Changing Hearts (27 page)

“What about you? You don’t belong to the Pack but they accept you?”

“I left the Pack on my own. Since I wasn’t cast out, I’m free to return at any time.”

“Why aren’t you the Alpha?”

“I never wanted to be Alpha. I’ve lived in one Pack or another all my life. I’m happier on my own.” He shrugged and she knew he wasn’t going to say much more on the subject. Joie turned her attention back to Malcolm.

“You sleep, sugar, sleep and heal. I’ll be here when you wake up.” She leaned forward to kiss him again.

Through the long trip back to the cabin and the treatment for his injuries, Malcolm hadn’t moved. The only reassurance she had that he still lived lay in the rise and fall of his chest. For once she wished her special gift with animals did extend to humans. She’d give anything to know what he was thinking, how much pain he was in.

Joie sat on the side of the bed then leaned forward so her head rested on his uninjured shoulder. She traced the hair above his bandaged ribs with one finger as she hummed softly. The tune one her mother had used to put her to sleep when she was younger.

By the time
Tante
Kay returned with coffee, Joie slept next to Malcolm, her hand curled over his heart. Micah still leaned against the door, so she handed him one of the cups.

“You staying here tonight?”

“No, Grandmother. Slade won’t welcome my presence.”

“You helped him?”

“No. I simply protected Joie.”

“You helped him.” She nodded at him then walked back to the kitchen. Micah followed her, drinking his coffee as he went. He emptied the cup, reached into his back pocket, pulled a card out and handed it to her.

“You can reach me at this number if you need to.”

“Will he stay here? Will he take care of my Joie?” Kay stared up at him, making no move to accept the card he offered.

“That is one question I cannot answer, Grandmother. Slade has never had much love for humans. His past has been too rough where your kind is concerned. I don’t know what he will do. I do know that he cares for your goddaughter. He cares enough to beg for help.”

Kay nodded then took the card Micah still held out to her. She walked with him to the back door then watched as he got back into his truck, waved and drove away.

Kay glanced down the hallway, taking a deep breath. “You’ll stay here, boy. This is your home now. We’ll make it so. You’ll be with my Joie and you’ll make some beautiful babies. You’re home now, boy. ‘Sides, I’m thinking Joie is getting awful damn tired of stitching you up.”

For the first time in the sixty years since she’d lived in the cabin, Kay locked the door. She turned out the lights then went her own room. She’d know if she was needed in the night.

Joie woke with a kink in her neck. She’d stayed next to Malcolm all night. He hadn’t moved at all since she’d fallen asleep. Joie touched his forehead and the sides of his face. He felt warmer than she thought he should be. Just as she stretched and started to yawn,
Tante
Kay appeared in the doorway.

“Did he wake?”

“Not yet. He feels warm to me.” Joy stepped back slightly as
Tante
came farther into the room.

The older woman touched Malcolm’s forehead then his face. She leaned forward to listen to his heart, counting softly under her breath.

“He’s breathing a little rough, could be the ribs, could be something more. He don’t feel feverish to me, but a good plaster never hurt anybody. You see if you can get him awake, I’ll get the fixings ready.” Kay patted Malcolm’s cheek then left the room.

“You heard
Tante
, Malcolm. It’s time to wake up. Open your eyes, sugar. Let me see those beautiful glowing eyes of yours.” Joie trailed her fingertips over Malcolm’s cheeks and down to his mouth. She bent forward slightly, placing a kiss on his mouth. “Open your eyes, Malcolm.”

She peppered his face with gentle kisses as she continued to implore him to wake up. His breathing pattern changed slightly but he never moved, never even twitched.

For three days the two women kept watch over him, cleaning his wounds, changing the dressings as needed and keeping his fever at bay. On the morning of the fourth day after his fight, Malcolm let out a loud gasp as his eyes flew open.

Joie bent over him before the sound faded. “Malcolm? Can you hear me?”

He blinked then rolled his eyes toward her. “Why am I here?”

His voice sounded odd to her. Joie realized he sounded like an old man. “I brought you home. We’re taking care of you, sweetheart.
Tante
and I have been watching over you. Are you in very much pain? I was afraid to give you too many painkillers. I don’t really know how to treat your pain.”

