Chapter 5

Dinner hadn’t quite gone the way she’d expected, but they’d cleared at least some of the bad between them, and now they were walking off the absolutely decadent dessert they’d shared. His reasoning for not accepting her was sound, even if she didn’t agree with it. She could understand it, but not like it.

The man had ethics, she’d give him that. While she might have felt ready for the adult relationship he needed, all he’d seen was someone barely out of high school, and therefore barely legal.

Grr. Fine. She totally understood now that he’d sat her down and explained it to her. But at the time all she’d seen and heard was rejection, plain and simple.

He’d been waiting for her to grow up, and she hadn’t even seen it. His arm tightened around her shoulders. “You okay?”

“Mad.”

“At?” He didn’t sound concerned, but he did sound…absent? Like he was listening to two things at once.

“Me.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t understand why you wouldn’t accept me when I

knew we were bent to be together.”

“But now you do.” He kissed the top of her head. “I was human. And honestly? Even now, I feel a little wrong because of how young you are.”

She poked him in the side. “Get over it.” He laughed, but the tone of it was still off.

“What’s wrong?”

He shrugged casually, but the way his body stiffened next to hers told her that there was more going on than he wanted to let on. “Nothing.”

Uh-huh. Chloe sniffed discreetly, catching a whiff of…cat?

Jim tilted his head toward her and whispered in her ear, “I hear footsteps.”

She kissed his chin, adding, “I smell cat. The shifter kind, not the Tom and Jerry one.”

They exchanged a worried glance but didn’t hurry their pace. They didn’t want whoever was following them to know that they were aware of him.

And it was a him, from the masculine scent that was layered all over the scent of cat. Chloe sniffed again and rubbed her nose, trying to see if the scent was familiar. “So.”

“So?”

“What do you have up your sleeve for date number two?” Whoever it was, it wasn’t a Puma. She knew that scent inside and out after so long in Halle.

“I was thinking perhaps a trip to the beach.” She stumbled. “Overnight?”

“Mm-hm.”

Well. For a man who’d been reluctant to claim her he was certainly willing to move fast now. “I’d have to ask my mommy if I can have a sleepover.”

“Brat.” But he was smiling, his gaze bright with laughter. She skipped for a few steps, humming tunelessly.

“You are never going to let me live this down, are you?”

“Nope.” And now that she had the full picture she was going to have fun with it. Maybe it would help them both get over their hang-ups.

He chuckled. “Little girl, would you like a taste of my lollipop?”

She began to giggle uncontrollably, actually snorting once or twice before she got herself back under control. “That was so bad.”

“How can you tell? You haven’t even tried it yet.” He winked when she stared up at him, shocked.

She licked her lips, blushing even harder when he groaned.

Jim pulled her tighter against him, focusing once more on where they were going. “Stop distracting me, little vixen.” He shivered. “For now, anyway.”

Chloe put her head against his chest. “It’s not a Puma,” she breathed. “Anything familiar about it?”

She shook her head. “I fish there was.” She frowned as the scent began to fade. “College student?”

“Are there a lot of shifters at U of P?”

He sounded so surprised she had to laugh. “Yeah. Max, and Mr. Freidelinde before him, were both cool with shifters attending this branch. Not all Alphas are, so those that are okay with it let the Senate know. The Senate then sends a list out to all the Alphas for their college-bound high school students to choose from.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“It can be, especially for the hosting Alpha, but the students are aware that while they are under their home Alpha’s jurisdiction while here, they’re also subject to Max’s authority if they cross the fine he’s set for acceptable behavior.” The scent faded further, making her think they’d been worried over nothing. “I’m willing to get that’s all it was, just someone out for a stroll.”

He shrugged. “We still haven’t found your attacker, so sorry, I’m still going to worry.”

“Thanks.” She patted his chest.

“You’re mine to protect now.” The soft growl in his voice told her the Wolf was once more peeking through his control. As new as he was, she was surprised it wasn’t happening more, but Jim was turning out to have awesome self-control. “That means I worry when I sense something is wrong.”

The unknown cat scent was almost completely gone. “Whoever he was, he’s gone now.”

Jim still seemed tense, so she petted his chest, hoping to calm him. “My attacker might not be one of us. I was told there were no witnesses to who did this to me, just someone who called 9-1-1 from a payphone. Gabe never found out who it was.” She didn’t remember much of that night, just pain, pain and more pain. “But Gabe told me that other half-breeds had been attacked in the same way and left for dead.”

