Authors: Shelley Munro
Tomasine scowled, her nose and brow wrinkling with worry. “But the girls—it’s setting a bad example.”
Felix smiled gently and ran his fingers across her lips until she stopped frowning. He tugged lightly on her ponytail. “That’s better. We don’t want to risk the wind changing. You might end up looking like a gargoyle.”
Tomasine let out an indignant snort. “Stop changing the subject. I don’t want to give the girls the wrong idea.”
“It’s not as if we’re going to have sex in front of them. I understand having the girls around makes our relationship a bit different. The girls are part of you, part of your life. When we mate, the girls become my family and responsibility. I know you’re a package deal. I like your girls. Together we’ll be a family.” And they’d fill a hole inside him that he hadn’t been aware of until Emily came into their lives. Felix didn’t have any experience with children though he was more than willing to learn. He
wanted
to learn. Tomasine glanced up at him, her eyes wide and still full of apprehension. “I’m frightened.”
“I know, sweetheart. But please, give this a chance. Give us a chance. I know you don’t trust me enough to tell me everything about your past yet. That’s okay. Trust takes time. You can ask me anything you like about our family, about Middlemarch, and I’ll answer.”
“That’s a bit risky seeing as how I’m a reporter,” Tomasine said in a dry tone, but the softening in her brown eyes told him she understood his offer of trust. “Where will the girls sleep?”
“At the other end of the passage in the twins’ room.”
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Tomasine hesitated and Felix walked back to where she stood by his double bed. He tried not to think of the two in the same thought but it happened anyway and predictably his cock jerked against his fly. Hell, he’d love to rip her clothes off and take her hard and fast, preferably with a little biting in the equation. He wanted to take their relationship to the next level so badly, to mark her as his mate. Felix knew he could force the issue and win, but the victory would be hollow that way. He wanted Tomasine to accept him without coercion.
Tomasine chewed on her bottom lip. “What am I going to tell Sylvie? I don’t want her to go through life with a fear of strangers.”
“Why don’t you tell her the house needs fumigating or has become unsafe in some way? What about the landlord? Why don’t you tell her the landlord wants to fix the roof?” Felix watched her avidly, her white teeth and the increased redness of her lip where she’d abused it. His cocked jerked yet again but he knew better than to kiss her now when his control was precarious.
Tomasine’s breasts rose and fell in a heavy sigh. She finally nodded.
“What about Gina?” Felix battled the need to trail his fingers across her face. She was so tempting. Distracting.
His
.
“Gina knows the truth. She insisted I tell her the truth from the start. My…cousin…let’s just say she’s a lot older than her years. We’ve been through a lot together.”
Felix gave in to his need to touch. He ran his fingers across her silky cheek and smoothed a lock of hair from her face. “Has Gina shifted yet? My brothers and I all shifted for the first time about her age.”
“She hasn’t shown any signs. I’ve told her the symptoms to look for—the aching bones, the desire to eat more red meat and increased sensitivity of senses. That’s part of the reason I chose Middlemarch. I knew there were other shifters here and the area isn’t heavily built-up. There’s plenty of room for shifters to run.”
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“Why did you choose Middlemarch? There are lots of colonies out there, if you know where to look.”
“I know, but most are in close contact with each other. In Europe anyway. I wanted anonymity until I knew where their loyalties lay. When I was a child, I heard my parents discussing my mother’s auntie. She knew a family, friends of friends, who considered immigrating here. I didn’t think any more about it until I needed a place to hide. The rumors of the black panther sightings and the way everyone was so closemouthed about it told me quite a bit about the community, even if they frustrated me at every turn.” Tomasine wrinkled her nose at him. “I kept our identity secret because I wanted to be sure it was safe. I didn’t know who to trust…I’m so used to hiding. It’s become ingrained…” Tomasine trailed off and stared at her feet before glancing back at him, her expression pensive.
Tomasine was obsessed with safety and assassins. Part of him understood her need for secrecy but she wasn’t alone now. He wasn’t even sure he believed her stories of assassins. It seemed so farfetched. “Have you run while you’ve been here?”
Tomasine shook her head. “No. I didn’t think it was safe.”
