Brink Of Passion (Alpine Woods Shifters) (16 page)

Inside, his leopard strutted in satisfaction that the human half had learned what it had instinctually known all along. Laurie was a woman he could be proud to call his.

Smug bastard, Max thought with affection. He hated when his cat side lorded things over his human half. As if the cat’s ego wasn’t big enough. But at the moment, he felt nothing but gratitude. His other half had chosen their mate well.

“Laurie?” He brushed his knuckles along her cheek once more, marveling at the softness. He placed a quick kiss against her lips. She groaned, low and deep. The less-than-ladylike sound brought a smile to his lips. “Time to wake up, sleeping beauty.”

“What time is it?” Why did her sleepy murmur make his dick harden?

“Early.”

She sighed before opening her eyes. The smile that curled her lips when she met his gaze caused his heart to stumble in his chest.

“Do you think you and Colin could go grab some coffee? I need a minute alone with Ryan.”

“Of course.” The smile left her face as she quickly rose. “What do you want?”

No guile. No strategy. Her first thought had been his needs.

“Nothing fancy. Plain coffee with a splash of cream.”

“Sugar?”

He shook his head. She flashed him a smile and turned toward the door.

“Laurie?” He stopped her before she could leave the room.

“Yes?”

He searched for the words to express the gratitude he felt. To her for supporting him. To his leopard for bringing her to him.

“Nothing.”

She smiled at him again, and he knew he would do everything in his power to keep her smiling forever.

He followed her with his eyes as she left the room. Colin held the door open for her, shutting it behind them.

Max breathed deeply. The lingering scent of his mate soothed the beast inside him who was no happier seeing her leave than it had been earlier.

He stood and walked to his brother, reaching out to grab his hand. The tactile comfort of family further placated his leopard.

“How are you really?” Max asked. With the others around, Max worried Ryan pushed himself too hard to act as if he had no pain.

“Fine, except I feel like I’m in a botanical garden, or a tropical forest somewhere.”

“Yeah.” Max glanced around at the flowers overflowing every tabletop and counter space. “You know how Leah gets with family. She’s been refreshing them every few days.”

“She shouldn’t have wasted the inventory.”

“What’s wrong, brother?” Max asked, sensing his brother stalling. He hadn’t asked to be alone to discuss the flower situation in the room. For a long moment, Ryan remained silent until Max wondered if he’d have to repeat the question.

“You need to watch your back.” His brother’s brusque tone surprised him.

Suspicion slid through him. His brother must know The Family wouldn’t stand for an attack against one of their own. The only reason to pretend amnesia would be to protect someone. Surely, his brother wouldn’t protect his attacker. So who was he protecting?

“I thought you didn’t remember the attack?”

“I don’t.” There was no lie in the tone or the eyes that stared at Max. But Ryan’s earlier words left a puzzle in his mind.

“Then why?”

Ryan fidgeted in his hospital bed, wincing and clutching his forehead as a particular move jarred him.

Max waited patiently, squeezing his brother’s hand to comfort both Ryan and himself. “Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

“I’m not sure how to describe it. I remember pulling into the parking garage, but everything after that is blank. But there’s this…” He shook his head, his eyes moving back and forth as if searching for the right word. “Urgency. I don’t know how, or why, but I
know
you’re in danger.” Ryan reached out and grabbed his arm, his eyes wide with alarm. “You have to be careful.”

“It’s okay,” he soothed. He leaned down and rested his head against Ryan’s, rubbing back and forth. The touch of family comforted them both. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

Ryan quieted. Max stayed until he heard his brother’s breath even out, deepening with sleep. Rising, he quietly crossed to the doorway and stepped into the hallway. The strong smell of antiseptic tickled his nose.

He leaned against the wall next to the door and closed his eyes. What would he have done if he’d lost Ryan? His brother had always been there.

Of the two of them, there’d been no question who was more dominant. Ryan, a beta male at heart, had none of the alpha tendencies that Max had displayed from day one when he’d frowned at his mother instead of crying for food.