The tension in Jim went to DEFCON 1. “Oh really?”

“Yes.” His tension was making her afraid. She glanced behind her, but there was nothing there to see. It was just another sweet summer night in her favorite town. “You don’t think…?”

“Have you sensed anything around you since you got out of the hospital?”

She shook her head. “Nope. There was the stuff with Tabby and her attacker, but nothing came of that. Not that I know of, anyway. Then Cyn was hurt, but that had more to do with Tabby than Cyn. And Hope has nothing to do with it at all.”

He took a deep breath. “We need to talk to Gabe then. I want to make sure your attackers are long gone.”

“We can do that. I know between his Hunter duties, his mate, his status as Second and being sheriff he’s been swamped. Want me to call and set

something up?”

Jim stared at her, and his tone when he answered was neutral. “Sure.”

“Friends.” She pinched his cheeks. “Friends,” she drawled, hoping to get him to laugh.

He pulled away with a grunt. “I believe you, I just…” “Can’t stand Gabe?”

He rolled his eyes. “I can take him or leave him. In a ditch. Full of fire ants.”

“You’re mean.” But she snuggled closer, secretly pleased her mate was jealous, even if it was over nothing. The fact that he hated that she’d spent time with Gabe meant there was more to his feelings than the pull of his Wolf. He’d reacted poorly to Gabe’s presence in her life long before he’d been bit. It had been getting Jim to see they were meant for each other that had been difficult.

“Don’t be too pleased with your little redheaded self. We’re still going to discuss the attack on you.” He humph’d, sounding so much like an old man she had to hold back yet another laugh. “Until we figure out who it was I consider you still in danger. If that means I have to make nice to Gabe I will.”

“I try not to think about it too much.” She sighed. This was so romantic. “Julian offered to try and help me recover memories of my attacker that might be buried, but the effort to do so would be dangerous for both of us.”

“Then no. Not unless it’s the only thing left we can try.” He stopped dead and took her face between his palms. “You’ve hurt enough, Chloe. No more.”

“No more,” she whispered back, enthralled by his golden Wolf eyes.

He nodded and took her back under his arm, right where she wanted to be. “So, what say we head back to the car. You’re looking tired, and I have

work in the morning.”

“Aw.” She pouted up at him. “Really?”

Jim hugged her tight and kept walking. “Really. But as first dates go, this was the best one I’ve ever been on.”

“Liar.” She snuggled against him. “Awkward conversations, possible stalkers, pining and jealousy. Admit it. It was more like an episode of 902 No No.”

The belly laugh made it all worth it.

“Damn, I am so glad you agreed to do this.” Jim hugged the blonde tightly, so happy he could cry.

The blonde’s throaty laugh was wicked. “Yes, well, I love it when a man gets on his knees and begs.”

Jim laughed, almost giddy with relief. “What can I say? I was desperate.” He let her go and gestured toward his office. “Care to finalize everything?”

“Hell yes.” Dr. Irene Boone winked, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. She followed him enthusiastically, practically skipping along as she took in the clinic with an expert’s gaze. “I’ve been dying to move back to Halle, and now that I’ve convinced Val, I finally get to do so.”

Jim held open the door to his office, nodding to Phil, the vet tech who manned the front desk. Phil was a nice kid, but he was also something of a gossip. Hopefully word would get around that Dr. Woods had a new partner at the clinic, one who was homegrown.

He shut the door and took a seat behind his desk. “You ready for the final stages of the legal paperwork?”

She nodded and sat across from him. “I have curtains picked out and everything.”

He laughed and opened the folder on his desk. “Man, it will be sweet having a partner again.”

“I can imagine.” She leaned back and folded her legs, the picture of perfection. If he’d been single and she’d been straight, he might have been tempted to make a play for her.

But he’d long ago given his heart to his little vixen, and Irene had a fiery Italian diva waiting for her at home who’d kill anyone who looked sideways at her girl. “Speaking of partners, how is Val?”

That wicked smile came back instantly. “Spicy.”

“We need to get together for dinner so we can introduce Val—and you, of course—to Chloe.” He signed his name at the bottom of the last of the documents naming Irene as his new partner, then shoved them across the desk at her.

She picked up the pen and signed as well. “Hell, we both know that Val pretty much runs my life.” She put the pen down and closed the folder. “Don’t doubt for a single second it will be any different with you and your Chloe.”

