Changing Hearts (8 page)

“It is warm tonight. Did you want some tea?” Her face became slightly flushed, either from the heat or something else.

“No.” Slade took a step toward her. Her tongue flicked out, moistening her lips as he took another step.

“Some water, then?” He smiled as she choked the words out.

“No.” Slade reached out with one hand, touching her neck with just his fingertips. Her shuddering response nearly undid him. Her pulse tattooed under his fingers like a tango dancer on speed.

He leaned forward, parting his lips over her mouth, not touching her, just waiting. Joie inhaled sharply, bringing her breasts in contact with his chest and Slade licked his lips. He purposely brushed across her lower lip with his tongue and when she moaned softly, took her mouth.

She stood still as he kissed her. Slade lifted his head slightly. Her eyes were closed and her head leaning back. He waited until she opened her eyes then kissed her again, this time wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

She opened her mouth under his. He dipped his tongue inside, sliding across hers, then came back for a longer taste. She fit perfectly into the curve of his body, her breasts pressing into his chest.

Slade moved so that she was drawn even more intimately against him. He felt her cool hand touch his arm then slide up to his shoulder. She still held her glass in the other hand. “Joie,” he spoke quietly, waiting until she looked at him again. “Let me take you to bed.”

She blinked twice, took a deep breath then pushed out of his arms, turning her back on him. “I don’t even know you.”

“You know I want you, and you want me. Isn’t that enough?” Slade did what he’d wanted to from the first. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he bent forward and nuzzled against her neck.

He opened his mouth over her pulse and sucked, not hard enough to mark her, just hard enough so that she could feel him and he could taste her pulse. He pressed his erection against her buttocks, moving just enough to mimic what he really wanted from her.

“No. Please.” She stiffened in his arms, her arms braced against the counter.

He could feel her warring with herself. She wanted him, but she didn’t want to want him. Slade sighed as he released her. Though he wouldn’t take her against her will, he made no effort to hide the effect she’d had on him. Standing in the darkened kitchen with her body still against his, she had to be able to feel him.

Joie took a deep breath and moved away from him. She put her glass in the sink, leaving the kitchen without another word. Slade stood perfectly still, breathing deeply, then turned toward the small bedroom off the kitchen.

“Seen enough?” He’d caught the old woman’s scent just as Joie turned away from him. She came into the kitchen now.

“You got to walk careful, boy. My girl’s been hurt by a no-good man and she’s scared. He hurt more than her pride. He took something very precious away from my Joie. She’s been healing here. This place has been good for her, but she still needs time.”

Tante
Kay walked over to the cabinet and pulled two glasses down. Turning to another cabinet over the stove, she pulled down a brown earthenware jug.

Slade laughed softly, “You’re kidding me, right?”

“Best moonshine this side of Kentucky, boy. Ain’t no joke, this.”
Tante
Kay poured a healthy portion into both glasses then handed him one. “One glass of this won’t really affect your kind, will it?”

“No. We don’t get drunk.”

“Now that’s not what I heard, but that’s a story for another night. Drink up, boy, and then get you some sleep. Daylight comes early around here.”

“Cheers, old woman.” Slade tipped his glass in her direction then upended it.

The liquid burned all the way down and he shuddered slightly. Though shifters didn’t get drunk like humans did, they could briefly feel the effects of alcohol on the body. This stuff felt like pure lightning.

Tante
Kay had taken a sip when he turned his glass up, now she smiled at him, inclining her head. “Good night, boy.”

Slade grinned as she moved back into her own room. He put his glass in the sink beside Joie’s then turned toward the living room. No way could he sleep now, knowing that Joie lay in the next room, knowing how she felt in his arms and having had just the briefest taste of her.

Sighing, he slipped out the back door. He wondered about the man who’d hurt Joie. Wondered if he could track him down, hurt him for whatever he’d done. Slade shook his head. “What the hell am I thinking?” Stripping his jeans off, he dropped them on the top step then shifted to wolf form and jumped off the porch.