The idea of not shifting and embracing the cat on a regular basis was a foreign concept to him. It was part of who they were and what made them different. Special. Felix didn’t need to think twice. They would change that. It was something small he could do for her.
Felix took her hand and led her down the passage to the twins’ room. He opened the door and came to an abrupt halt. It was just as the twins had left it, complete with centerfold pictures plastered across the walls.
Tomasine giggled. “I think we’d better do some redecorating. Sylvie’s into dolls and soft toys while Gina thinks that the English pop singer James Blunt is just the cutest thing on Earth.”
“Ah yeah. I’d forgotten Emily mentioned cleaning up first if you came to stay.”
Felix moved over to the posters and removed them from the cream-colored walls. A few 87
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minutes later, small pinholes were all that remained. Two single beds with dark green duvet covers sat at right angles to the door with a bedside cabinet beside each one. The furniture was battered and one of the cabinets bore twin-inspired graffiti. Felix grinned remembering Saber’s anger when the young teenage twins had used the cabinet for a game of naughts and crosses. There were also a couple of initials and mystery words that held no meaning to anyone other than the twins. A bank of windows looked out over the new vegetable garden. Felix opened a window to air the room and immediately the white curtains fluttered in the soft breeze.
“We have a few hours before the girls finish school. The main town area is well covered. Any strangers about today won’t have much privacy. Why don’t we check out some of the outer-lying areas? We can run together if you want.” Felix tacked the offer casually on the end, desperately wanting to share the feline part of themselves. Running with his mate…
Tomasine stared out the window. It was a clear and crisp winter day. Although there was no snow in the Strath Taieri valley, there were a few drifts on the Rock and Pillar range. Sudden longing assailed her. She hadn’t shifted for…longer than she could remember and the idea of running with another shifter was enticing. It didn’t hurt that the male was her lover either. She pushed away her misgivings about staying in Middlemarch when possible danger stalked the girls and her and attempted a smile.
“Okay. Where?”
“We’ll go out on the farm. There’s a hill that overlooks most of the valley. We’ll drive out to the old woolshed and sheep yards and go from there.”
At the front door they paused to put their boots back on and then retraced their footsteps to Felix’s SUV.
Tomasine climbed into the passenger seat and frowned at the door they’d just exited. “I can’t believe you don’t lock your doors.”
“This is the country.” Felix glanced across the cab at her, his eyes tender and full of understanding. “It’s different in Middlemarch.”
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Tomasine wished she felt the same assurance. It was difficult when their lives might be at risk. By staying at the Mitchell homestead, she was placing them in danger as well as the girls. She tried to quiet the annoying voices of terror that battered her mind. It was all right for Felix and his brothers to say it was safe to stay with them but they didn’t know Joseph, the lengths he would go to ensure he retained control of the remaining clan members and resources. A wave of apprehension accompanied the prickling awareness that foretold danger. It was out there. Tomasine couldn’t see or hear it but she sensed the stealthy stalking of the enemy. Her chest felt as though it would burst when she glanced across at Felix. The risk was too high. She would never forgive herself if Felix died because of her. She had to leave. Tonight. They drove down a gravel road toward the rolling hills. Tomasine stared out at the passing landscape, the outcrops of schist, the fleeting glimpses of the Taieri River and the rolling hills covered with grass and tussock. She’d come to love the wilderness and the sparse population. Adjusting to a city would take time. She sighed inwardly. The girls would hate it. They’d hated the tiny studio flat in London, the hiding and constant subterfuge involved during the cat and mouse games with their hunters. She didn’t want to remember Spain where the assassins had caught up with them. Things hadn’t improved much in Singapore where the constant crush of humanity and the blanket of humid heat had even worn on her nerves. Having to consort with members of the underworld to sell more of her jewelry and arrange forged papers for her planned destination of New Zealand hadn’t helped either. Australia had been a slight improvement but it was here in Middlemarch where the girls had started to flourish. She’d finally started to sleep through the night without nightmares or having to climb from her bed to investigate unusual noises.
Felix pulled over on the shoulder of the gravel road not far from a ramshackle woolshed. “We can walk from here or we can shift here and head for the hills.”