The differences between them had been obvious, and had precipitated Max receiving the mantle of Premier above Ryan, despite Ryan being older by four years. But beta or not, he wasn’t submissive. He could fight with the best of them if pushed to it. He just felt no need to dominate. Since the beginning, he’d supported Max from behind. Always cheering him on.

Though beta, Ryan had taught Max how to be a better alpha. A better man.

He’d come close to losing him. The blow to his head had been deep, and if he hadn’t been found when he had, he might have bled out before help could arrive. As it was, he’d been out cold for over an hour before one of his leap mates had found him, lying on the floor of his office. Too long. He’d lost hours of time between parking in the garage and being hit over the head. Some of the leap had seen him at the restaurant downstairs having dinner, but Ryan remembered none of it.

The need to protect beat a steady tempo against his temples. He’d failed this time. It wouldn’t happen again. Ryan’s words haunted him. Was the injury causing his anxiety, or could some part of him be evoking the shadow of a memory?

Max rubbed his hands over his face once again, desperately trying to hide the lack of sleep and worry he knew must be clearly displayed.

There was no sense worrying everyone at this point. Without facts or proof, there was nothing anyone could do. But he would not leave Ryan unprotected. No matter what, he’d make sure someone he trusted guarded Ryan until the matter was resolved.

*****

“Laurie. Colin.”

Laurie smiled at the sound of Amy’s call. The girl could bring cheer to a funeral. Turning toward the voice, her smile froze as she took in the rest of the company. Leah, her mate, Chad, and Tyler. Great. The faker and the grump.

Not for the first time, she reminded herself that these people were Max’s family, and that made them her family. No matter how unpleasant she found them.

Not that there was anything particularly offensive about Tyler. But over the past week, she’d met him any of number of times, and she had yet to see him smile. Instead, he wore a constant scowl. She’d wondered if he ever relaxed.

And Leah. Okay, so Laurie had issues with Leah. Everyone had in-laws they just couldn’t get along with, right? Her own mother refused to talk to her grandmother. At least Chad, Leah’s mate, was with them. Leah tended to be less bitchy around him. And whenever she got an attitude, he’d always smile at Laurie in sympathy. Leah couldn’t be all bad to have landed such a great guy, right?

“Where are you guys off to?” Amy asked. She had a dimple on one side of her face. Friendliness radiated from every pore.

Laurie’s smile warmed. “Starbucks run. Wanna come?”

As much as she preferred not to spend more time with Leah and Tyler, she included all four of them in her invitation. Max had wanted time alone with Ryan, so she’d do what she could to give him as much as he needed. Besides, she should make an effort to spend more time with his family.

“Shouldn’t you be with Max? He needs your support right now. I think coffee can wait.”

Laurie gritted her teeth at the censure infused in Leah’s words.
Be civil. Be civil
. She repeated the two-word phrase over and over in her head. Their family had been through a lot recently. Getting into a fight would not help anyone, nor endear her to them.

“
Max
asked for some time alone with Ryan,” Colin interjected before she could figure out how to respond. The reprimand in his tone, aimed at Leah, allowed Laurie to relax. She gave him a grateful smile. A flash of a smirk was her response.

Colin reminded her so much of Ethan, it made her heart hurt. Somehow, she already sensed he had her back, and that made dealing with the other two just a bit easier.

“Of course. I never meant to imply otherwise,” Leah crooned with a vague wave of her hand. Laurie called bullshit to that, but held the words back. “Well then, we’ll have to bring him back a cup of coffee.”

As if Laurie would never have thought of that. The bitch. Her nose twitched with the sneer struggling to escape. Now, when she got Max coffee, it would seem like Leah’s suggestion.

Amy linked arms with her as they turned toward the exit, chattering away about her latest problem at work at a temp agency, placing people in positions she thought suited them. Work she no doubt excelled at. She had a presence that made others relax. Made them feel comfortable enough to open up. Laurie was confident she made sure to match people to the right job.

“I want to send her to some typing classes, but my bosses say she has to pay for them herself.”

“She won’t?” Colin asked from the other side.

“Her clothes left me with the impression she doesn’t have much disposable income. Nice enough, but a little worn around the edges. I just wish I knew how to help her. She’s got three kids at home, so I’d like to send her to some higher paying jobs. I just can’t at her current level.”

