AGThanksgiving_JCSmith (3 page)

“Good. Giving them a challenge
will keep them off my doorstep.” Gabriel laughed. “I may be easing my way back
into life, but I’m not ready for a revolving door with my brothers and their
mates.”

Autumn stood and tugged on his
hand. “Let’s go eat. I’m starved!”

“Just let me lock up. I still
have my keys in my pocket. Do you mind if we take the bike again?”

She shook her head.

Gabriel made sure the door was
locked and led her over to the motorcycle. He had to admit that rejoining the
land of the living wasn’t as hard as he’d thought it would be. But then, maybe
it was due to the redhead at his side. His protective instincts had reared to
the surface and he couldn’t very well protect her if he wasn’t with her.
Whether Autumn realized it or not, she’d just acquired a bodyguard for the
foreseeable future.

Chapter Four

Chloe frowned at Michael. “He
moved her into his house?”

Michael nodded. “I saw them
leave and then return with a backpack. I don’t know if it’s just for a few days
or what. All I know is that my brother left the house and seemed to enjoy
himself. If Autumn living with him is what it takes to bring him back, then I
will welcome her with open arms.”

“And she’s Kiera’s cousin?”

“That’s what Gabriel said.
Apparently her aunt was Kiera’s mom. Weird, right? I mean, I believe in
coincidences as much as the next person, but both of them finding the Ashton
Grove pack? We aren’t exactly large or in a big city.”

Chloe shrugged. “Well, as long
as Gabriel seems to be coming out of his self-imposed isolation, I guess that’s
all that matters. I just hope he isn’t using her as a crutch. What happens when
Autumn moves out? Will he go back into hiding?”

“Let’s not think that way,”
Michael said. “Look. He said he enjoyed the ride to her apartment and he was
actually sitting outside. He even offered to do payroll next week! Personally,
I’m ready to roll out the welcome mat and throw that woman a party. She’s done
the one thing we’ve all been trying to do for months, and all it took was one
brief visit to his house. I don’t know what made Aislinn send her to Gabriel,
if maybe she knew about the connection, but it worked.”

“She said Autumn was a damsel
in distress and Gabriel would respond to that. I guess she was right, on some
level. But would he have reacted the same way if she hadn’t been related to .Kiera?
Is this just another way for him to hang onto his lost family?”

Michael sighed. “Maybe. But
I’m sure, the more time he spends with her, he’ll see she isn’t
Keira
. I haven’t been around her much, but she seems way
more timid than Kiera was.”

“They both came from abusive
backgrounds,” Chloe said. “Kiera’s might not have been physical, but she was
emotionally abused by her pack before coming here. And have you really looked
at Autumn? She may be heavier than Kiera, but there are similarities in their
facial features.”

“I think Gabriel is aware that
Autumn isn’t Kiera. He didn’t move her into his bedroom, just into the house.
She’s probably staying in one of the guest bedrooms on the second floor, not
even on the same level as Gabriel’s room. I think you’re worrying too much and
not celebrating enough.”

“I guess I should call Aislinn
and give her the news, assuming she hasn’t ‘seen’ this happening already.”

Chloe picked up the home phone
and dialed Aislinn’s number. She thought the phone was going to ring forever,
but finally Aislinn answered.

“Hello,” Aislinn said.

“It’s Chloe. Your plan worked.
I don’t know what you’d planned, but Autumn has moved into the Victorian with
Gabriel.”

“Really? I didn’t see that
coming. I just figured he’d want to watch over her, maybe take her under his
wing.”

“So you didn’t know Autumn is
Kiera’s cousin?” Chloe asked.

There was dead silence on the
other end.

“Aislinn?”

“I’m here and, no, I didn’t
know that. I’m not sure I would have sent her there if I’d known. The last
thing Gabriel needs is a tie to Kiera right now. As long as he feels she’s
alive in some way, even through her family, he may not ever let go and move
on.”

“So you weren’t thinking of
pairing Autumn and Gabriel?”

“Not exactly. I just wanted
him to protect her.”

Chloe snorted. “Well, he’s
doing that in spades. So, what do we do now? I know you said there would be
other mates for Gabriel to choose from. Have you found any?”

“One, but she isn’t part of
the pack. She lives in Arizona right now and I’m not sure how to get her here,
or if we can.”

“Are you sure Autumn isn’t a
match for him? I mean, with her being related to Kiera…”

“I had Eric work his mojo and
Autumn didn’t come up as a possibility. It may be that this woman in Arizona is
his only other match. In which case, if we can’t get her here, we may have to
convince him to settle for someone who isn’t destined to be his.”

Chloe chewed on her bottom
lip. “I know there are wolves who marry women that they just care about or
maybe even love on some level, but do you think he’d settle for anything less
than a true mate after having Kiera in his life?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

“Maybe we can invite some pack
members to a gathering. You know some single men and women for Gabriel and
Autumn to look over. They don’t have to know we’re trying to pair them off, but
it wouldn’t hurt to try. There are plenty of women in the pack Gabriel hasn’t
met yet.”

