“Talia?”
“Uncle Micah!” The sobbing girl threw herself at him. He barely had time to catch her. Hugging her close, he breathed in her soft girl child scent. She wouldn’t have a truly identifying scent until puberty if the change occurred. He adjusted her weight as he peered out at the car. A woman stood beside the driver’s side.
“Micah, I’m sorry to arrive unannounced, but today was the last straw. Talia is just so unhappy with us.” The trim brunette shoved her glasses back up her nose. “We’ve tried. God knows we’ve tried, but…she needs you, Micah, and that’s all there is to it. She’s been with us almost a year. And she was with Grey and his sister before that. You remember how that turned out.” Her eyes darkened. “Talia, honey, I’m sorry you weren’t happy with us.”
The child sniffled against his neck. “I’m sorry too, Aunt Jane. Uncle Micah, can I please stay here with you?”
Micah looked down at the miniature version of Shelly. His friend and one-time lover. A woman whose life had been taken in a Pack battle by a vicious, now-dead bitch named Maggie. Talia’s eyes batted in unconscious mimicry of her mother. A woman who had named him godfather to her only child. There was no way he could refuse. Having tried to place Talia with two other shifter families, thinking she needed siblings and two parents, he knew now she wouldn’t really be happy anywhere but with him.
Sighing, he nodded to Jane. “I’ll take her from here. I never should have let her go in the first place. You, young lady, are too much like your mother.” The child’s answering giggle elicited a chuckle from him.
“I’ll leave her things in the living room and head home then.” Jane headed for the back of her car.
“You aren’t staying here tonight?” He wasn’t really surprised. Jane didn’t like being away from home for long periods. It was one reason he’d thought Talia would be happy there. A stay-at-home mom and siblings should have given her the comfort and stability she needed.
“No, I need to get back to the kids. If Talia’s forgotten anything, we’ll get it to you here.”
Micah put Talia down and stepped out into the cold to help Jane carry the child’s meager belongings into the main room of the lodge. Talia amused herself by wandering around the main floor of the lodge while the adults finished their task. Micah followed Jane out to tell her goodbye.
Jane opened the car door, hesitated, then looked up at him. The slight lift of her chin let him know she’d been carefully considering her words and how he might react to them.
“Micah, don’t foster her again. Her spirit may be broken if you do.” Her voice caught and she shook her head, taking a deep breath. “She’s so much like Shelly, but she’s just a child. She’s not ready for any more upheaval.”
With that warning ringing in his ears, he watched her drive away. Locating Talia curled up on one of the couches, he studied her sleeping form. He could only see her mother in her, no trace of her father. Shelly hadn’t told anyone who Talia’s father was. In fact, she’d left the Pack shortly after Talia’s birth and had refused all overtures from any of the males there to come back.
Picking up the sleeping child, he took the stairs to the third floor, straight to the smaller bedroom. Once he made sure she was tucked into bed and still sound asleep, he returned to Olivia’s room. The hallway stretched out before him like some endless corridor as he realized he’d been gone for an over an hour.
He reached her door but paused. His ears detected no movement. The only sounds he heard were the slow, even breathing of a very sound-asleep woman. He rested his forehead on the door. “Sleep well, Olivia. ‘To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there’s the rub.’”
Turning quietly, he returned to the first floor to make sure everything would be ready for the morning. Explaining Talia’s presence to Olivia would be interesting, especially given the way their relationship had progressed. Then again, this might give him the perfect opening to discuss shifter culture with Olivia. If he could convince her that she was a shifter, she might be willing to discuss staying at Wild Haven on a more permanent basis…as his mate.
Olivia woke, stretching and yawning. The silky gown she’d changed into when Micah left felt good against her skin, but since she still wore it, she felt safe in assuming he hadn’t returned to her room. Olivia allowed herself a momentary pout.
Having seen the way his eyes lit up from within at the sight of her lingerie, she’d been looking forward to his reaction to the gown. But he hadn’t returned. She didn’t hear any movement above her, but that didn’t mean anything, she had no idea what time it was.
Getting out of bed, she scanned the closet. She wanted to wear something sexy but not too sexy. If there were other guests in the lodge she didn’t want to give them the wrong impression, but she definitely wanted Micah to know what he’d missed out on last night.
Thoughts of Micah led to the discussion they’d had the night before about her past. Olivia couldn’t believe she’d opened up to him the way she had. He’d been so understanding, so concerned, and later, so passionate. Her skin still tingled and her mind kept wandering to Micah with his hair loose and his body covering hers.
