A Shift in the Water (23 page)

Mara’s pupils were saucers of black; only a rim of emerald remained. Her lower lip trembled. “She doesn’t like me.”

Livie bowed her head and laid her right hand over her heart. “Cade says you’re no threat to us and I’ll take his word on it. I’ve only met one elemental and she nearly killed our entire pack. But he says you saved his life and so I owe you mine. My wolf will protect you both.”

Mara nodded and rested her head against Cade’s shoulder. “Fine. She have the guest room. You can sleep . . . on the couch.”

He didn’t want any part of sleeping on the couch, but despite their almost-kiss and his overwhelming need to claim her, that was exactly where he’d be until he could court her properly.

Cade sent Livie for Mara’s car and packed up a few things from his shop. He’d polished a burled wooden box the size of his hand in the weeks before he’d been trapped, intending to sell it on the shop’s website. But now he wanted Mara to have it. He tucked it in his pocket for a more appropriate time. He also found his emergency stash: his passport, three hundred dollars, and a prepaid credit card with a two thousand dollar limit. Werewolves were always prepared. They weren’t well known, and while some humans like Maggie accepted their existence, he trained his pack to always have that stash in case the town suddenly decided werewolves were a menace to society. Too many weres throughout history had succumbed to a panicking township.

While he packed, Mara sat against the wall with her head tucked between her knees. She didn’t look at him or say a word and the silence was killing him.

“Boss-man.” Livie tossed him Mara’s keys. “Where am I going?”

“Drive to 1028 Northeast Eightieth in Seattle,” Mara said quietly, lifting her head.

“Okay. I’m going to call Liam and then I’ll be right behind you.”

“Where are they?” Cade asked.

“Ireland. Liam’s family castle. We figured as cold and rainy as it is there, we’d be largely safe from that bitch. Plus, her boy-toy earth elemental can’t fly.”

“Will they come?” Cade bent down and helped Mara to her feet. She shook him off and stood under her own power.

“Of course they will,” Livie said. “There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for you.”

Eleven

Cade thanked whatever deity brought Mara to Orcas that he remembered how to drive. Once he got behind the wheel, he knew what to do. Turn signals, merging onto the highway, how to handle a four-way stop. Mara curled up in the passenger seat and stared out the window. He had the heat in the car turned up to maximum. They were both still soaked from Mara’s charm. Ten miles passed without a single word from her and he couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Talk to me, honey.”

“Keep the clothes,” Mara said quietly.

“What?”

“The clothes. When you go. You can take one of my suitcases. I won’t need them anymore.” She turned her head enough for him to see tears glistening on her cheek.

“Goddammit, Mara, you’re
not
dying. Not when I’m around.” He slammed his hand against the steering wheel and she flinched.

“No, you’ll be back with your pack before I lose this fight.”

“What the hell? Why are you so certain I’m going to leave?” His knuckles turned white and a headache throbbed behind his brows. Rain pelted the car in time with the pounding in his head.

“Because I’m asking you to go. I don’t want you to watch me die. And make no mistake, Cade. I
am
going to die. Soon.” Mara lifted her hand so Cade could see her trembling fingers. “This is how it starts. Every time. Elemental . . . power . . . charms . . . whatever’s going on with me, it doesn’t matter. It’s not healing me. I had a little remission these past few days, but it won’t last.”

 Cade wanted to pull Mara into his arms and protect her, but at seventy miles an hour, all he could do was trail a knuckle against her cheek.

She shifted away from his touch. “Don’t. It’s hard enough knowing that I’ll never have another Thanksgiving, see Adam and Lisa’s kids grow up, or swim in the ocean again. I can’t let myself want . . . something else I can’t have. I’m really tired now. Wake me when we reach Northgate. I’ll give you directions from there.” She reclined the seat and pulled his jacket over her shoulders.

He listened intently, capturing the moment when her breathing changed. If they mated, he’d know everything about her. His wolf—forever now only allowed to exist within his human form—would memorize the pattern of her heartbeat, her breath, even the flutter of her eyelashes. If she
was
still dying, he was damn well going to be there at the end. He wanted the last sight she saw to be his face, the last sound she heard to be his voice. She wanted him. That simple admission gave him all the resolve he needed. He’d do anything to keep her safe and his.

The miles sped by. Mara made the occasional quiet mewl and twitched in the seat. Cade reached over and laid his hand on her thigh. The connection between them seemed to calm her. Twenty miles out of Seattle, she shifted and her hand came to rest on top of his.
Thank God she doesn’t drive a stick
, he thought.

Her mobile phone buzzed in the center console. Cade flicked his gaze to the screen.
Aunt Lil.

Mara flinched and withdrew her hand. “Was that my phone?” she asked, sleepily. She reached for the phone and snatched it up as soon as she saw the missed text. Her fingers flew over the touchscreen. Another buzz, another response, and she set the phone down. “She and Eleanor will be at the house when we get there. We should . . . figure out how we’re going to explain you. Neighbor? Stay with the gas leak story?”

“No.” He risked a quick glance at her. “This woman, Eleanor. She knows about elementals?”

“Yes. Apparently.”

“Then she’ll know about werewolves.”

“Cade.” Mara’s voice was edged with exasperation. “You can’t.”

“Give me one good reason.”

Mara sputtered for a minute, looked out the window, and ran a hand through her damp hair. “I give up. Clearly you don’t listen to me.”

“I listen. I
hear
you, Mara. You’re scared and so am I. But that’s why I won’t hide who I am from your aunt and Eleanor. They’re going to figure out pretty quick that I’m not some random neighbor.”