That was the greatest thing about Max’s youngest cousin; she cared.

“What about those free typing games online?” Laurie suggested.

“Do they work?”

“They’ll certainly help. Not sure how fast, but she will see an improvement.”

“Hmm. I’ll suggest it. Thanks, Laurie.” Amy squeezed her arm. Sometimes it was hard to believe the girl was only twenty-six.

Before they exited the building, Leah took her scarf off and handled it to Amy. The absent gesture mollified some of Laurie’s frustration with the woman. The desire to give up her own comfort for that of another, especially someone as guileless as Amy, was something Laurie related to.

Could Leah be condescending at times? Hell yes. Annoyingly cheerful? That too. But she wasn’t a bad person. If only Laurie could remember that whenever the woman rubbed her the wrong way.

As per usual, Tyler was quiet. Not that anyone needed to speak with Amy around. Somehow she managed to fill the awkward silences effortlessly. Just enough to keep them all engaged, but not enough to be considered chatty.

The group immediately turned left upon exiting the building, Amy guiding her with their linked arms. Laurie looked down the street but saw no Starbucks in sight.

“Do you all visit the hospital enough to know where the closest Starbucks is?” Laurie asked. Not one of them had glanced at their phone to find a location.

“You’re never far from a Starbucks in Manhattan.” Amy’s laugh was infectious. She thought she even heard a chuckle from Tyler, but when she glanced his way, he still carried the stoic expression. “Down by Times Square, there is literally four Starbucks in a three-block radius.”

Coming from a place where the closest Starbucks was half an hour away, the concept was completely foreign. People in Alpine Woods came to her bookstore, or the local diner, for coffee in the mornings. Why would anyone need that many Starbucks?

“And they all stay in business?”

“Without a problem,” Amy replied.

“There’s almost always a line,” Colin added.

She shook her head. She loved coffee. The smell, the taste, everything about it. But she’d never been particularly fond of Starbucks.

“But if you want a really good cup of plain coffee, not a latte or anything fancy, you need to go to Pax. They’re all around the City, so you can’t miss them. Just look for the yellow sign. Their bran muffins are incredible, so you should give them a try, even if you don’t like bran muffins.”

The thought of food reminded Laurie she hadn’t eaten. Her stomach agreed, loudly grumbling in protest. Almost as one, the group stopped walking and turned to her.

“I’d say that’s a yes,” Colin joked.

“Probably.” Laurie chuckled.

“Max is most likely hungry, too. Why don’t we find a deli and grab some sandwiches? Like Starbucks, you can’t go far without stumbling into a deli around here,” Chad suggested.

“That sounds good. Thanks.”

True to his words, it didn’t take them long to find a deli and grab some sandwiches, and a Starbucks for coffee. It took longer than she expected, but the sparkle in Max’s eyes when he caught sight of the food made her glad they’d thought to stop.

“Get everything squared away?” Colin asked.

“Yes. We’ll talk later.”

Laurie glanced between the two, noticing the same curiosity from Tyler and Leah, but none of them asked the questions they knew wouldn’t be answered. That
later
had been thrown in for a reason.

Laurie pushed away the hurt caused by his words. Ridiculous to feel betrayed. She might be his mate, but it was silly to think he’d come to her with his problems so early in their relationship. Besides, with his cousins, brother, and aunts and uncles, he didn’t need any more people giving him advice. He had his own council. After all, her brothers had rarely consulted her.

Still, the Reuben sandwich tasted like cardboard as she took her first bite. He might not need her advice, but she wished he would consult her. She was eager to help him, even in a small way.

She glanced sideways at his profile. Tension lined his mouth, and bags hung below his eyes. Despite both, he was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Their eyes met as he turned to face her.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She leaned in and placed a kiss against his cheek. Stubble scratched her lips.

When she pulled back, some of the tension had faded, replaced by a smile. Her heart skipped a beat.

Pleasure filled her, with the knowledge that there was still one way she could help. One way she could protect him. If all she could do was ease his tension, and make sure he still had time to smile, she’d make that her mission. At least until he trusted her with more.