Suppressing a shiver, Olivia dressed quickly, tugged her fingers through her hair and ignored her makeup. She practically skipped down the stairs, hearing voices in the kitchen. Remembering Micah’s request that she take her meals with him in the kitchen, she pushed the door open and stopped at the sight before her.
A little girl, no more than five or six sat on the counter by the sink, swinging her legs against the cabinet as she sucked milk up through a straw. She didn’t look up as Olivia entered the room, but Micah did. He turned from the stove to smile at her. Four strides brought him to her side and his warm hand cupped her jaw.
“Good morning. ‘O, beauty, ‘til now I never knew thee.’”
“Good morning yourself. I see you have a helper this morning.” Olivia glanced at the child again, noticing her dark blonde hair and brown eyes. A quick look back at Micah showed an odd expression on his face. “Did a family check in last night?”
“Not exactly.” Micah kissed her cheek then took her hand. “Olivia Decatur, I’d like you to meet Talia Genaro. Talia, this is my friend, Olivia. Can you say hello?”
The child pulled the straw out of her mouth to smile at Olivia. “Hello.”
“Hello, Talia, it’s very nice to meet you.” Olivia took the little girl’s hand, smiling when she giggled at their handshake. “Micah, she’s adorable.”
“Yes she is, and hungry too. Why don’t you help yourself to the coffee? Talia, did you want to go find your books? I think they’re in one of the boxes in the living room.”
“Okay.” The child hopped down from the counter and raced from the room. Micah watched the doorway for a moment before focusing his attention to Olivia.
“Talia is one of my goddaughters. The family she was staying with brought her to me last night because the placement wasn’t working.”
“They brought her to you?” Olivia paused with her coffee cup raised halfway to her mouth. “I don’t understand.”
“Talia’s mother was…” He paused long enough to raise any number of questions as to his relationship with the child’s mother. Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. Could he be Talia’s father? If so, why had he placed the child with someone else? Why hadn’t he taken responsibility for her from birth?
“Her mother was a friend of mine, a good friend. And, no, Talia isn’t my daughter. Shelly never told us the father’s name. Since Shelly’s death, Talia has been my responsibility. I thought putting her with relatives would work, but it didn’t. The next step was a foster family. Apparently that didn’t work either, so now she’s here, with me.”
“You’re not related to her?” Olivia sipped at her coffee and moved toward the kitchen door. Pushing it open, she glanced toward the main room.
“No. I’m her guardian and godfather, that’s all.” Micah turned his attention back to the stove, pulling a tray of hot biscuits out of the oven. “I wanted to apologize for last night.”
“Apologize?” Olivia turned her attention back to Micah.
“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to your room before you fell asleep.” He moved toward her again, smiling slightly as he reached her side. “I’m sorry we didn’t finish what we’d started.”
His hands cupped her shoulders as he drew her closer to his body. Bending forward, he kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry I couldn’t spend what was left of the night making love to you.”
Olivia closed her eyes as she tilted her head back to meet his kiss. Gentle, sweet, it was the perfect morning kiss. “So am I.”
She stepped out of his arms. “What now?”
“What do you mean?” Micah turned and she felt his gaze as she crossed the kitchen toward the back door.
“Well, we obviously can’t pick up where we left off with a child in the house.”
“We’ll figure it out. After all, Talia has to sleep sometime.”
Hearing the humor in Micah’s voice, Olivia glanced at him. “You’re incorrigible.”
“No, I’m intrigued and enthralled. And we will figure this out.” Micah winked and moved to the fridge. He pulled eggs and ham out and had started the makings for an omelet when Talia came back into the kitchen, both arms full of picture books. She brought one over to Olivia and smiled.
“Will you read to me?”
“Of course.” They sat at the kitchen table while Talia picked out her favorite book, explaining in great detail why it was her favorite.
Micah watched them together-Olivia with her bright blonde hair and Talia with her darker locks. Both had delicate features, but he knew that Talia would inherit her mother’s height. He wondered if she’d inherit the shifter gene as well. Since no one in the Pack knew who her father was-he could have been human. In that case, the chances of Talia being a shifter were fifty-fifty.
That bought his mind around to the mystery of Olivia’s family. Her birth family. He needed to make a few phone calls, get on the internet and do some research through some of the Pack archives. There had to be a record somewhere of her birth, her real family, her Pack.
