Enemies in Love [High-Country Shifters 4] (18 page)

He unwrapped his arms, turned, and shifted. In a flash, he was out of sight.

Her knees buckled and her ass crashed to the ground. The sobs burst out of her. She thought she was strong and could survive anything, but this time she believed she might die.

Only when the sun dipped below the horizon did she get up and head home. To tell her mom and Rein that she’d been dumped would only add to the horror.

* * * *

“Where is she?”

Kranor didn’t want to go through the pain again, but he owed Jude an explanation. “We met a lion.” He told them about the scuffle.

“But he stalked off and you don’t look too bad.”

Kranor pulled a beer from the fridge and headed into the living room. He might have been injured more from the fight than he’d first thought. “I realized that I can’t do this to Henla.”

Jude stepped toward him, acting as if he thought beating him to a pulp would help. “What about me? I love her, too!” He pounded his chest.

“It can’t be helped.”

Kranor watched the myriad of emotions race through Jude’s mind, each one more painful than the last. His best friend’s breaths turned rapid. Then he spun around and left. Kranor knew he’d go for a run like he always did when he was troubled. Kranor set the beer on the coffee table, not in the mood to even drink.

He tapped the wall to bring the television to life. For a melancholy moment he remembered promising Henla that he’d show her about their new technology. All she’d have to do was touch the wall in the right spot and the screen would appear. He dropped back on the sofa and closed his eyes, picturing her lithe body under his.

Tormenting himself wasn’t going to help, but someday he’d get tired of reliving their wonderful time together and give up wanting her. The thought of never touching her again, however, made him sick, but it was better for him to live in misery than watch her slowly wither in a home without her family.

He dozed off, but he awoke with a start when Jude came back. His friend barely glanced his way and headed down the hallway, probably to shower. The water turned on and Kranor refocused his attention to what was on the television. He only had to look at the channel numbers and the station would change. If he’d had to get up, he would have watched whatever was on.

Jude must have finished showering because he came out and began making dinner. Kranor wondered if he’d make enough for both of them or if he would give him the silent treatment for the next sixty years.

In a way, he almost felt like going back to the Black Fur bar. If a fight broke out, he might enjoy battling other wolves to get his aggression out of his system. If he died in the process, so be it.

“Don’t even think about it.”

He jerked his attention to Jude. “So you can talk. I’m happy, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t eavesdrop on my mind.”

Jude placed the pan on the counter with a decided thud. “I wasn’t eavesdropping. Anger, frustration, and self-pity are rolling off you like a storm about to hit.”

Aren’t you the poet?

“Look, if you want to be left alone, just say the word. I can move in with Tamor and Gernac. They’ve offered me a place to stay before.”

Maybe he deserved to be left. “Fine. Go.”

Jude shoved the pan across the stove and stomped down the hall. The bedroom door opened then slammed shut. He didn’t need to listen to Jude’s curses and turned up the volume on the television. There was some crime show on. He stared at the next number and the channel changed. A home show suited him. Four guys were building a log cabin from the ground up. He watched a while and would have chuckled at their lame attempt had there been a chuckle left in his body. These Earth people had no idea how to build a sturdy home. Theirs would let too much outside air in.

Jude appeared shortly with two suitcases and left without a word. That was just as well. Kranor wanted to be alone to figure out what the hell he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

* * * *

“I’m worried.” Jude paced in front of Tamor.

“He hasn’t called or anything?”

Jude knew he must have been driving Tamor crazy, so he sat. “No. I’ve tried to contact him but haven’t gotten an answer. It’s not like him to just ignore me no matter how pissed he is at something.”

He’d gone over there four days after he’d run out of there. The place was a mess, and Kranor was asleep in the middle of the day. He smelled and hadn’t shaven. Maybe Jude should have woken him up to make sure he hadn’t done something really stupid like taken sleep aids or something. Hell, he might just be drinking himself to death, though Kranor wasn’t much of a drinker.

Tamor looked almost as distraught as Kranor had. “Maybe I should go over myself and see if he’s okay. He could have gotten in a fight and lay bleeding on the floor.”

Leave it to the doctor to think along those lines. “I would have sensed any life-threatening distress.” He stabbed a hand through his hair. “It’s been over two weeks since I’ve seen him and three since I’ve been gone.”

“I have to do two more house calls. When I get back, how about if we go over there together?”

He appreciated the help. “That would be great.”

Gernac, Tamor’s brother, breezed in. “Guess who I heard was just in town buying supplies?”

Relief washed through his veins. “I hope it’s my scoundrel friend.”

“Yup. When I asked the lumber guy about it he said Kranor was very closed-mouth about what he planned to do, but he spent a lot of money. Even signed up to rent some heavy equipment about ten days ago.”

That made no sense. They’d not discussed putting an addition on the house or anything. Now curiosity got the best of him. “I have no idea what he’s up to.”

Tamor shrugged. “Like I said. When I get back, we can go over.”

Gernac walked over to the refrigerator. “I’ll throw a quick meal together. Kranor probably hasn’t been eating well now that you’re not there.”

These two were great friends. “Thanks.”

Jude sat on the couch only so that he wouldn’t wear a hole in the floor. He couldn’t think. Not having Henla in his life had torn him up inside so much so that his clients were beginning to question his ability to close deals. Never had he been in this state before. Lost, he didn’t know where to turn. Not only did he lose Henla but his best friend as well.

