Rebecca's Wolves (Wolf Masters Book 6) Page 12

  The woman was not standing on the porch this time, which almost shocked Rebecca. However, when Miles opened the front door without knocking, she called out from somewhere in the back of the house. “’Bout time you got here.”

  Rebecca smiled. Of course.

  Wearing another equally stifling dress for the summer weather, the tiny little woman emerged from what was probably the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron. “Lunch is almost ready. What took you so long?”

  Rebecca glanced up in time to catch Miles rolling his eyes.

  “Well, come on back and have a seat. Chicken just needs another minute or two.”

  Shock at how strange things were every time she was in this old woman’s presence made Rebecca speechless. There weren’t enough hours in the day for her to ask the questions piling up in her mind.

  Apparently the woman really did have some sixth sense. When the three of them rounded the corner to the kitchen, the table was already set and steaming bowls of food were piled high all over the surface.

  The smells were amazing. Several vegetables, a salad, mashed potatoes, and warm bread already adorned the table.

  “Sit,” the woman repeated, nodding toward the table.

  Rebecca was stunned. She glanced at her watch. It was eleven fifty-five. Uncanny. Was the woman truly psychic? Or had Miles called her earlier without Rebecca knowing? That made her even more uncomfortable, as though he were setting her up, trying to scare her for some reason.

  She flinched and jerked her hand free of his.

  “Rebecca, look at me,” Miles commanded into her head.

  She lifted her gaze, confusion wearing on her. Aggravation also, for not keeping her thoughts to herself.

  “I swear on my life you aren’t being set up. Why would I go to all this trouble?”

  “I don’t know, to keep me from leaving?” she communicated intentionally for the first time. She didn’t want to argue in front of his grandmother any more than he did.

  He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. “Love, you’re a sure thing. Trust me. I won’t need to tie you to my bed to keep you from leaving. The claiming is done.”

  “You are by far the cockiest bastard alive.” She twisted to glance at Griffen. “With one possible exception.”

  “Rebecca, I’m not trying to sound cocky. I’m just stating the facts. We’re extremely connected now. I know you’re fighting it, but at the same time, you can’t deny your heart is pounding, your panties are soaked, and your breasts are uncomfortably swollen with the need to be touched.”

  “Jesus. How the hell could you possibly know that?” He was right. Fuck him.

  Luckily, he didn’t smile. If he had, she might have spun around, stomped out the door, and not looked back. To hell with him.

  “I can hear your heart and feel the beat every time I touch you. I can smell the arousal between your legs. And you haven’t stopped adjusting your bra since you put it on. It’s abrading against your sensitive nipples and making you crazy.”

  “Bastard.”

  Now he grinned. “I’ve been called worse.”

  “Stop yapping at each other and take a seat for the love of all that is holy,” his grandma said.

  Rebecca nearly jumped. That woman was eerie.

  Griffen pulled out a chair and reached for her hand. “Baby, sit. Please.” His voice was gentle and out loud.

  She followed, only because she couldn’t think of another alternative. And besides, the food smelled divine.

  Miles sat at the end of the table, catty corner from her. Griffen sat next to her. There were two more place settings.

  “Who else are you expecting, Grandma?”

  “Melinda.”

  “Who’s Melinda?” Rebecca asked.

  “My sister.” Miles shook his head with a smirk.

  “Oh.” She hadn’t asked him about the rest of his immediate family yet. She knew Griffen’s family situation, but nothing about Miles. “Do you have any other siblings?”

  “No. Just Melinda. We’re twins. She’s hell on wheels. She’s also a shaman.”

  “You sure you didn’t call and tell your grandma we would be here?” she whispered under her breath.

  At that moment his grandmother reached the table with another platter of something steaming. “Honey, I haven’t got a phone. Never have. Don’t need one.” She didn’t even glance at Rebecca as she spoke.

  Rebecca swallowed. Fuck me.

  This was too weird.

  Griffen set a hand on her thigh and squeezed, making her gasp. His thumb was too close to her center. She set her hand on top of his and shoved. “Stop it. I can’t think when you do that.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’m almost as freaked out as you are, baby.” He didn’t move his hand an inch, not even when she glared at him.

  Just then the back door flew open, and a tiny woman bounded into the kitchen, grinning from ear to ear. Her long, black, straight, shiny hair flowed behind her. Her eyes went straight to Rebecca, and she circled the table as though she were more floating than needing the use of her legs.

  She immediately wrapped her arms around Rebecca from behind and squeezed. “I’m so excited for you,” she gushed. Her cheek brushed Rebecca’s, warm and full of life, before she released and floated back to the other side of the table to pounce into a seat. “Tell me everything. Where did you meet? Was it romantic? Did you know right away? Were these brutes careful about your feelings?”

  She turned to face Griffen and giggled. “Sorry. I’m rambling. Hi, Griffen.” She wiggled her fingers at him and winked.

  Griffen set his hand back on Rebecca’s thigh and squeezed.

  “She’s…interesting,” Rebecca communicated.