Tomasine surveyed the surrounding countryside. It was private with no buildings in sight apart from the woolshed. The rolling hills rose above them while below she saw 89
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the endless plains of the valley. A stand of pines stood out against the dull green of the paddocks. Overhead a bird soared. Her feline side strained for the same freedom, to feel the soft give of the earth beneath her paws. “Let’s shift here. Do you leave your clothes in the car or somewhere else?”
“We have a watertight container to store our clothes in at the back of the sheep yards.”
Felix opened the gate for her and she walked through, waiting while he followed and then refastened the catch. Sheep grazed in the paddock they’d entered. Several of the sheep lifted their heads before retreating warily. In a neighboring paddock, a cow mooed.
“This way,” Felix said.
Tomasine followed, her gaze moving down his broad back to linger on his butt. The desire to touch was strong. Taste. She wanted to do that too. Tomasine sucked in a sharp breath and caught a hint of his spicy scent along with cool mountain air and a hint of sheep. Blinking rapidly, she dispelled the sudden moisture from her eyes. She would miss him so much even though leaving was the right thing to do. Felix paused at the rear of the yards. He unfastened his shirt buttons and shrugged from his woolen shirt, revealing his broad chest to her. Tomasine watched avidly, storing memories. Felix was her mate. She accepted there would be no one else—not after Felix. It was worth the sacrifice, knowing Felix and his family would remain safe. One of Felix’s dark brows rose in a teasing manner. His sensual lips curled to a grin.
“Are you going to turn this into a strip show?”
“Merely appreciating the scenery,” Tomasine returned, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Her gaze wandered across pectoral muscles and biceps toned by working on the farm. It was a good thing shifters didn’t feel the cold as badly as humans since it meant she had plenty of skin to eyeball.
“If you don’t stop ogling the scenery, we’re not going to run anywhere.” The wicked glint in his green eyes stirred her to action. This might be the only time she’d 90
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have the opportunity to run for months. In the city it would be impossible. Yes. Run first and then sex.
Making love
.
Tomasine yanked her woolen sweater over her head and tossed it on top of Felix’s shirt before stooping to unlace her boots and remove her socks. She glanced up to catch his hot stare strolling across her body. She grinned, feeling suddenly better since she’d made her decision. It was for the best. Reaching behind, she flicked the clasp of her bra and let her breasts spill free. The cool breeze whispered across them, pulling her nipples tight. Liquid arousal moistened her pussy but she ignored the seductive need to mate. Instead, Tomasine stripped off her jeans and panties and stood for an instant, naked to the elements. She yanked off the elastic band confining her hair to a ponytail and shook her head. Her hair spilled around her shoulders.
Lifting her face to the sky, she reveled in the freedom of nature before picturing a sleek leopard in her mind. The familiar sense of disembodiment took over as her body started to change. Bones lengthened and cracked. A hint of pain mixed in with the euphoria of rushing hormones. Her teeth grew sharp while the shape of her eyes changed. Black fur formed along her backbone and spread rapidly down her arms and legs. Tomasine dropped to all fours and embraced the pain while the change completed. Finally, she stood in front of Felix, her long black tail swishing while her whiskers twitched.
“You’re beautiful,” he breathed.
Tomasine barked deep in her throat and flicked her tail across his jeans-clad legs. The wretched man had stood and watched the show. He ran his hand the length of her backbone before moving to stand by her head. Without the slightest trace of fear, he scratched behind her ears. Stupid male. Didn’t he know she could kill him with a quick flash of her front paws? He wouldn’t have a chance. Felix continued to stroke and scratch her behind the ears. A low purr erupted and she rubbed against his legs, almost knocking him over. Tomasine licked his hand, tasting the saltiness of his skin while his scent sank deep into her lungs.
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“I guess we’d better hurry,” Felix said finally. He removed his boots then unzipped his jeans and slid them down his strong thighs. The rest of his clothes disappeared to reveal his naked body. Even in her cat form, she appreciated his male beauty. Felix placed all their clothes in a watertight container before moving away from her to go through his own shift.