“Don’t.” He closed his eyes and turned his face slightly away from her.

“Don’t what? Don’t try to treat your pain? Don’t take care of you? Too late. I’ve done both and I’ll keep on doing it until the day I die. I told you, Malcolm Slade. I love you. That hasn’t ended.” Joie knew her voice got louder. She expected
Tante
to come barreling in at any moment to see what all the ruckus was about.

“I love you, Malcolm. I will love you until the day I die. You being Alpha or not being Alpha has nothing to do with that.”

“It’s what I am.” His voice sounded soft again, so soft she almost didn’t hear him.

“No, sweetheart. It’s what you were. Now you’re Malcolm Slade. An amazing man who can become an amazing, beautiful wolf. A man I love with my whole heart.”

“Don’t.” He closed his eyes again. She saw him swallow hard as she reached out to touch his face.

“Too late. I’m in this forever. I love you, Malcolm. I’ll never stop.” She leaned over to kiss him and felt him flinch.

Joie refused to let him see her cry. She traced his jaw then stood up straight. “I’m going to get you some broth. I’ll be back in a few minutes.

She left her bedroom and leaned against the wall in the hallway. He’d withdrawn again.
No, dammit, he’s not going to do this to me. He belongs here with our baby and me. I’ll prove it to him.
Joie nodded to herself, sucked in a deep breath, banished her tears and headed for the kitchen.

Slade lay still as he listened to her footsteps move down the hall. His hearing was as sharp as ever, so was his sense of smell. He’d known where he lay before he ever opened his eyes. Her scent clung to his skin, to the sheets under him and even to the bandages on his body.

He lifted his head slightly, taking stock of the most recent batch of injuries. The last thing he remembered was limping off into the woods. He’d headed for a thicket. Obviously he hadn’t made it.

Sparing a moment to wonder how in the hell Joie had gotten him back to the cabin, Slade managed to sit up. He took shallow breaths as he leaned back against the headboard. His ribs hurt like hell. Frank had definitely done a number on him when he’d stomped him.

Frank, who’d have thought it? Still, it makes a weird kind of sense. Hell, the guy’s a lawyer. If nothing else he can get the Pack members out of jail when they get arrested.
Slade glanced down, lifting the sheet that covered him.

Shit. Stitches in my thigh, broken ribs, what else?
He ran his hands over his face, felt the stitches in his forehead and the swelling on the bridge of his nose. His shoulder throbbed in time with his heartbeat, more stitches there, obviously since he felt them pulling slightly every time he lifted his arm.

So, except for the ribs, nothing that would keep him from moving on anytime soon. Just as that thought crossed his mind, Joie appeared in the doorway.

She looked startled for a moment to see him sitting up. Still she smiled as she came farther into the room. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better. I’ve brought you some soup and a nice glass of iced tea, without the ice.”

“Stop fussing.”

“I’m not fussing. You’ve been unconscious for nearly four days, I’m sure you’re starving. I think the soup will sit well and then when you feel a little stronger you can have something more substantial.”

“I don’t want any soup.” Slade turned his head away from her. It hurt, actually hurt to look at her now. She was so vibrant she could outshine the sun, and his whole body ached at the thought of never seeing her again, never touching her again.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing. Just leave me alone.” He managed to slide back down in the bed and rolled partially onto his side. He stifled the moan that tried to escape and concentrated on keeping his breathing level.
She’ll get tired of the silent treatment and leave me alone soon enough.

“I’m not going anywhere, Malcolm Slade. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be.” Joie set the soup bowl and glass down on the bedside table with a clank, then pulled her chair closer to the bed. “You can turn away from me all you want but you won’t make me leave.”

He tried to ignore her. Seeing her again, smelling her, hell, being in the same room with her hurt more than any injury he’d received in the fight. No, that wasn’t true. It was being this close to her and knowing he’d lost her that killed him. Sooner or later she’d want to talk about the fight. Sooner or later she’d bring up the fact that she’d seen him kill two members of his Pack.