If what Gernac said was true, then perhaps Kranor had cracked. Not even calling in or contacting his customers was economic suicide. What had his friend been thinking? Didn’t he care about anything?

“Have you thought of kidnapping her and bringing her back here?” Gernac continued making the meal. His tone came out even, but underneath was a deep layer of sympathy.

“Yes. Many times, but Kranor is right. It wouldn’t be fair to Henla. Do you think she could go into town and shop and not be stared at?”

He shook his head. “No, but eventually people would accept her. We do have two women who were born to a bear father.”

“Danee and Kasia.” They were married to wolves and they seemed happy. “The problem is that they are with prominent wolves. Kranor is an outcast.”

“By his own choosing.”

Jude had wracked his brain about how to resolve their problem. They both needed Henla in their lives, but that would only happen if the world changed. Sitting and doing nothing wasn’t going to get her back.

He got up. “Can I help?”

“You can pour some drinks in the bottles.”

From the amount of food Gernac was preparing, it looked like he thought Kranor wasn’t planning on ever cooking again.

In less than an hour Tamor returned. The sound of a rumbling engine surprised him. Both headed outside. Tamor slipped out of the shiny ambulance.

“What’s that for?”

“It’s faster to get places.”

It wasn’t if they shifted and ran. However, they needed to carry the food. “Good thinking.”

They both went in and gathered the food and placed the trays in the back of the ambulance. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d driven in a vehicle. “I’ll sit in back.” There were only two seats up front, and this way he could make sure the food didn’t slide all over the place.

The trip only took a few minutes but for the life of him he had no idea what Kranor was up to. The low rumble of machines pricked his senses and he leaned up to the window to catch a glimpse of what was happening. Tamor slowed then pulled to a stop.

No words formed. There was only one explanation. Jude had gone through some unknown alignment point and landed in a true alternate reality.

He jumped out of the back of the ambulance. Large cranes were placing pre-constructed homes on either side of a wide path. Farther back on the property were about ten large
cemelax
foundations. In between all of the chaos was Kranor pounding a stake into the ground. What was going on?

There was about a ten-acre distance between these homes and what looked like the beginning of more buildings. Jude discarded explanations faster than he could shift. As he approached Kranor, his friend didn’t even look up even though he knew the three of them were there.

Tamor and Gernac stayed back probably because they wanted to give them some privacy.

“What is all this?”

Kranor looked up. At least he’d shaved and his eyes looked clear. “What does it look like?”

“It looks like you’ve lost your fucking mind.”

“I did, but then I had a revelation.”

“You have to go outside some time.” Rein sat down next to Henla and gave her a hug.

“I’m not in the mood.” She appreciated her friend’s attempt to help, but there was nothing she could say that would get her enthusiastic about life again. Her body hurt all over as if some bug had infected her whole body, including her eyes, her stomach, and her heart.

A customer came in and stood in front of the rack, picking up shoes and examining them. Normally, she would have jumped up to serve him. Right now, it took too much energy to do even that.

Not only was she not holding up her end in the store, but she was shirking her responsibility in the garden, too. Her mom had volunteered to take her shift, but she said she’d tolerate the moping around for only so long.

“I’ll help him,” Rein said.

Kranor and Jude had walked out of her life close to a month ago. She had to snap out of it soon or else wither away. She’d already lost too much weight. At five foot ten inches, she was beginning to look like a skeleton.

Maybe it was time to realize that the men weren’t going to change their minds and that life had to move on.

* * * *

As much as Henla told herself that she needed to mend her broken heart, she wasn’t able to do anything about it. Another week had passed and her mood hadn’t improved. Her mother said she’d tend the garden, but only for one more week. Then Henla had to get out of her bad mood. When she got out of bed and left her room, her mom wasn’t in the kitchen making breakfast. Her dad rolled in.

“Where’s Mom?”

“In bed. She’s not feeling well. I guess we’re on our own.”

Her mom never got sick. “That’s not like her.”

“Go check on her to see if she wants any breakfast. I’ll put on some eggs.”

“Sure.” Henla left the kitchen. She tapped on the bedroom door.

“Come in.”

The lights were out and the shades drawn. “What’s wrong?” She hadn’t believed that anything could have made her mood sink lower, but she’d been wrong.

“I’m not feeling well. Could you do me a favor?”

“Sure. Anything.” She would have sat on the edge of the bed, but sometimes any small movement could be painful when a person didn’t feel well.

“I promised Linora that I’d work in the garden. Can you go for me?”

Since it was her day to work the garden anyway, she had to say yes. “Definitely. I’ll go now before it gets too hot. Is there anything I can bring you? Coffee?”

“Coffee’s good.”

“Dad’s making breakfast. Do you want me to tell him to put on some eggs for you?”

“Sure.” She coughed. “Remember how much I love you.”

That came out of nowhere. “I love you, too, Mom.”

In case her mom had something contagious, she slipped out of the room and gave her dad her mother’s food requests.

“You want some food?”

“I’m good.”

She put on her clothes for gardening. According to Rein who actually had been outside of late, it was getting cooler outside. She slipped on a top over her skirt and headed out.

The tram ride nearly lulled her asleep, but once she actually stepped foot into the fresh air, her body perked up. Maybe she should have come out here a while ago. Getting her fingers dirty would hopefully boost her spirit.

When she got to the garden, she was sorry to see that the weeds had sprung up again, making her wonder if her mom had even come out here. Part of the garden had finished blooming and would need to be tilled. No time like the present, she supposed.