For whatever reason, her parents hadn’t made provisions for her and that went against everything he knew to be true of Pack wolves. If they’d been Packless, they still should have made sure Olivia was placed with a shifter family. Humans had a limited range of acceptance when it came to things like people turning into animals.
A burst of laughter from the two at the table brought him back to the present in plenty of time to turn the omelet he had started. Hopefully he could find something to keep Talia occupied while he spent time with Olivia and vice versa.
Then again, if Talia were going to be living with him full time and he could convince Olivia to stay around, perhaps he’d be better off finding something for all three of them to do together…at least until Talia’s bedtime. Micah smiled contentedly. Things looked like they were going exactly where he wanted them to go. The bell over the front door pealed.
“Olivia, will you watch the omelet? I need to see who that is.”
Micah knew who stood on the other side of the door as soon as he hit the hallway. Pete Standing Elk had come calling. Micah heaved a sigh. He’d hoped to have more time before this burden was thrust back on him. With a deep breath he opened the door.
“Ya-ta-hey, Pete. It’s good to see you. Let’s step into my office.” Micah waved the other man forward.
“Micah, I’m glad you’re back.”
The two moved into the paneled sanctuary that served as Micah’s office. Pete took the chair Micah offered but sat only after Micah had folded himself into his own leather office chair.
“Pete, I know you are here for a reason. Let’s get to it.” Micah steepled his fingers to rest his chin on them. He leveled a steady gaze at the older man in front of him.
“Brother Micah, I bring you greetings from the Pack. We are happy you have returned to us whole and sound. I am gladdened to return to you the mantle of the Alpha.” Pete rose to his feet to hold out the carved piece of wood that the local area Alpha held. It wasn’t traditional in every Pack for there to be such a token, but those near reservations usually followed such niceties. He clasped Micah’s hand firmly and stepped back. Micah rubbed his thumb over the form of the running wolf then looked back at Pete.
“Brother Peter, I thank you for watching over the Pack so well in my stead. I accept this mantle with honor and pledge to protect all within the Pack.” Micah set the small carved wolf down on his desk to look at Pete.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to just keep on as Alpha, Pete?” Micah offered his friend a smile as he dropped out of the formal speech patterns. He asked every time he returned and every time the answer was the same.
“Micah, you know I can’t do that. Margie would eat me alive if I made her Alpha bitch. And I am just not cut out for that kind of leadership. It gives me a headache. I’ll just stay on as sheriff, run with the Pack, bust the bad guys and have a happy marriage.
“Besides, you make a better Alpha than me. Young, virile studs do so much better than paunchy, balding middle-aged guys.” Pete softened his words with a chuckle.
Micah sighed heavily. “I only take this token because you force it on me, Pete. You know I don’t want this responsibility. I will hold it until we can identify a Pack member who can wear this mantle-one who truly wants it. I just want to live my life in peace. Is that too much to ask?”
His friend smiled at him. “Micah, one day you’re going to have to realize that the Pack chooses who leads them. It’s the way of our people. We choose based on intelligence, power and presence. Sorry, but you have all of that in spades. You are the Pack’s choice and the sooner you accept that, the better it will be for all of us. Now who’s the female? I don’t know her scent. Did you bring someone back with you?”
Micah shook his head. “No, her name is Olivia Decatur and she’s a guest here. She doesn’t know she’s a shifter.”
Pete’s jaw dropped as his eyes widened. “Doesn’t know? She’s an adult and she doesn’t know? How is that possible? Why hasn’t she shifted? Where’s her Alpha? That’s criminal, Micah. Her Pack should be sanctioned.”
“Easy, Pete. She was adopted by humans when her real family couldn’t be found. You know how some Packs are. So off the radar that it’s hard for their own people to find them-much less humans. I think that’s what happened to Olivia. Good news is she knows her birth name so I’m going to do a little research to see if I can find a Pack member who remembers her family.” Micah stood up. “Let’s go find her. I want you to meet her.”
The sight in the kitchen warmed Micah to his toes. Olivia stood at the stove serving up omelets onto three plates while Talia laid out silverware. Her tongue stuck out slightly as she concentrated on the perfect placement. He could get very used to this.
“Ladies, I have someone I want you to meet.”
Olivia shook hands with Pete while Talia took refuge against Micah’s side. The child’s eyes seemed luminous as she stared at the other man. Her voice carried as she whispered to Micah, “He’s one of us, isn’t he? Is he going to take me away?”
