Sedona Sin, page 5
Before I made it into the kitchen, Asher’s deep voice rumbled behind me. “Morning.”
I turned around, trying to keep my expression neutral, as if I often found handsome men in my living room with one of my kids asleep on his chest. “Oh, morning. Sorry about your little visitor.”
“Ben was good company for an hour or so.” A drowsy smile curved Asher’s lips, and it was a good thing I had the kitchen counter to lean on because my knees went rubbery for a second. I’d never seen my well-built friend when he first woke up before. It should not have felt intimate but seeing him vulnerable was…new.
“Want some coffee?”
“Sure.” He started to move. “Need any help?”
“Nah, I’ve got it. You’ve got your hands full.” I took the coffee down from the cupboard and noticed two wooden figures on a cookie rack. “Did you make these?”
“Yeah. Ben painted one.”
Hearing his name, my little boy lifted his sleepy head up from Asher’s broad chest. “Mama? Is it breakfast time yet?”
I chuckled. “It will be soon. Why don’t you go get your brother? I’ll be there in a minute to get you guys dressed.”
He crawled off Asher. “See ya, Uncle Asher.”
Asher got up and came into the kitchen. With my acute senses, I couldn’t miss that his scent was now an irresistible mix of monsoon and my little boy, tempting me to climb him like a tree. No bottled cologne could ever compete with the pheromones he was giving off right now.
He picked up the little wooden dolls, inspecting them. “Hope you don’t mind. It’s a tradition for the kids to get the Grandmother as their first Katsina. Her name is Hahai-i Wuhti.”
I took one from him, careful to avoid any accidental physical contact. My senses and my heart were currently overstimulated, and the last thing I wanted was to make things awkward between us. Asher had called me his friend last night; I wasn’t going to let hormones ruin our relationship.
The doll was much lighter than I had expected. The carving was intricate but the paint was simple, somehow giving the Grandmother a lifelike quality. She exuded happiness. “They’re beautiful.” I couldn’t help but smile as I handed the doll back to Asher. “Thank you. The boys will love them.”
He took the dolls and put them on the counter as a moan had us both looking over at Chandler.
Asher frowned. “Need me to call Cole?”
“No.” Chandler groaned. “Just forgot I had a hole in my side.” He carefully sat up and pushed to his feet. “Bathroom is…?”
I pointed to the hallway opposite the one that led to the boys’ room. “Right down the hall to the left.”
While the coffee brewed, I took out a big frying pan and set it on the stovetop. When I turned around, Asher was leaning against the counter, staring at me. Suddenly I wished I’d put on something more flattering than my pajamas. Geez, I hadn’t even brushed my hair.
“Everything okay?” I asked, hoping it sounded flippant instead of insecure.
He nodded, crossing his arms. “It is for now.”
I took the eggs out of the fridge and handed him a spatula. “Good, because I need to get the monkeys dressed.”
Down the other hallway, a boy with werewolf hearing called out, “We’re wolves, not monkeys!”
I shook my head. “They hear way too well.”
Asher chuckled and took the spatula, his hand brushing mine in the process. The air whooshed from my lungs, my vision blurring as my pupils dilated and contracted. Deep in the shadows of my soul, my wolf howled. My knees buckled, and Asher dropped the spatula, catching me around my waist. When I met his eyes, the confusion in his gaze matched my own.
“What the hell was that?” I whispered.
He blinked as though he was trying to clear his vision. “You felt it, too?”
I nodded. His other arm came around me. My heart hammered against my rib cage, and I stared up into his eyes. His gaze wandered over my face, his head bending lower. And just when his lips were about to touch mine, Bart raced into the kitchen.
“Mama, I thought you were coming. Ben won’t give my pants back, and it’s not funny!”
From down the hall, Ben squealed, “Is too!”
Bart crossed his arms. “See?”
We straightened up like two teens caught necking in the back seat of a car. Asher stepped away to pick up the spatula. “You go ahead. I can make eggs and bacon.”