Moving quickly to the edge of the trees, he slid through the shadows, shunning the moonlight out of habit. Scents of the night called to him as he lifted his nose. Nothing out of place, nothing stirred but some swamp deer off to the right and an armadillo slightly in front of him. The detritus beneath his paws felt good as he dug down for traction.

Slade padded farther into the woods. Once he reached a reasonable perimeter, he put his muscles to work. Reaching out with long front legs and pushing into the dirt with his legs, his body twinged painfully to remind him that he still needed recovery time. He slowed some, but still made a swift circuit of the area.

He realized he was running a safety perimeter, something he’d do in any new area. Marking his territory, tree to bush to tree, he never slowed down. The full circle included the edge of the bayou as well as swamp floors. Night birds squawked dismay at his presence in their world, but he ignored them. He lay down in a thicket to take a breather then stretched, flopped onto his back and rolled around for a bit. Regaining his feet, he shook vigorously, dislodging dirt and leaves from his coat.

Making his way cautiously back to the cabin, he leapt onto the porch before shifting back. Slade picked up his jeans and walked into the house. The sofa bed was only slightly more comfortable now.

He dozed with one ear cocked for any out-of-place sound until he heard the old woman moving around. Slade rolled onto his side and kept his eyes on Joie’s door as he waited for an early morning glimpse of her.

When she came out of her room she avoided looking his way at all. She wore another of those shapeless skirts and a green t-shirt this time. Joie went straight into the kitchen where
Tante
Kay already moved around.

He heard the low murmur of their voices and got off the couch. Slade had no compunction against eavesdropping, especially when he heard his own name mentioned.

“I don’t know exactly what I saw,
Tante
, but it just wasn’t normal. Malcolm was there then he wasn’t.”

“You musta been dreamin’, child. What make you think he can disappear?”

“He didn’t disappear, that’s not what I said. He was there and then a wolf was.”

“A wolf?”

“
The
wolf. The one we found in the bayou. The one we sewed up and fed the other night. I know it was the same wolf because of the markings on his left leg. Those markings are in the same place that Malcolm has his tattoo. And his eyes. They were glowing.”

Slade stood dumbfounded. Just as the old woman had said, Joie was working her way around to the realization of what he was and she hadn’t freaked out about it, yet. He zipped his jeans and stepped into the kitchen. Both women turned to face him. Joie stared hard at him then walked a little closer. “What are you?”

Slade stiffened slightly as he met her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You’re a werewolf.” She could have been telling him gators lived in the swamp her voice came out so damn matter-of-fact. It zinged him clear to the soles of his feet to realize she really didn’t seem to be scared.

“I’m a shapeshifter.” He spoke quietly, staring straight at her, waiting for her to scream, faint, something.

“Then I wasn’t dreaming?” Her eyes widened but he couldn’t smell fear.

“No.” He shook his head slightly, still watching her closely.

“
Loup Garou
, Joie. We got us a real live
Loup Garou
.”
Tante
Kay cackled, breaking the tension holding Joie and Slade in place. The old woman slapped her knees with both hands as she watched them.

“What are you doing here, in the bayou?” Joie stared hard at him now. Slade met her stare with his own and let his eyes glow slightly.

“Hiding. I had to leave my Pack.”

“Why?” Joie sank into a chair at the kitchen table.

Kay stood to fill three coffee cups then joined her. Both women looked at him expectantly. Slade stood in the doorway, staring at them. He couldn’t believe they weren’t freaking out. He considered the wealth of questions she’d posed in that one word. Why?

“My former lover tried to kill me by poisoning me. Then she got her boyfriend to fight me. I wound up killing him. But I couldn’t win another fight because of what she’d done, so I got the hell out of there. Now the Pack will be looking for me.”

“Lover?” Joie arched an eyebrow at him and Slade couldn’t stop the brief grin that stole across his face. She sounded jealous.

“Former lover, and yeah, I’d say trying to kill me qualifies her for ex-lover status. I damn sure don’t want to fuck the bitch again.” His language intentionally harsh, he wanted some response from her. Pushing away from the doorframe, he stuck his hands in his back pockets. Joie’s eyes strayed over his chest before moving back up to meet his gaze.

