Chapter 5
FIVE
Luke
Caution crept into Katie’s eyes, but she continued to stroke my back. The soothing gesture kept us connected. I had dumped a lot on her, and it surprised me she wasn’t running for the door.
“Your mom sounds like a special lady.”
I let my gaze blur as the memory of her washed over me.
“She was. I never had a mother before her. My birth mother was a human, not my father’s mate.
My father had skipped town after he got her pregnant.
She tracked him down a few years later and told him she wanted nothing to do with me.
I was just a reminder of the con my father pulled on her.
Not a child she could love and care for. ”
“Some people don’t have the capacity to look past hurt and pain and see the child in front of them.” Katie sighed. A sad, knowing expression covered her face. “I’ve seen it time and time again.”
“Mom was the first one to get through to me and teach me what it was to love someone. I think it was easier with her than with Dad, because I didn’t have memories of my birth mother to clash with. With Dad, I thought I knew what a father was already.”
The heat of her palm penetrated my shirt as she rubbed calming circles on my back. “Losing them must have been hard.”
“I didn’t get nearly enough time with them.” My breath was shaky as I sucked it in. “But I have my brothers, and that’s the next best thing.”
“You all seem very close.”
“I don’t know what I would do without them.” A faint grin rose on my lips. “Even when Austin and Ethan play pranks on the rest of us. Or Declan lectures everyone.”
“I don’t have any siblings. I always wanted a sister, but my parents had me late in life. I was a surprise baby.”
“Are you close to them?” I wanted to know everything about her. What made her the way she was. She was like spring. Sweet and full of hope.
“Not really.” She shrugged one shoulder. “They never wanted kids, and they mostly live their lives like they don’t have one. And they don’t understand my career choice. You don’t get into social work for the money.”
“Why social work?”
Her eyes softened. “I didn’t have a terrible childhood.
I was fed, clothed, and educated, but my parents expected me to be mature at a very young age.
As a result, I never felt like I belonged anywhere.
With my job, I get to help kids find a place where they can be themselves and enjoy their childhood. ”
“Eli must present a challenge for you. He’s caught between two worlds. He always thought he was human, but now he needs to learn to be a shifter.” I wondered if she was still looking for where she belonged. I hoped the ranch, with me, could be that place.
“Finding the right situation with him will be difficult, but I always knew it would be.” She leaned her head against my shoulder.
“He was abandoned as a baby, but adoption never worked out. Frazzled couples would return him, saying they couldn’t handle him.
And as he grew, it just got worse.” She sighed.
“I don’t understand why he wasn’t left with shifters, though. ”
“His mother was probably human.” I wrapped my arm around her. “She may not have known he was part shifter.”
“Maybe.” She relaxed in my hold. “I’m still working on where he’ll go once we’re done here. Nothing I’ve considered so far feels right.”
“You’ll figure it out.” I squeezed her shoulder. “And if you need information about shifters to decide, just ask.”
“I’m sure I’ll take you up on that.”
We sat in silence for several minutes, but it was a comfortable silence. I breathed her in, the sweet, floral scent filling my senses. The smell was intense but delicate, and I’d always remember her when I saw lilac or honeysuckle.
Eventually she pulled away, and I reluctantly let her go.
I wanted to keep her in my arms, learn the feel of her, but I also knew I couldn’t push her.
She was human, and she had to process everything I’d told her.
A pit opened in my stomach at the thought that she might not choose me.
Now that I’d decided to claim her, it was like my happiness depended on her agreeing.
“I should go. The barn needs repairs.” I stood and shoved my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t reach for her again. “Find me if you or Eli need anything.”
“I will.” Her fingers twisted together, making me wonder if she, too, were trying to keep from touching me.
I backed out of the room slowly before turning away from her. Now that I’d surrendered to the bond, leaving her side was near impossible. But I didn’t want to overwhelm her more than I already had.
I pulled the supplies I needed out of the storage shed. We’d had a windstorm recently, and some shingles needed replacing. I usually handled the handyman chores around the ranch. Dad and I had bonded over his teaching me to make repairs. Later, he’d passed on his love of woodworking.