I cleared my throat, praying my voice would work. “All right. Thanks, Asher.”
His dark eyes met mine, and a sexy hint of a smile quirked the corner of his mouth. Distinctly not a friends-only grin. “We’ll talk later.”
“Okay,” I squeaked.
I freakin’ squeaked. What the hell was happening to me?
Bart caught my hand, dragging me away. “Why you so slow, Mama?”
“I’m coming.” I chuckled.
When we turned the corner, Ben was jumping on the bed with his brother’s jeans on his head. The legs hung down his back like big denim bunny ears. He grinned as soon as he noticed me in the doorway. “I’m a monkey!”
“Is that what you are?” I snatched him off the bed, pulled his pajama shirt up, and blew a raspberry on his belly. His giggles filled my heart in a completely different way. These boys kept me from losing my mind during Caldwell’s reign. No matter how sick and twisted things got, I fought every step of the way for my sons. And I’d keep fighting.
After they were dressed, they sprinted down the hallway to see Asher, and I took the break to get myself ready for the day. I even brushed my hair.
By the time I came out to the living room, I’d almost forgotten about that strange moment in the kitchen. Until I made eye contact with Asher. This time it went beyond the lusting I’d been doing the night before. This was more primal, as if a thread were being pulled tight between us. I needed to touch him.
Obviously, those pheromones he was rocking were messing with me—big-time.
Chandler sat on a stool at the bar. He was pale, but otherwise you’d never know I had shot him last night. “Asher’s going to drop me off at my car after breakfast, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“No problem.” I pulled out the stool next to him and sat down. “Thanks for trying to warn me last night, by the way. I’m sorry about…shooting you.”
He shook his head. “I’m grateful to be breathing. My own fault for getting too eager to chase down the story.”
“About that.” I snuck a quick peek at Asher, but his back was to me as he worked at the stove. Focusing on Chandler again, I waded into uncharted waters in my combat boots. “It’s not really my place, but what would you think about joining our pack here in Sedona?”
His eyes widened for a second. “But I’m not a…”
“I know you’re not a werewolf, but there are jaguar shifters in the Reno Pack, so why not here, too?”
Asher glanced over his shoulder at me, but I didn’t make eye contact. I’d come this far, I wasn’t going to stop now.
“You think your pack would accept me?” Chandler asked.
“I don’t know, but I could find out.” I rubbed my palms on my jeans. “We’re stronger together, right? We could help one another.”
Asher turned off the stove and came over to the bar. His deep voice had my wolf on edge as he spoke. “You could let us know if you hear through your news channels about wild animal attacks that might be the work of jaguars, and when you’re chasing a few down, we could give you backup so last night doesn’t happen again.”
Chandler chuckled. “Dammit.” He sucked in a pained breath, shaking his head. “Hurts to laugh.” He sobered, glancing between us. “You guys make a good team. If you think the rest of your pack might go along with it, I’d like to meet everyone.”
I smiled. “You know where the Wolf Pack Bar is?”
Chandler raised a brow. “You’re not going to tell me that real werewolves own that bar.”
“We do.” I buffed my nails on my shirt. “I made the logo.”
“Wow.” He shook his head. “I guess there’s something to be said for hiding in plain sight.”
“Guys, we’re starrrrrrrving!” Ben whined from the table.
Bart chimed in, “Sooooooo hungry!”
I got up to make them plates. “Think about it. I’ll give you my cell number and we can talk later.”
Asher moved aside so I could fill the plates, and his hand warmed the small of my back, steadying me. It was a simple touch, nothing sexy, but it was a loud and clear, I’m here, and it was all I could do not to turn around and kiss him.
But I didn’t. Besides, my hands were full of eggs and bacon.
I delivered the food to the little monsters and went back for my own. Asher had already filled a plate for himself and our injured maybe-future packmate. He went around the bar, delivering the meal and leaving me alone with my thoughts as I shoveled some eggs onto my plate.
