Chapter 10
A cold wind battered me during my walk to the Arrowhead property, but compared to Nebraska, this was tolerable, if not pleasant.
I had on a long-sleeved brown shirt over a white tee, and that was enough.
I’d stuffed the many pockets of my brown work pants with a tape measure, a small hammer, a pencil, and a few flathead nails.
Tak had offered to give me the measurements, but my mentor taught me never to trust anyone’s numbers but my own, and if I couldn’t properly measure a window, I had no business in this trade.
I waved at a car passing by, and they honked. People in small towns were friendly once you got to know them. Not always friendly enough to stop, but I wasn’t looking for a ride.
Then I heard clip-clopping coming from behind me.
I cast a glance over my shoulder at a brown horse with a tool bag in his mouth.
That was Kevin, the local handyman. His horse whinnied and nodded its head before shifting.
The tool bag hit the asphalt as the man waved at me.
I resisted cracking a smile at his curly mullet—clearly he wasn’t worried about making a fashion statement.
“Hi, Quinn.”
“Uh, hi…”
“Kevin. I’m Kevin.”
My gaze strayed off to the field. In general, most Shifters who grew up around other Shifters got used to nudity. It was hard not to with people always shifting. But there was also a time and a place, and usually people kept an article of clothing handy for coming out of a shift.
Not Kevin.
I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen him in clothes outside of the pants Calvin kept on his bar wall.
He lifted his tools and jogged over.
Yeah, jogged. I really didn’t need to see that.
“Where’re you headed?” he asked.
“Arrowhead land.”
“That’s not far. Need a ride?”
“I like walking. It’s nice to get out and have some quiet time.”
He nodded. “Gotcha. Well, I’ll be trotting around the area. Someone plowed over Old Man Forney’s mailbox again, so he wants me to fix it instead of building one made of brick like I told him. If you change your mind and see me, just whistle. My hearing’s real good.”
“Okay.”
Kevin shifted back, and while I was tempted to pet his pretty horse, that would be super weird, especially since he obviously maintained total consciousness. He lowered his head and chomped on the bag a few times. When I noticed him struggling, I raised the handles.
After Kevin took off, his brown tail swishing back and forth, I indulged in a daydream to pass the time, one where I completed my window and the Arrowhead pack was gathered in awe.
I imagined their excitement and how each morning, my art would be the first thing they noticed.
I imagined how exquisite the glass would look at night when the lights were on or the fireplace was roaring.
I stepped aside when a car approached from behind.
“Quinn Ruble?”
The toe of my shoe caught on the asphalt, and I stumbled. Scott rested his arms on the car window of his convertible and smiled at me.
I regained my composure. “I thought you left town?”
“Nope.” His gaze flicked down. “What’s up with those shoes?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m just on my way to the Rabbit Lounge for a beer. Wanna join?”
“I’ve got work to do. You really shouldn’t drink before you get on the highway.”
He squinted at me. “Oh, I’m not going back home. I’m staying at the bed-and-breakfast a few miles down the road.”
I shaded my eyes from the sun. “Why would you stay another night around these parts? There’s not much to do.”
“Because I’m not leaving without you, Quinn.”
“I’m married.”
He pulled his sunglasses over his eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
I couldn’t think of a single comeback until I blurted out the gem: “Facts are facts.”
“You said you’d never get married to anyone. Ever. Over my dead body was your exact phrasing. That’s how I knew the only way I could get you was through a favor trade.”
I started walking, hoping he would disappear in a puff of smoke.
Scott rolled the car alongside me. “I asked about Salem Lockwood. People are pretty tight-lipped around here about relationships, but I got the scoop on him. He lives in a wolf pack, not at your house.”
I scratched my neck. “It was a whirlwind romance, so I haven’t gotten my things together. I’m using the house to store my work stuff.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it.”
Is he calling my bluff?
He patted the door. “Maybe I’ll give your mom a ring and save you a trip. She can come down here and meet your husband.”
“Leave that woman alone. She hates traveling and crowds. You know she never liked you very much.”
“I never understood why. I’ve always been nothing but nice to her.”
“Yes, but I told her about all the women you dated, and she wasn’t impressed. She kept saying a guy who goes through women like Kleenex isn’t someone you can depend on even as a friend.”
He scoffed. “Well, maybe I’ll pay you and Salem a visit one evening. How’s that sound? We’ll catch up over dinner.”