  “She’s a train wreck. Don’t kid yourself,” Miles added without glancing at either of them. His gaze was on his sister as he continued to speak, out loud this time. “Hello to you too, sis. I’m not even going to bother to ask how you knew.”

  She grinned wide and batted her eyes.

  Miles’ grandmother took the last seat, her tiny frame almost ridiculously small for the table. Rebecca could easily see the resemblance between granddaughter and grandmother. When Melinda was that old, she would undoubtedly be a mirror image. She wondered if their mother looked the same as these two women.

  Miles flinched at her side but said nothing.

  Huh. A tale for another time. He hadn’t mentioned either of his parents yet. Did they live close-by also?

  “Eat, everyone, while it’s hot. There’ll be plenty of time for discussion after.” The older woman nodded at the platters on the table and handed her grandson a serving spoon.

  For the next half hour, little was said while they all enjoyed the exquisite culinary skills of this tiny waif of a woman who clearly spent many hours of her life cooking for her family and enjoying feeding people.

  “That was delicious, ma’am,” Rebecca said as she finished the meal. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, dear. Any time. You’re family now.” She smiled, and for the first time the woman actually seemed like a normal, regular, everyday grandmother. And then just as quickly, her face changed to serious, her brows came together, and she sat back. “There is much to discuss.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Griffen watched every person at the table while they ate, trying to make sense of the insanity. He’d come up with absolutely no resolution to a single question floating in his head.

  The woman had no phone? How the hell had she known they were coming? He’d heard tales of shaman before, but this was incredible. Although hardly more unbelievable than the flat tires or downed tree.

  Griffen had met her several times before, but he hadn’t known she was a medicine woman. He also hadn’t known she didn’t have a phone.

  Melinda was a pistol. He had known that. She’d kept her mouth closed during the meal, but it clearly was a struggle for her, and he noted that several times her grandmother turned to her and shook her head. Did t
he two of them communicate telepathically? He could believe it. Hell, they both had an uncanny sense of everything. Why wouldn’t they share a connection?

  Wolves, at least in his world, didn’t typically have the ability to communicate in human form. They could do so in wolf form, but only mated couples, or ménages as it seemed, could do so unshifted. An important detail, especially if one found themselves mated to a human.

  The older shaman spoke first. “Melinda, ask your questions of these lovebirds later. Let’s discuss the important issues first.”

  “Of course.” Melinda almost looked contrite. Not quite.

  Griffen smiled. She wasn’t mated, and she would give some poor guy a run for his money when she met him. Griffen put his arm around the back of his mate’s chair and toyed with her long braid while he tried to concentrate on the pressing conversation instead of what he would rather have been doing with Rebecca any place other than here.

  “What are you running from, child?”

  Griffen turned his gaze to find the older shaman looking at Rebecca.

  Rebecca flinched. “Pardon?”

  “Why do you need to leave the reservation?” she clarified.

  Rebecca cleared her throat. “I have a job, ma’am. I’m a nurse at the hospital in Cambridge. And I’m also training for a difficult race. I’m not running from your grandson if that’s what you mean.”

  The old woman hesitated for a moment. “The spirits do not like this.”

  “They don’t like what?” Rebecca asked.

  “I’m not exactly sure, child. But you need to remain with my grandson and your other mate for now. Leaving is not an option.”

  Rebecca’s mouth fell open, but she didn’t speak.

  Griffen was sure she was stunned. Frankly, so was he.

  “You mustn’t leave either, son,” she said to Griffen.

  His gaze widened. He too would need to work. His family would cover for him for several days. He had no doubt about that. They would understand completely. In fact, he needed to call his parents. He was surprised he hadn’t heard from them as soon as his siblings returned home. There was no way in hell they’d kept his mating a secret from his parents.

  Perhaps they were giving him time.

  Melinda spoke next, for the first time taking a serious tone Griffen hadn’t figured her capable of. “I know this must be a shock, especially to the two of you who had no prior knowledge of our legends, but Grandma is right. The signs would indicate you need to stay close. There’s no telling when the spirits will stop being subtle and take a less polite approach.”

  Rebecca gasped, her hand landing on her throat. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Totally,” Melinda replied.

  Griffen glanced over to find Miles staring at his sister, his lips pursed, assessing her. “I can’t keep my mates hostage.”

  “No one’s suggesting that,” Melinda continued. “I’m sure this is temporary. There’s a reason Fate saw to it for the three of you to come together at this time. She has a plan none of us can discern. She will enlighten you in Her time, not ours.”

  “This is crazy.” Rebecca pushed back from the table and stood. Without saying a word, she turned and left the room.

  Griffen started to follow her, shoving his chair back, but the older shaman stopped him. “Let her go, son. She’s hurting and confused. She won’t wander far. She’s also scared.”

  He nodded and turned to Miles.

  Miles took a deep breath as the front door opened and then closed. “Grandma, what are we supposed to do and for how long?”

  “I don’t know, son. Follow your instincts. Trust in the spirits. Listen to them. They will speak to you in the wind if you open your hearts. I am old, and I am wise, but I do not have all the answers.”

  “How many of these dark spirits have you heard about recently?”

