulders, her left arm sliding around his waist before she pulled them both to their feet.

“Impressive,” he whispered, not sure she even heard him.

“Picking up heavy animals all day does tend to build up some muscle. Can you walk?”

“Last I checked.”

“Hilarious. Are you always this funny?”

“Not normally. You seem to bring it out.”

“Lucky me.” She relaxed against him, and the scent of lavender and vanilla surrounded him again, edged with a sharp touch of citrus. “I have a big bowl of stew and some bread on the table. I want you to eat it all. I’m going to be fixing some trays while you do.”

The rich scent of meat, vegetables, and gravy that had been torturing him since he lumbered into her front yard had him sniffing, and his stomach rumbled in anticipation.

Her laughter warmed him more than the arm around his waist.

“I believe I can accommodate you, Doc.”

She sat him at the small round table in the kitchen, and he watched her as he savored every spoonful of the hearty, sinfully delicious stew. She moved like a dancer, quick and graceful, aware of the space around her. His cock, already hard, strained against the zipper of his borrowed jeans.

Shit—he had it bad. His bear agreed, and growled as he ignored the need, knowing she was better off without him and all the baggage he carried from his misspent life. Coming home, and starting his own business as a wilderness guide, were the first steps on a long path back to who he was, who he wanted to be again.

For both their sakes, he’d have to stay far away from the tempting Dr. Jenna Morgan.

The deep rumble of trucks broke the comfortable silence. His family was here.

He started to push to his feet, but Jenna was already there, her hand on his right shoulder.

“Stay put. I will do the heavy lifting, until you’ve had time to finish—healing.”

She moved to the door, her shoulders back, her chin up. God help her, she was about to meet most of the clan, all at once. Under the worst possible circumstances.

His bear growled, low and threatening. If one of them so much as looked at her wrong, he would—

He cut off the thought, shoved down the rage, and cursed under his breath.

His bear had already chosen her, demanding that she be protected, even from those he trusted most.

So much for staying away from her.

***

Jenna managed to open the door just as they all strode across the porch. Her home was being invaded by men. Huge, muscled, gorgeous men. All of them had brown hair, eyes from dark brown to the palest gold, and every single one was tall. She felt like a child standing in the middle of them.

“Jenna.” Lindy Black pushed through the immovable wall of men and gripped Jenna’s hands. “Thank you for taking my son in. Where…” Her voice faded when she spotted Roman, and she pulled Jenna into a tight hug. “Thank you. Grey, set up on the island.”

“Already here, Mom.” The tallest and most muscle bound man stood at Jenna’s big butcher block island, unloading a box of equipment. She had never met the former owner, but his resemblance to Roman left no doubt. “Roman—get your ass over here and—”

“He’s staying right where he is,” Jenna said. Every male in the room stilled, staring at her, then at Grey. Oh, God—did she just violate some secret shifter law? She crossed her arms, to easier hide her shaking hands, and stared right back at Grey. “He’s recovering from a gunshot wound, and I won’t have him moving around, undoing my repairs.”

Grey finally let out a grunt, and released her from his deadly gaze. She nearly staggered from relief. Lindy appeared at her side and took her hand. “Let me introduce my sons, since they have apparently lost all manners since they left my house. You already met Grey, who is the oldest.” She waved to each man as she introduced him. “Elijah is my youngest.” He winked at her, earning a low, ugly growl from Roman. “Next up is Thomas, then Matt, and finally, Samuel. My stepson Jedidiah’s boy is one of the cubs out there, and he’s with the group already out searching. Now, what can I do, sweetheart?”

“I was assembling trays when you all—”

“Stormed the castle?” Lindy smiled, tossing her thick grey braid over her shoulder.” They can be intimidating, but don’t let them fool you. They all have a soft heart under that gruff exterior.” Groans and comments floated through the air. Lindy’s smile widened. “They hate it when I reveal their deep, dark secret.” Her smile faded, and the fear she’d been hiding behind her humor filled her golden brown eyes.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help you find them, Mrs. Black.”

“Lindy, dear. We are long past formal names. Elijah, take the map over to Roman, and the hiking boots I brought for him. I want to get on their trail in the next ten minutes. All of you—eat up. Jenna and I will pack up edibles for the hike.” She pulled Jenna toward the kitchen. “I brought backpacks, water, and protein bars. Anything else you can add to the mix would be welcome.”

Jenna pointed to the trays on the counter. “The cheese and crackers can go in baggies. I also have carrots, and some trek mix. I’m afraid I haven’t shopped much, since I’m still moving in.”

“No need to apologize, my dear. We are invading you with no warning.”

“I want to go with you, Lindy.”

“Hell, no.” Roman spoke before Lindy could open her mouth, his voice a deep growl.

Jenna turned to him, forcing the anger out of her voice. “I’ve spent most of my life hiking trails, all over the country. I know how to track, and I have medical training. I was in my first year of residency before I realized I’d rather work with animals.” She wanted him to understand that she needed to help, to become part of the community she chose as her home.