The thing that was truly killing him was waiting for her to call him on his cowardice, on his submission. How would she broach the subject? Would she come right out and call him a coward to his face? Would she accuse him of going belly up just to keep from getting hurt any worse? What would she say? The wait was making him crazy.

Slade sighed and rolled onto his back. His eyes were open just enough so that he could see her. Joie sat in the chair beside the bed with her head bowed. He glanced down to see a book in her lap. The sun coming through the bedroom window brought out the red highlights in her hair and made her skin glow. He’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

Slade closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He wanted to reach out and touch her, just touch her cheek. He wanted to pull her over on top of his body and kiss her, make love to her, claim her. Knowing he’d lost the right to do that angered him.

He turned his head away from her and closed his eyes. Sleep, maybe he’d be able to sleep and heal some more. He had to get out of here before he went down on his knees again.

* * * * *

Joie walked into the kitchen the next morning with a weary smile for
Tante
. The old woman shook her head as she watched her godchild sink into a chair.

“You need to get that boy out of here. Take him off somewhere and make him listen to you.”
Tante
angrily stirred pancake batter in the bowl in front of her.

“Do you honestly think it would do any good?”

“I don’t know. I do know you can’t go on like this, child. You’re wearing yourself down to the bone and that’s not good for you or that baby you’re carrying.”
Tante
thumped the bowl down on the counter then splattered water on the griddle she had heating on the stove. At the sizzle of the water, she poured some batter onto the griddle then turned back to Joie.

Joie’s hands went protectively to her stomach. She was only a week or so along, but couldn’t love this child any more than she already did. She and Malcolm had created a small miracle, maybe she could bring about a bigger one? Joie looked up at
Tante
, sure her heart was in her eyes.

“Do you think he’d go to the cabin with me?”

“I don’t know, child. Couldn’t hurt to ask. I’ll get Boudreaux to go open it up. He knows where the keys are. Let him lay in a stock of groceries too, then all you have to do is get that stubborn
Loup Garou
out there.”
Tante
continued making breakfast as she spoke. The heavenly scent of sausage and pancakes filled the kitchen.

“You love him too, don’t you?” Joie walked around the table and hugged her godmother from the back.

“I want you to be happy, child. If that sullen creature makes you happy, and I know he does, then yes, I want him here. For whatever reason, the two of you balance. His darkness to your light. His strength to your gentleness. You’re a pair, you two, and the sooner he realizes that the happier you’ll both be.”

Tante
nodded at her own pronouncement and got up from the table. “I’ll call Boudreaux, get the wheels in motion, you get that lazy boy on outta that bed.”
Tante
patted Joie’s hand then piled a plate with pancakes and sausage.

“First, you sit down,
cher
. Eat some breakfast. I’ll go call Boudreaux.”

Joie laughed softly as she watched the older woman go into the living room. Perhaps she could convince Malcolm to go to the cabin to spend another night before he left. Of course, she would try to convince him to stay, but letting him think she wasn’t going to put up a fight for him to stay might be just the ticket to getting him where she wanted him.

Once they were at the fishing cabin, she could remind him of just how good they were together, just how right it felt when they made love. And, she could show him again how much she loved him and that he loved her too! She devoured the pancakes and sausage, along with two huge glasses of milk. Her appetite almost rivaled Malcolm’s now. A grin curved across her face at that thought.

Plans in motion, decisions made, Joie pushed herself up with a renewed sense of purpose and a burst of energy. Time for a nice long shower, with the door open of course, and some of that lilac lotion Malcolm loved. If she couldn’t appeal to the man right now she’d unleash the wolf and see what happened.

She put more pancakes and sausage on a plate and carried it with her down the hall.
Let’s see him deny his appetite now, both for me and for food!

* * * * *

Unaware of any plans being made for him, Slade continued to stretch slowly. He’d been unsuccessful in convincing Joie to remove the stitches in his body but his strength slowly started to return. He glanced up as she came down the hall, schooling his face to the same bland expression he’d sported for the past few days.
Stubborn human, if she’d just take the damn stitches out I could shift and be on my way.