  Mrs. Bartel hesitated, clearly reluctant to divulge what she knew. “At least a dozen. In the last few weeks. Every case, and we can’t know how many have not been brought to my attention, has been exactly as your mate described—a large dark shadowy figure that stopped them in their tracks.”

  Griffen was shocked. He’d understood there had been other incidents, but that many?

  “All reports occurred in the higher elevations of the mountains. It’s impossible to know if that’s where this particular spirit prefers to reside, if the spirit is taunting shifters to get them off the mountain, or perhaps just playing around.” The old shaman shrugged. “It is not for me to divine. This is your path. You must follow it. And you must trust that Fate has Her reasons.”

  Griffen held his breath as he listened to the wise woman impart her knowledge.

  Melinda spoke again, having returned to her previously joyous self. “On the plus side, we needed another woman around here. I’m looking forward to spending some time with your mate and getting to know her. She seems absolutely wonderful. And she’s a nurse? The more people with healing capabilities the better. Times are tough on the rez these days. Many are leaving. Poverty is high. The educated prefer to head to larger cities, not hang around the reservation.”

  Griffen imagined she was right, but even he didn’t find the prospect too appealing. He cringed inwardly at the concept that he might find himself forced to move to the reservation and take up a new line of work. It was a long drive to the ski resort his family operated on the northern corner of the lake.

  He closed his eyes and prayed for whatever higher being would listen to help him through this time.

  Melinda interrupted his introspection. “So, when can I spend time with your sweet mate?”

  Miles chuckled. “How far and how fast can you run?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Rebecca sat with her knees pulled up to her chest in one of the old wooden Adirondack chairs on the shaman’s porch. The paint had once been a sky blue, but most of it had faded over the years, making the chairs look like they were from another time period. Hell, they were.

  The day was warm, and the sun felt fantastic on her face.

  She was stuffed. A huge breakfast and then lunch she wasn’t accustomed to eating made her lethargic.

  If her life wasn’t upside down, she could easily curl up on the cushions with a book and let herself fall asleep for the entire afternoon.

  But that wasn’t on the agenda.

  Instead she had to deal with two domineering men who had apparently claimed her and rocked her world and would undoubtedly do so again before the day was over.

  She could almost think clearly now that she wasn’t sitting between them, breathing in their scents while listening to two women discuss how some supernatural power had decided it was not in Rebecca’s best interest to leave the reservation.

  She closed her eyes and leaned back, huddled in the corner of the chair.

  She heard the screen door open, but didn’t glance in that direction. Instinctively she knew it was Melinda who approached. The men she would have scented, as weird as that was, and besides, they couldn’t glide so quietly across the porch.

  The older shaman would have spoken immediately. The woman didn’t waste air time.

  Melinda sat on the end of the Adirondack as Rebecca finally opened her eyes. “It’s peaceful here.”

  It was. The day was still, the sun bright, the view of the wide open land with the mountains looming in the backdrop amazing.

  “Miles says you’re training for a race.”

  “Supposed to be.” She rolled her eyes. “Somehow I have to run today. It’s starting to look like I’m going to have to do that here. I don’t think your spooky ghost wants me to head into town today.”

  Melinda giggled. Her voice was full of life. “Never really think of them as ghosts, but you never know.”

  “At this point, I’m leaning toward a poltergeist.” She tried to laugh, but it wasn’t all that funny.

  “I’m not completely convinced the apparitions are ill-meaning.”

&n
bsp; Rebecca cocked her head to one side. “How do you figure?” So far Griffen had been injured so badly he could have died, a large ominous dark cloud had blocked out the sun before her eyes, the tires had been flattened on the car, and a tree had nearly caused them to have an accident. How could that be considered anything other than a bad omen?

  “Sometimes the spirits just want to be noticed for some reason. It’s difficult for them to relay their message to us, so they might get in your face, so to speak, and force an audience.”

  “And what reason would they have other than something malicious?”

  Melinda shrugged. “We may never know. But when I hear of these sorts of appearances, I try to open my mind to the possibilities.” She leaned back, set her hands behind her, and tipped her face to the sun.

  Rebecca sensed she would say more.

  “You know how you leave the house sometimes and realize you forgot something important, so you turn back to get it?” She kept going. “You’re so pissed with yourself, and you’re late. And now you’re later. And then you get in the car, and on the way to your destination you pass a huge accident.”

  Ah. Rebecca thought she knew where Melinda was going with this story.

  Melinda turned her gaze to face Rebecca. She shrugged again as if everything she’d said was just a hunch. “Could be a little of that going on. The forces of nature working not against you but in your favor to keep you from a greater harm. Unfortunately, we sometimes never find out. If we don't drive through the wrong intersection at the wrong time and the accident never occurs, how would we know what Fate had in store for us?”

  Rebecca nodded. Melinda definitely had a glass-half-full view on life. Rebecca wished she could channel some of that faith, but it was tough. She had a race in two weeks. A huge one. She worked hard all year to get the trifecta. If she didn’t compete in this race, there was a chance she wouldn’t be able to fit in another one before the end of the year. And if she kept dorking around, she wouldn’t be prepared.