“If you really plan on sticking around, let’s have lunch at the bar. They have a great chef.”
“Nah. You and I have been friends for ages. I can’t leave until I know you’re okay. That means meeting your pack and seeing where you live. Plus… I’m dying to see what you’ve done with the place.” His car slowly accelerated until he gunned it and left me standing on the side of the road.
This was not going to end well.
When I reached the gate, I cut around it and strolled down the lengthy driveway, which was more of a private road, considering the length.
The paved surface led to a giant detached garage on the left and a beautiful house to the right.
I’d been to a few houses that belonged to wolves, coyotes, and a group of bobcats, but the Arrowhead house felt like home each time I visited.
Maybe it was the purple flowers overflowing in their pots by the porch or the wind chimes tinkling in the trees, but it was exactly the house I would’ve built for myself if I had a million dollars to spare.
They were also the nicest people I knew.
Mercy worked at the bar and always had a kind word and made me laugh, and Atticus once came into the bar and paid for my lunch without my knowing.
I only found out after he left when I was squaring up the bill with Calvin.
I thought it was especially sweet coming from a Vampire since many of them didn’t eat.
A figure blurred toward me and abruptly stopped. I clutched my chest and then recognized the dark-haired Chitah. “Lucian, you scared me.”
“I could say the same, female.” He gestured behind me. “You triggered the alarm when you bypassed the gate.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to disturb anyone. Tak’s expecting me, so I thought he would’ve told everyone.”
His brow furrowed. “Do you have a meeting? He left half an hour ago.”
“Oh, I don’t need to speak with him. I’m just here for measurements.” I took the measuring tape from my pocket and comically pulled the tape out before letting it snap back on my finger. “You didn’t have to come out to escort me.”
“I’m actually on my way to adjust one of the cameras. When you triggered the alarm, I noticed the angle was off. The front door’s open, so go inside.”
“Great!”
“Now I realize why there’s a ladder in the living room.”
“Oh, good. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to climb the walls.”
“On that note, I have a tree to climb.” Lucian blurred out of sight. It was remarkable how fast they could run. In a parallel universe where humans didn’t exist, there was probably a special lane on highways just for Chitahs and Mages.
When I reached the house, I cautiously approached a wolf sleeping on the front porch.
The silver animal rose and shook his large body. The instant his blue eyes zeroed in on me and he barked, I sprinted in a panic toward the side of the house. Then I glimpsed him giving chase. “Don’t kill me! Someone help!”
His panting and fast footfalls in the grass sent me flying into the backyard.
Eden sprang up from a lawn chair and flashed a radiant smile. “Quinn!”
I ran into her arms, too scared to look behind me.
She patted my shoulder. “Girl, that’s just Lakota.”
The silver wolf circled us, his tongue hanging out as he panted.
“Holy moly. I thought I was about to become dinner.” My shoulders sagged. “Lucian said to go inside, but I didn’t expect a wolf to greet me. Not without Tak around.”
“Quit messin’ around,” she told the wolf. When she tapped his nose, he wagged his tail in response. “Lakota’s our beta, so you can trust his wolf.” She chuckled and shook her head. “You scared me half to death when I heard someone shouting for help. I thought that porcupine came back.”
I’d never seen Eden in a bikini before. It was bright blue, and the sheer sarong wrapped around her waist revealed her shapely figure and long legs.
She glanced down at herself. “It’s my day off.”
“Aren’t you cold?”
“With all this sunshine? You must be here about the window.”
I blew out another breath, my heart still racing. “I’m here to take measurements.”
Lakota’s wolf playfully punched his front paws into the ground next to me. Without warning, he morphed into a naked man.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed. “Nobody told me we had company.”
Eden handed him her sarong. “Put this on.”
“Sarongs are Tak’s thing,” he quipped before lifting his chin. “Unlike some people in this town, I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“You are messy.”
Eden took my hand and led me toward the house. “Almost everyone’s at work, so you’ll have privacy.”
“What about Salem?”
“I’m not sure. He doesn’t adhere to a schedule like everyone else.”
I hiked up the steps to the deck. “This has been the longest day, and it’s not even half over. When I go home, I’m going to crack open a beer and take a long, hot bath.”
She opened the back door. “Would you like a beer?”
“No, not while I’m working. I’ll get the measurements all wrong. Plus I have to walk home.”
Eden looked across her shoulder at me on our way to the living room. “I can give you a ride.”