“Only if you tell them.”

“You let random neighbors do this?” He took her hand and brushed his lips to her inner wrist. A quick sniff verified that she was not currently ill and that settled his mind. She blushed. “The only way we’re going to be able to stay safe is to put all of our cards on the table. You’re important to me. I won’t hide it.”

“You’ve known me all of two days.”

“No, I’ve known you for two weeks. My wolf may not have been able to speak, but that didn’t stop him—me—from learning who you are. You talked to me all the time. Those memories are coming back. I know you better than I know myself right now. Can you tell me honestly that you don’t feel something for me?”

Mara pulled her hand away. “No.”

 “I want to be a part of your life, honey.”

“You want to stay dead.”

He shook his head. “I thought I did. I was wrong. I need my pack. I need to find out what happened after I disappeared. I need my memories. But I need you too. Will you let me stay? Until I figure things out? Maybe . . . longer?”

Mara pinched the bridge of her nose. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye. “Okay.”

Cade’s grin remained for the rest of the way back to Seattle.

Once Cade turned onto Mara’s street and pulled into the driveway, Mara sat up and groaned. “Great,” Mara said. “Aunt Lillian’s already inside. Probably wondering where the wolf is.” She nodded towards a red roadster parked at the curb.

“Well, we should show her.” He handed her the keys and unfolded his tall frame from the car. He rubbed his palms on his thighs. Months of blisters on his lupine paws left him with scarred patches on each finger and his palms. At least his fingertips were relatively unscathed. He opened Mara’s door and helped her to her feet.

“You’re not . . . going to shift? Are you?”

“No.” How could he tell her he wasn’t ever going to shift again? “You’ve seen the last of my wolf.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Never mind. Come on. The longer we stay out here, the more they’re going to talk in there.” He angled his head towards Mara’s front window. The drapes fluttered and a white-haired head disappeared behind the deep blue material.

“Goddess. This isn’t going to go well.” Mara extricated herself from Cade’s arms and trudged up her steps. Her front door flew open and Lillian blocked their entry.

“Mara Elizabeth Taylor, what in tarnation are you doing driving yourself to Bellingham? And who the hell is this?”

“Aunt Lil, we’re cold and wet. Can we do this inside?”

The elderly Southern woman stepped back but watched Cade with a wary eye.

A woman in her late fifties rose from Mara’s kitchen table and smiled. “I’m Eleanor. Your aunt told me about—” She trailed off when she saw Cade. “Well, that explains it.”

“Ma’am?”

“Lillian wondered where Mara’s wolf was. I didn’t know of any werewolf packs left in Western Washington.”

Cade took a deep breath. Air. Eleanor smelled like the wind. She didn’t merely know about elementals. She was one.

Lillian glared at Eleanor. “Are you tellin’ me he’s a damn werewolf?”

“Yep. A scruffy one, at that. Looks a bit more wolf than man right now. Handsome enough.” Eleanor grinned and extended her hand.

“Cade Bowman.” Cade turned towards Lillian. “Ma’am. I’m sorry we’re not meeting under better circumstances.”

“Don’t you
ma’am
me. You knockin’ boots with my niece?”

“Oh Goddess,” Mara muttered. “I’m going to go change. Cade, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll avail yourself of the same opportunity.” She trudged towards her bedroom. Cade watched her go, stunned at Lillian’s directness and Mara’s quick retreat.

“Well?” Lillian asked. “Mara’s sick. I don’t want her losing even a single day with us over some shaggy wolf who can’t keep it in his pants.”

“I think I should have listened to Mara,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He should have asked Mara for a razor or a pair of scissors to make himself more presentable. “But if it makes you feel any better, my clothes are in the guest room and I’m quite capable of keeping my pants zipped.”

Eleanor stifled a laugh from behind Lillian. “Give him a break, Lil. Look at the poor boy. He’s about to topple over and he’s soaked to the bone. He might be a werewolf, but he looked at Mara like she’s his whole world.”

“She is.”

“Go on then. But the two of you are going to come clean in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. I’m makin’ coffee. You drink it?” Lillian asked.

“Yes, ma’am. Lillian.”

Cade strode quickly into the guest room and shut himself inside. After he draped his wet clothes on a chair, he sat heavily on the bed. He was exhausted again. If he wasn’t worried about Livie showing up or leaving Mara to explain his presence alone, he’d stretch out on the bed and rest. Food. He needed to eat. He pulled on a dry pair of jeans and a quiet knock came at the door.

“Cade?”

“Come on in, honey.” Cade reached for a sweatshirt as the door opened. Mara stood there in a pair of gray fleece pants, a frayed green sweatshirt at least two sizes too big for her, and thick gray socks. She looked frightened and lost—much like he felt. Her eyes locked on his chest and a faint blush colored her cheeks. “Sorry,” he said and tugged on the fleece.

“I wasn’t complaining.” She covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a laugh. “Clearly the stress is getting to me. What did you tell Aunt Lil?”

“That my clothes were in here.”

“Are you sure about this?” She hugged herself tightly and leaned against the door jamb. “She’s going to give you the third degree.”

“I think she’ll be more interested in what Eleanor has to say about your illness. They
have
been gossiping about me the whole time I’ve been in here.”

Mara raised a brow.

“Weres have better hearing, sight, and smell than humans.” He snaked an arm around her waist and she tipped her head up at him. Cade brushed his index finger along her cheek. “I saw those dark circles this morning. They’re gone now.”