Blonde hair snapped as Olivia oriented on Micah. She offered Talia a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, honey. Your Uncle Micah is not going to send you anywhere. And what do you mean one of us?”
Micah inhaled sharply. He should have considered Talia’s reaction to meeting Pete. And now knowing part of Olivia’s history, her immediate defense of Talia came as no surprise. Pete glanced at the two females then at him. Micah shook his head, easing Talia away from his side so he could pick her up.
“Talia, I told you. Your home is with me now. No one is taking you anywhere.” He rubbed her back as she threw her arms around his neck, hiding her face from both Pete and Olivia. Micah tried to ignore Olivia’s last comment, but knew a reckoning would come.
“Pete is the sheriff around here. He’s based in Howard, just down the road. He and his wife come here to the lodge for dinner now and then. Pete, Olivia is here to do an article on winter sports.”
There, that should get the conversational ball rolling. He knew Pete could talk for quite some time about ice fishing and snowmobiling. Olivia offered to fix him a plate and Pete grinned at her.
“No thanks. I’ve got to get to the station.” He nodded again at Micah, shook Olivia’s hand and waggled his fingers at Talia as he headed for the front door. Micah stayed in the kitchen. Setting Talia down on her feet, he moved purposely toward Olivia.
She stood in the sunlight, staring out at the woods. Talia raced into the other room, saying something about finding a stuffed animal. Micah stopped right behind Olivia. She didn’t speak, she just leaned back. His hands landed quite naturally on her shoulders and he pulled her even closer to his body, crossing his arms over her chest. She brought her hands up to rest right under her chin on his arms and sighed deeply.
“Sorry, that wasn’t really my business, was it?”
“What?”
“Jumping on your friend like that. I guess Talia’s question about him taking her away just brought up some memories for me. That seems to be happening a lot here.”
“Liv, no one is angry with you, least of all me.” Micah turned her around to face him, tracing her cheeks with his fingertips, touching her mouth and chin.
“You were protecting Talia, nothing more. Why would I be angry at that? And Pete didn’t take offense, believe me.” Lowering his head, he kissed her. Not the way he truly wanted to, but enough to drive his point across. She melted against him, wrapping her arms around his waist and clutching his shirt.
“Micah, what are you doing to me?” Olivia’s whisper reached him and he took a deep breath, savoring the scent of slightly aroused female.
“Not as much as I’d like to.” Micah stepped back slightly and smiled down at her. “Tonight, though, tonight will be quite a different story.”
He stepped away from her as Talia came back into the room. The child didn’t even slow down. Just ran right to the table with a stuffed penguin under her arm.
“Uncle Micah, do we eat penguins?”
“No, Talia. We do not eat penguins.” Watching Olivia smile, Micah moved toward the coffeepot. He refilled his cup and Olivia’s then sat at the table to enjoy his breakfast. He had the woman he wanted for his mate and a child to care for in his home. Life is good.
Breakfast over, Micah pushed back from the table. “If we all pitch in, we can get this kitchen cleaned up and then…” He wriggled his eyebrows at Talia. “Then maybe we can see about taking the sled dogs out for a run.”
Talia’s squeal of pure delight drew an answering grin from Olivia. The kitchen returned to its normally clean state in no time with all three of them at work. Talia even set her penguin up, declaring, “Emily is supervising.”
Micah felt as if his heart would burst when Olivia reached down and hugged Talia. “Tell Emily to keep a close eye on your Uncle Micah. I think he might be slacking.”
“Hey now.” Micah swung Talia up to sit on his shoulder. “You aren’t on her side, are you, Talia?”
“Uncle Micah, there are no sides in Pack.”
Olivia’s raised eyebrow and studied gaze lasered into Micah. He cleared his throat. “So who wants to go for a dogsled ride? Everyone needs to get dressed. Layers!”
The two females laughed as they raced out of the room. Talia pulled at Olivia’s hand trying to get her to move faster. Olivia glanced back at him and winked. Her gaze dropped from his head to his crotch and back, causing Micah’s heartbeat to increase.
Micah rubbed his chest as he took a very deep breath. Trying to get a normal child to filter their speech was hard enough. A hyper-aware, extremely intelligent shifter kid was a ticking time bomb in this situation. Olivia had to be told and soon before she decided Talia needed intervention or something. Heaving a sigh, he hit the stairs. No time like the present.
