Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Leo liked this time of day, when the sun was setting and the blazing heat of late August slowly slipped away. Even better than the golden light of the sunset was that Mira was walking beside him, her blonde hair turned deep gold by the sun, catching his eye with every step.
They’d spent most of Monday at the B&B with her family and house members, sharing stories of their travels.
While no one came right out and asked, he could tell that they wanted to know what Mira was planning.
Leo wasn’t sure himself. All he knew was that he wanted to be with Mira, and he didn’t really care where that happened.
After saying goodbye to her family, they got into his truck and headed out for their first official date—dinner at a place he thought she’d enjoy, and a movie back at the house. Behind them, Solan and Linus followed in a pack SUV, watching their back.
“So any pack member has to have an escort when they leave town?” she asked, glancing in the rearview.
“Yep. It’s just a precaution because of the trouble we’ve had with Brent Foley and Humans Against Shifters.
He’d told her a bit about their troubles with the anti-shifter group and the need for their people to watch each other’s backs. He wasn’t worried about his ability to keep her safe, but he was appreciative of the security team watching over them so he could focus on her.
And their first date.
Which turned out to be perfection as he’d hoped it would be.
Italian food, easy conversation, and a corner booth that made it seem like they were the only two people there.
As the conversation flowed, he found out she loved musicals and baking, only liked regular coffee, and regularly filled up her phone’s memory with photos of things she found interesting, like old buildings and wild animals.
He told her how he felt at peace when he was working on cars, but he also enjoyed being part of the security team.
“When I first learned how to turn a wrench, I wanted to own my own place. But working for the garage is nice, and I don’t have to worry about payroll or ordering supplies.”
“If you could pick between the two jobs, would you choose security or car repair?”
“Cars, definitely. But I like that I can do both.”
“I’ve never had a job outside of working with the house as we traveled.
We didn’t stay anywhere long enough for me to work for anyone, so I never tried to get a job.
I just made myself as useful as I could, and a lot of that is interacting with patrons and helping my mom keep the house running smoothly. ”
“Would you like to work? Like, have a regular job?”
She hummed. “I never really thought about it.”
“Well, depending on what we end up doing in the future, you could always find someplace to work in Thorn Hollow, or even at the dealership. Adam’s always looking for people to handle day-to-day office stuff.”
She gave him a soft smile. “I don’t know what we should do. I feel like the decision is resting on my shoulders, and I’m a little stressed about it.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “Don’t stress. I promise I will be happy anywhere as long as we’re together. If you’d like to stay in Thorn Hollow, you can join the pack as my mate. But if you’d like to stay with your parents and the house, I can join up with them and make them my pack.”
“It’s that easy?”
“I don’t think anything worth doing is easy, but my wolf and I just want to be with you. Here, on the road, whatever.”
The bill came, and he paid, and held her hand as they walked out of the restaurant. He gave a wave to Solan and Linus after opening her door and helping her into the truck. Once they were on the way, she spoke again. “I’d like to think some more about it, I guess.”
He was going to tell her that she could take all the time she needed when his phone buzzed and a text alert from Adam appeared on the screen. He pressed the button, and the truck’s system read it aloud: Multiple transformer explosions. Half the town is without power. Suspect it’s Foley and HAS.
“Well, shit,” Leo said, pressing his foot down on the gas.
“So this Foley guy targeted the electricity in the town?”
“Sounds like it,” Leo said.
He got a few other texts, including from Brick, who said that Leo’s house was without power, and so was his and Adam’s.
Leo texted back, Did anyone show up on the security footage? How did someone get into town and place explosives on the transformers without being seen?
We don’t know, Brick texted. We think Foley is using blind spots or maybe drones to set explosives.
We found others that had failed to detonate.
The electric company is already working on it, and our people who are electricians are helping, but power will be off for a few hours.
Everyone but security is shelter-in-place.
Keep an eye out as you come into town, in case anyone is looking to cause trouble with our people who weren’t in town.
Will do. Do you need me?
No, we’ve got it handled for now. If I need you, I’ll reach out.
Since he wasn’t needed in security, he drove to the house just as he got a text from Brick that security was still scouting around town, but so far hadn’t found any evidence of people who didn’t belong there. It would take a few hours to cover the whole town, though.