What the hell had happened? It was easier now to imagine I had exaggerated the whole thing. We were a little sleep-deprived, right? And there was waking up to find him and Ben sleeping on the chair…
Seeing one of them dozing on Asher’s chest had made me painfully aware that I wanted my boys to have a dad. Gage was good to them, and they loved his little boys, too, but it wasn’t the same as having a father to idolize. An image of my dad popped into my head, his tight jaw and crossed arms as I left for the West Coast. Okay, maybe part of the reason I wanted them to have a dad to worship so bad was because I never really had that myself. But did the reason even matter?
When the twins were born, their dad had been locked up in a unit at Caldwell’s storage facility, and when the revolution hit, Brock had been one of the casualties. My boys didn’t have any memories of their father, and I barely knew him, either, so I couldn’t even pass on stories to help them craft some idea of who he might’ve been.
I picked up my plate, refusing to venture any further down the rabbit hole. Something had happened when our hands touched. Asher felt it too, so I wasn’t imagining it. But maybe it wasn’t as big a deal as I’d thought.
I sat at the table with my boys, enjoying their giggles and trying not to look over at Asher.
Ben swallowed a mouthful of eggs and grinned. “Did you see the Ka…Ka…”
“Katsina.” Asher winked at Ben.
Ben beamed. “—Katsina dolls we made?” He pointed his fork at Bart. “One’s for you, Bart. Asher made yours. I made my own. It’s a grandma.”
Bart munched his bacon. “We don’t have a grandma.”
And we were right back to the nontraditional family model. “You have a grandma; you just haven’t met her yet.”
Ben chimed in. “Mrs. Vega is like a grandma.”
Cole’s parents were the only elders left in our pack, and Cole’s mom had embraced being a new grandma to both my twins and Gage’s. She even babysat in a pinch when we needed her.
I finally risked a peek in Asher’s direction only to find him looking right at me. I quickly focused on my plate, silently bemoaning the heat rising in my cheeks. Asher was my friend. He’d seen me in sweats, with messy hair, and even covered in blood. Why was I suddenly blushing around him? Maybe I had hit my head during the fight last night.
Asher stood up. “I’m going to take Chandler back to his car. I’ve got two tours on the schedule today, but I’ll check back as soon as I can.”
“Okay.” I started picking up the boys’ empty plates. “Gage has the day off today, so…”
“Why don’t you bring Bart and Ben over to my office?” He smiled. “I can take you guys out in the Jeep after my last tour.”
“I don’t want to be in your way.” But I was floored that he had offered.
“You won’t be.”
Suddenly, I had two tiny werewolves clinging to my legs. “Please, Mama? Can we? We’ll be good!”
I carried the plates into the kitchen, dragging one giggling little boy on each leg. “We’ll see.”
Asher turned back at the front door. “Hope I see you soon.”
He and Chandler left, and even though I was washing dirty dishes, I could not stop smiling.
CHAPTER 7
Asher
I waited out front for the security gate to close behind my Jeep before pulling away. My wolf paced deep in my soul, restless and agitated. The full moon was still a couple of weeks away, but even if it were tomorrow, this animal inside me made it pretty obvious this wasn’t moon related.
This was about her.
When my fingers had brushed Naomi’s hand this morning, that simple caress had sent an electrical charge shooting through me, and there had been a recognition, a knowing. The wolf in me recognized her somehow. Luke had warned me about the wolf finding its one true mate, but I guess I figured since I’d been bitten and not born a werewolf, I didn’t have one. Or maybe this was just a carryover from my realization last night that somewhere along the way, I had started falling for Naomi and her boys. Who the hell knew? Regardless, it was safe to say my wolf wasn’t thrilled with my decision to leave without her.
Truth be told, I wasn’t either. After the attack, I wanted to keep her close so I could look out for her, but I knew Naomi better than anyone else in this pack, and if I started hovering, she’d notice. And then she wouldn’t hesitate to remind me who had the black belt.
I grinned just thinking about it.