Olivia’s scent teased him as he moved up the stairs. He ran a hand along the wall, letting the smoothness of the wood glide under his palm. Memory of Olivia’s skin, of the feel of her body, wrapped around his brain, pulling his cock to attention as he paused outside her door. Unbidden, he remembered the smell of her arousal and that caused him to growl softly.
“Micah? Is that you?”
The door swung open and Olivia tugged him inside.
“Talia is in her room deciding what to wear. I got her started on the layers but I think we have fifteen minutes. I’ve been thinking about you.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him. Her soft arms rubbed his neck, making Micah fear for the durability of his jeans. Pressing into her, he let her feel how aroused he was. His tongue teased at her sweet lips while he rubbed his hardness into her belly. The supple give and take of her body was driving him crazy.
Micah couldn’t think. A hot, sexy woman he wanted dragged him into her bedroom, who was he to complain? Slipping one hand under her shirt, he spread his hand against the heat of her. God, he wanted to ease up higher to cup that beautiful breast he could see so easily in his mind’s eye.
At his touch she tipped her head back with a soft groan and tangled her fingers in his hair. Her voice caressed him as she whispered low, “Did you come up here to help me get dressed, Micah?”
He shook his head then nipped at her neck and worked his way as far down her shoulder as he could. Finally stopped by cloth that wouldn’t give any more, he bit just a bit harder.
“I need you out of this shirt now, Olivia. I need your nipple in my mouth-your breast in my hand-my cock buried deep inside you. I have never wanted anyone or anything like this in my life. What is it that you do to me?” Micah pressed his rock-hard cock against her more urgently. “Now, Liv.”
Olivia’s eyes grew wider and wider at each statement. Nodding her agreement, she stepped back slightly from him and grabbed the bottom of her shirt. He licked his lips as her pale flesh appeared. Her belly would be the perfect pillow for his head after he made love to her until he couldn’t anymore.
Then her bra appeared. Micah had never considered himself a fan of lingerie-it just got in the way. But the sight of those lacy bits on Olivia made his cock swell until he thought he might be shifting unconsciously.
Shifting. Micah grabbed her hands and pulled the shirt back down. “Olivia, stop. We can’t do this now. As much as I want to ram myself into you until your voice goes hoarse from screaming my name, we need to talk about something first. Besides we have to remember Talia could show up at any time.”
He flinched at the disappointment in her eyes and the shudder that hit her just after she lowered her shirt. Taking her in his arms, holding her tightly so she could feel his heart racing and his still-hard cock against her body, he laid his head on hers for a moment.
“Don’t think this means I don’t want you because I do. But we need to talk about that night your parents died.”
Her hands hit his chest, shoving herself away in a stiff-arm worthy of any football player. Micah clenched his jaw but held his ground.
“No, Micah. I don’t want to talk about that right now. Please.” She blinked rapidly, turning her head away from his gaze.
“Sweetheart, it’s okay. I know what happened. That’s what I want to talk to you about. It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known. You were taken away from your kind, our kind, too young. Liv, you’re special.”
“Special? Special?” Her voice climbed octaves and decibels as she railed at him. “What is special about being the kind of person who has an insane monster inside? The kind of person who loses it so bad over not going to a damn school dance that she freaks out and causes her dad to lose control of a car, killing her parents? If that’s what you think is special, you need your head examined.”
Micah’s heart clenched painfully as her voice cracked. She glared at him. “You need to walk out of here now, Micah. I don’t know what you are playing at, but I’m not special. I am a murderer. And don’t even get me started about scaring my fiancé so badly that not only did he call off the wedding but he never spoke to me again.”
Her face crumpled into tears as she stumbled to sit on the bed. Burying her head in her hands, she whispered, “Please, just go away. Please.”
“I can’t, Liv. Not now. I can’t let you think you are a monster when you aren’t. I mean it when I say you’re special. You share something in common with me-with Gareth-hell, with Talia. You found us for a reason, Olivia. You’ve found your own kind.”
Moving to kneel beside her, he pulled her hands away from her face. “Look at me. Your hearing and sight are really good, aren’t they? And your sense of smell? I’m willing to bet you can identify a person by their scent. What about your coordination, Liv? Did you do better in school at sports than the other kids? Run longer? Jump higher?”
Her mouth gaped more on each statement. Thrusting her chin out, she bit out, “How could you know that? Did you get my medical records? How could you possibly know all of that?”
“Because, sweetheart, I’m like you. Do you dream of wolves?”