He could hardly wait. “We’re taking it slow.”

She scowled. “Jim, can I be totally honest with you?”

“Sure.” He and Irene had become friends while she worked on convincing Valerie Forza, her personal force of nature, to move back to Irene’s hometown.

“Slow sucks. Bang her like a cheap storm door.”

“Is that what you did to win Val?” He had to bite back a laugh. For all Irene looked like she should be on the cover of Vogue, she spoke more like a guy in a bar.

“Strap-ons are God’s gift to lesbians.” She put her hands together and glanced upward, so sweet and innocent looking she’d give Hello Kitty lovers cavities.

Pfft. As if there was anything saintly about Irene Boone.

“Uh-huh. I want to hear Val’s side of this one.” It was sure to be a doozy too. He’d only met Val once, but it was enough to figure out the woman was a whirlwind of sugar and vinegar. Irene had her hands full with that one.

“Would I lie to you?”

Big, innocent blue eyes blinked at him, and he had the urge to laugh in her face. “Yes.”

There went that rogue’s smile again. Jim could understand how the volatile Val had fallen for the charming, naughty Irene. “Trust me on this one, Jimmy. If your Chloe is anything like my Val, slow won’t do at all. You need to swoop in before someone else comes along and snatches her away from you.”

“Won’t happen.” How to explain the bond between shifters, when he barely understood it himself? “She’s loved me for a long time, and it hasn’t gone away despite my shoving her away. She’s loyal in ways I didn’t understand until recently.”

“Is she doing better? I know you were worried about her.”

Funny, Irene was one of the few people he’d confessed his feelings to. They’d gotten along well from the moment she answered the ad he’d placed for a new partner in his practice. “She thinks she’s as good as she’s going to get, and that bothers her more than she says.”

“Hmm.” She shook her head. “It’s going to take a while to get her self- esteem back where it was.”

He tilted his head, utterly confused. “I’m sorry?”

“Think about it for a minute. She had the world at her feet, and now she’s the one kneeling.”

“Chloe doesn’t kneel for anything or anyone. Not even her disability.” His Wolf snarled, forcing Jim to take a deep, calming breath before he accidentally outed himself. “She’s strong. She’ll have the world at her feet

again.” And if not, she’d have to take one possessive, newbie Wolf who was more than willing to take that spot.

“Good for her, if it’s true.” She shrugged when he scowled. “Look, I haven’t met her, but anyone who has been through what she has—and lost what she has—is going to have issues I can’t even begin to imagine. Is she seeing a therapist?”

“Yes.” That wasn’t quite correct. Chloe was seeing the Pride Omega, Sarah Anderson, once a week to deal with the lingering side effects of her beating. She hadn’t told him how those visits were going, but it might take a while before she felt comfortable enough with him to open up to that extent. As the Omega, Sarah could feel the emotional well-being of her Pridemates. As Chloe and her family were considered Pride, she could sense Chloe’s emotions as well as soothe them when Chloe became upset.

Jim wished he could be there for their sessions, but until he was invited he wouldn’t dare intrude. By doing so he could actually hurt Chloe’s recovery rather than help.

“I’m glad to hear that. Maybe she wouldn’t mind getting together for lunch?”

He’d have to ask first. “She still has speech problems when she’s uncomfortable.”

“Then Val and I will just have to make sure she feels the lurve.” Irene waggled her brows, making Jim laugh. She stood, grabbing hold of the folder. “Want me to drop this off at the lawyer’s?”

“Sure. Let’s get this filed and official.” He stood as well and held out his hand. “Welcome home, Doc.”

“It’s good to be back, Doc.” Instead of shaking, she hugged him tightly. “And thanks for helping convince Val she’d love it here.”

Jim patted her back. “You’re welcome.” He pulled back but held on to

her upper arms. “Did you find a place to stay?”

“Yes, Daddy.” Irene rolled her eyes. “Val even let me have the top bunk.” “Fine, I’ll stop nagging.” Jim let her go.

“It’s just how you are. You worry about everyone, and I like that about you.” Irene winked and opened the office door. “See you on Monday?”

“Looking forward to it.” Jim watched his new partner leave, relieved that he’d finally, finally be getting a break. With Irene in place he’d be able to take off every other weekend, and some weeknights as well. They’d share the load, and he’d be able to concentrate more on his mate.

He couldn’t wait to introduce Chloe to Irene and Valerie. He bet they were going to love one another on sight.