Since there was no power at his house, he opted to light the firepit on the patio and sit outside with her, enjoying the quiet night.
“What do you think Foley wanted to have happen with targeting the electricity in town?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. Maybe just to screw with us? Sometimes these kinds of groups just make things difficult for shifters and try to drive them away. Whatever he planned, it got messed up because they said not all the explosives went off. It could have been worse for sure.”
“He needs to get a life,” she said.
“Agreed.”
They talked for a long time and he loved every second of it. She asked for stories about shifting and what it was like to be part of the pack, and he asked her to tell him about growing up with psychics. When the power came back on a couple hours later, she said, “I have an idea.”
“What would that be?”
“Could you shift for me?”
He looked at her in surprise. “You want to see me in my shift?”
“Yes. I want to see all of you, Leo.”
Sweet female.
“I would love to. Let me check in with Brick and see how everything’s going now that our power is on.” He sent a quick text to Brick asking how things were going.
We found evidence of some security cameras being tampered with and suspect Foley planned to cut the power and maybe come into town to attack, Brick texted.
Do you need me to join up with the security team and help patrol tonight? Leo texted.
Nah we’ve got it handled. Enjoy the rest of your night with Mira.
She wants to see me shift. I’m going to stay in the backyard, FYI.
Have fun!
“We’re all set, sweetheart,” Leo said, rising from the comfortable chair. He offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet. “Are you ready?”
“Whenever you are.”
* * *
Mira stood on the patio while Leo walked a few feet into the grassy yard.
He pulled off his shirt and toed off his shoes. As he undid his jeans, he was aware that Mira was watching him intently.
Lowering his jeans, he said, “You’re staring, sweetheart.”
“You’re pretty sexy.”
“So are you,” he said.
He paused a moment in only his boxer briefs, met her gaze, and then smiled as he stripped fully, laying his briefs with his other clothes.
He winked and shifted, his body slipping from two legs to four, paws digging into the warm ground as he stretched into his wolf body and whipped his tail back and forth.
“Oh, wow,” Mira said, her voice low with awe. “I’ve never seen that before. It was…incredible.”
She dropped to the ground, her sundress fluffing around her knees with the motion. She touched his face, smoothing her fingers down his neck and sinking them into his thick fur. He sat on his haunches and let her touch him as much as she wanted.
“Your fur is so pretty. It blends in perfectly with the woods.” She inhaled sharply and pressed a hand to her chest. “Wow, I just feel so different right now. Like I feel a little wild inside. I swear, since we met, it’s like a part of me is opening up some.
Even though I won’t ever be able to shift, I like how I feel when I’m with you.
” She pressed her head to his, and he let out a low murmur.
They walked around the yard in an aimless pattern. At first, it was quiet between them, and then she shared some thoughts about her past and her parents’ secrets, and how she felt about the future.
“I don’t hate them for keeping it from me, but it’s definitely tainted things for me.
I wish I’d known that I wasn’t a psychic, so I wouldn’t have spent all these years feeling like a failure.
” She sighed and stopped at the back corner of the yard, staring into the trees that separated the two neighborhoods.
It was quiet, just bugs and leaves rustling, and it was peaceful.
“I like it here, Leo. I like you. I like the town and the pack. And I can see us staying here.”
He sat next to her, leaning against her legs.
She rested her hand on his head and scratched behind his ears.
“All these years when I didn’t feel like I really belonged anywhere, and now I feel like I finally belong.
Here, with you. I feel closer to you than anyone I’ve ever known, and it’s only been a few days. ”
He felt the same way, and he’d tell her too, the minute he could shift back.
Once he was able to return to human, he dressed quickly and they walked inside.
Mira started a movie and settled on the couch next to Leo.
“I’m glad Foley didn’t get his plan off the ground,” Mira said, snuggling next to him.
“Me too, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head. “Did you like hanging out while I was in my shift?”
She tilted her face up to him. “I really did. I had the best time tonight. It was an awesome first date.”
He kissed her, a slow and deep kiss that made his wolf howl in his head, cupping her face and letting his fingers dig lightly into her skin. He’d never wanted anyone more than he wanted her. To be with her, to hold her, to make her happy.
She was everything he’d ever wanted in his future mate. She was precious to him beyond measure, and he couldn’t wait to make her his in truth. When the time was right.