I leaned the ladder against the eaves. Thanks to my shifter strength, I got all the supplies I needed onto the roof with only two trips up the ladder. My position on the barn gave me a great view of the ranch, and I paused to enjoy it.
My gaze wandered over to the cabins, and I watched as Katie made her way toward the main yard. I followed her path, unwilling to take my eyes off of her. She finally disappeared from sight when she entered Gabriel and Sierra’s art gallery.
I focused on the work in front of me. It wouldn’t take me long to repair the roof. Then I could see Katie again. I chuckled under my breath, finally understanding what my brothers went through when they found their mates.
Katie
Eli was still sound asleep, so I jotted down a note telling him I’d be back before supper and left the cabin.
The ranch had an art gallery, and this was the perfect opportunity to visit it.
The town had been buzzing since it opened because it drew in tourists to our town, but without a car, I’d never been able to check it out.
I opened the door to the building and stepped inside, the cool, quiet air wrapping around me. A woman with long black hair stood from a desk along the wall.
“Hello. Welcome to the gallery. Would you like a tour or just to wander?”
“A tour would be great.” I held out my hand as she came closer. “I’m Katie. I’m staying on the ranch for a while.”
“Oh, you must be the social worker.” We shook hands. “I’m Sierra, Gabriel’s mate.”
She led me to the first painting. It was an explosion of color and depicted a sunset over the ranch. But it wasn’t just paint on canvas. It stirred something inside. “Impressive.”
“It’s Gabriel’s work. He’s the primary draw to the gallery.” Sierra ran her fingers along the intricate wooden frame, which somehow complemented the painting perfectly. “The frames are all made by Luke.”
My heart leaped, and I leaned closer to study Luke’s creation. The whirls and dips must have taken a delicate hand to carve. “I didn’t know he worked with wood.”
“Most of the wooden furniture around the ranch are his creations. He’s an artist in his own right.
” She led me to the next piece, a large photo showing the silhouettes of two men on horseback, their backs to the camera as they surveyed the ranch.
“Chloe, Declan’s mate, is a photographer. Any photos in your cabin are her work.”
“It’s amazing.” The frame on this piece was different but also blended perfectly with the photo it surrounded. This was a new side of Luke. “The gallery is truly a family effort.”
“It is.” Sierra’s eyes clouded. “Without their hard work, it would never have been possible. A saboteur burned down the original building just before the opening.”
“Why would anyone do that?”
“A former friend of Mason’s, Emily’s brother, apparently holds a grudge against him. He’s been trying to destroy the ranch for a while now.”
My brow furrowed as I remembered the trouble with the cattle earlier. Could it have been sabotage? I’d need to ask Luke about it to ensure the ranch was safe for Eli.
Sierra must have read my expression. She put a hand on my arm. “There’s been nothing for months. Mason’s upped the security and constantly adjusts the system.”
I gave her a faint smile and followed her through the gallery, only half listening to her information about the various pieces. Luke would warn me if the ranch was dangerous. The cattle incident must have been an accident.
After the tour, I said goodbye to Sierra and stepped outside, stopping to stretch and yawn. A lot had happened today, and I wanted a nap before dinner.
I left the covered porch of the gallery and moved toward the path to the cabins, but a flash out of the corner of my eye had me turning back. Everything froze as I saw a truck bearing down on me. The driver wore a hat and sunglasses, but I felt him looking straight at me. Not stopping or swerving.
Time slowed down, and my legs refused to move. My life flashed before my eyes. The emotional neglect of my parents. The day I graduated. My first case. Eli turning into a wolf. And Luke.
My memories turned to dreams that I’d had no chance to even dream. A future where I was Luke’s mate. His everything. Living on this ranch with him. Loved by him.
Tears pricked my eyes at the knowledge of everything I might miss out on. But I was also filled with a determination to prevent the loss of a future I didn’t know I wanted. I forced my legs to move, but the truck was coming too fast. Was too close already. I could only pray the driver would swerve.