Tante
Kay burst into laughter while Joie’s face tightened. She got up, moving jerkily across the kitchen. Pulling eggs and butter out of the fridge, she shot a glare at him.

“Why are they looking for you?”

“I was Alpha. When you’re Alpha, you’re responsible for the others you lead, you don’t just leave. I issued a challenge to someone outside the Pack. While I fought him, Maggie and Cutter tried to kill me. I turned on them instead of the person I’d been fighting. I killed Cutter, I may have killed Maggie. Another shifter, one who isn’t even part of my Pack, forced me to change.” He paused, remembering how it felt to have the change forced on him, how his body had felt stretched to the limit, the pain he’d endured. Shaking his head, he continued, “I still don’t know how he did that. Then I ran.” He shrugged again.

“You killed…” Joie’s voice trailed off and she shuddered.
Tante
Kay just continued to stare at him.

“They were tryin’ to kill you,
Loup Garou
?”

“Yeah, Maggie slipped me some silver nitrate to weaken me before the fight. The other guy should have killed me but I was winning. That’s when they jumped in. Cutter came at me with a knife and Maggie came at me tooth and nail. I fought them off and broke Cutter’s neck. I left when the rest of the Pack started to fight. If I didn’t kill Maggie, they’ll be looking for me.”

Not even sure why he told them the truth, Slade couldn’t stop the words. It came almost as a relief to talk about what had happened. For whatever reason, these women made him feel safe. He paused.
Safe?
When was the last time he’d had that particular feeling?

“They’ll hunt you down?” Joie turned to face him now, the pan and eggs forgotten for the moment. “That’s barbaric.”

“That’s Pack justice, baby. We’re not like you.” Slade didn’t keep the heat from his voice. She needed to get that particular thought through her pretty head. The Pack would come and if he didn’t get out of there… Joie finished the thought for him.

“Have you put us in danger?” She stood there with her hands on her hips, the morning sun causing her hair to glow and her eyes catching fire, actually standing up to him! Slade couldn’t believe she had the guts.

“No. They’d never think to look for me among humans. Even if they do find me, they won’t hurt you. And I’ll do what I can to protect you.”

Whoa! Where the hell did that come from?
Slade couldn’t believe he’d just offered to protect two human females. He ran a hand through his hair, watching as Joie tracked the movement.
Damn me, I still want her.

“You do what you need to do, boy. You’ll stay here until it’s not safe for you to stay.” Kay thumped her coffee cup on the table. “You gonna fix them eggs,
cher
?”

Joie shook herself slightly then turned to the stove. Slade stood perfectly still for a long moment, just watching the two women, then moved slowly into the kitchen. Sitting down across from the old woman, he picked up the coffee cup.

He stared into the dark liquid as if seeking answers. This couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t just be accepting what he was, what he told them. When nothing else came of his soul-searching he stood up, setting the cup down hard and pushing abruptly away from the table. Slade left the kitchen and stalked to the end of the porch.

Pacing aimlessly, feeling more like a caged wolf than ever, he heard the two women talking, smelled the food as they prepared it and heard them sit down to eat.

He didn’t move back toward the kitchen, just sat down with his back against the roof support and stared out at the bayou. He couldn’t go back in there yet, couldn’t believe they weren’t going to chase him out, shoot him, something.

Fish jumped just beyond the banks and he heard a turtle plopping off a log into the water. They knew the truth about him and they’d both simply accepted it as a fact. That had not been his experience with other humans.
What makes them so fucking special?

He heard the door open, smelled Joie before she reached him. Slade looked up as she approached. She held a plate in one hand and a glass in the other. She stopped in front of him then held the plate out to him.

Slade took it without speaking. Eggs, sausage, biscuits. He ate like a starving man, finishing the entire plateful of food in a matter of minutes. Joie didn’t speak either, simply sank into the swing and watched him. He saw her from the corner of his eye. He could see the way she stared at his tattoos, felt her eyes trace a path over his shoulders and arms.

Slade put his plate on the porch next to him then met her eyes. Joie looked away for a moment then took a deep breath.

“What’s it like?”

“What?”

“Being able to become something else? It must be amazing.”