“Was Naomi serious about me joining your pack?” Chandler asked.
Shit, I had almost forgotten I had a passenger. I glanced his way. “Yeah. But it’s not up to her.”
Chandler loosened the seat belt across his chest. “She told me you guys don’t have an Alpha right now.”
I raised a brow, keeping my attention on the road. How much had she shared with this jaguar? I trusted Naomi’s judgment, but we were all caught off guard last night. Trusting a newscaster had me questioning everything.
I cleared my throat. “We’re working on it.”
“Well, when you figure it out, maybe you could put in a good word for me.”
I stopped at a light, my hands sliding to the bottom of the wheel as I looked over at him. “You seriously want to join our pack?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged and looked out the passenger window. “I think I’d like having a tribe I could turn to if I need supernatural help, and I’d be there for you guys too. Two way street.”
I chuckled, driving through the intersection. “And you won’t expose us on live television?”
He shook his head with a crooked smile. “If you think that’s a possibility, then you’ve obviously never met General Miller Sloan.” He let out a halfhearted whistle. “I have no plans to cross that man.”
“The Reno Alpha’s uncle, right?”
Chandler nodded. “Yeah, he could scare the shit out of Grizzly bear. I have no intention of exposing shifters. Ever. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to stop the ones who murder innocent people though.” He pointed to the next block. “That’s my car.”
I pulled over and parked behind the black Nissan Z-Car. “Nice wheels.”
Chandler opened his door, looking back at me. “Maybe when we’re packmates, I’ll give you a ride in it.”
I laughed. “Are you bribing me?”
He sobered, leaning against the door. “It’s lonely carrying around this secret. I hate that a lunatic shifter stole my future from me, but I figure there are probably a few of you in this pack who can relate to my situation.”
Huge understatement. And then I finally recognized what Naomi must’ve realized the night before: Chandler was one of us. Once you were bitten, you didn’t belong anywhere anymore. You were no longer human, and you couldn’t tell any of your friends or family. But you weren’t born into a pack, so you didn’t have a village to protect you, either. Even if we actually became a real pack, we were still bitten. New. Lesser.
Damn, I was sick of being an outcast.
I reached my hand out to him, and when he started to bring his hand toward mine, I stretched a little farther to clasp his forearm.
Chandler smiled. “The pack greeting.”
I nodded. “You have been up in Reno.” I released him, my gaze on his. “If I had any say in it, you’d be welcome in my pack.”
“Thanks, Asher.”
“I’ll call Adam later. He has your cell number, right?”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “And then you’ll know I’m who I say I am.” He straightened up and stepped onto the sidewalk. “I know it’s none of my business, but if this pack needs an Alpha, you should look in the mirror.”
Sedona was home to plenty of tour companies. Bus tours, trolley tours, and even a line of pink Jeeps with seating for large parties frequented the roundabouts on the scenic drive along Route 89A. With stunning scenery and mystical energy, our city attracted a staggering number of tourists during the spring, summer, and fall. Things moved at a much slower pace in winter.
My tour company, Wild Sedona Tours, specialized in off-the-beaten path hiking and Jeep tours of the Red Rocks and vortices. I took my groups to remote places other companies wouldn’t touch. My clientele enjoyed the paths less traveled. Usually I’d drive the my customers out in my Jeep, and then we’d climb the Red Rocks or hike unmarked trails, depending on their interests. Today, I had a Jeep tour, and the second group was adding a hike, too. I’d warned them to bring cold weather gear—hopefully parkas and boots—otherwise it was going to be a short walk.
Becca was already in the office and on the phone when I walked in. She’d worked for me for five years now, first as a receptionist, but she’d grown into my right hand with scheduling, bookkeeping, and website maintenance. She had come to Sedona on a spiritual retreat and never left.
“Hey, Becca.” I hung up my coat and headed for my desk. The Wild Sedona Tours office consisted of two desks and a counter where customers could ask questions and purchase tour packages, all packed into a five-hundred-square-foot space.