“Or…” Aislinn paused. “Now
that he’s getting out of the house, he’s bound to attend some pack functions.
We could just let nature take its course.”

“Do you really want to leave
something so important up to chance?”

“I don’t want him to feel
cornered, Chloe. It would be the fastest way to send him back into hiding. But
if he thinks we’re trying to find a mate for Autumn, you’d better believe he’ll
want to be there. If he’s moved her into his house, I think he’s feeling more
than just a little protective of her. Those alpha instincts of his are back in full
force.”

“All right. We’ll do whatever
you think is best. Better fill in Marin and Kendall. If we aren’t all on the
same page, one of us could slip up.”

“I’ll call them.”

“We should get together with Autumn;
invite her out shopping or something.”

“I’ll see if Marin will extend
an invitation. If it comes from me, she may feel it’s an order from the joint
alpha’s mate. I don’t want her to feel like she doesn’t have a choice.”

“Just let me know so I can
arrange for a babysitter. I’m sure Kinley would love to watch the kids. She
seemed to enjoy herself last week when we all went to lunch.”

“I’ll call, or have Marin
call, as soon as something is in place so you can get Kinley on board. I have
to run, but I’ll talk to you soon.”

“All right. Bye, Aislinn.”
Chloe hung up and looked at Michael. His jaw was firmed and his eyes were
narrowed.

“What?” she asked

“I don’t like the fact you’re
toying with my brother. If he wants a mate, he can find one on his own. The man
just left the house for the first time today! Don’t you think y’all are pushing
it?”

“We just want to help.”

“No, you want to meddle. He
found Kiera without your help and, if he decides to claim another mate, he can
find her on his own too. Just because he’s been shut away doesn’t mean he’s
helpless. And, if he ever finds out what you’re doing, I won’t protect you from
his wrath. He’ll be well within his rights as alpha to punish you.”

Chloe winced. “I’m family.
Surely he wouldn’t…”

“Don’t bet on it.”

Chloe worried her lower lip
while she contemplated her mate’s words. Maybe he was right. She knew Aislinn
had meant well when she started all of this, but maybe they were taking things
too far. She may have asked Gabriel to select her mate, and he had done well,
but that didn’t mean they should interfere in his life this way. As alpha, and
the eldest of the family, he deserved their respect. And if that meant they
left him alone to wallow in misery, then so be it.
 
She’d have to talk to Aislinn again.

***

Marin glared at Aislinn. “No,
I’m not doing it.”

“Why not? It’s just lunch and
a little shopping.”

“Because you’re doing it for
the wrong reasons. If she wasn’t living with Gabriel, if you hadn’t sent her
his way, you wouldn’t have the slightest bit of interest in what Autumn did.
She’s been part of this pack for weeks and you’ve not once offered to have
lunch with her or welcome her into the pack. If I thought you honestly wanted
to make friends with her, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But you’re being devious
and I don’t like it.”

“So, what? Are you telling me
you have a real interest in becoming her friend? How likely is it that she
didn’t know about Kiera? She may have told Gabriel she didn’t know of the
connection, but I’m not convinced. I think she came here knowing about Kiera.
If I had known they were related, I never would have sent her to Gabriel. In
fact, I would have asked Connor to ask her to leave. This is the last thing
Gabriel needs!”

“Or maybe it’s
just
what he needs,” Marin said softly.
“She’s done what none of us could do. She’s gotten him out of the house and
interested in what’s going on around him.”

“You’re too trusting.”

“And all of the power you hold
has made you not trusting enough! You’re turning into a shrew, Aislinn. You
used to be sweet and smile all the time. Now you’re too busy trying to move
everyone around like pawns on a chess board. Get your head out of your ass and
quit acting like some super being that has a right to screw with people!”

Aislinn gasped.

“Come on! You know I’m right.
Ever since Eric started training you, ever since you came into your powers full
force, you’ve changed. Keep telling yourself you have the greater good of the
pack in mind, but I think you’re just on a power trip. It’s time someone
knocked you off that high tower of yours and sent you crashing back into
reality. Did you ever think that the universe didn’t tell you about Autumn for
a reason?”

Aislinn studied her a moment.
“You really think I’m being a bitch?”

“Yes.”

Aislinn pursed her lips.
“Maybe I’ve changed a little…”

“A lot.”

“Fine. I’ll leave the matter
alone. But I’m sure Gabriel will wonder why I’m not asking Autumn to be
friends.”

“I’ll take her to lunch by
myself,” Marin said. “Look, if anyone can appreciate your powers, it’s me.
Without you, I wouldn’t be here today. No, you didn’t heal me directly, but you
brought my cancer to light. If I’d kept hiding it, I would have died. I owe you
for that, but I won’t let you just run over people to get your way. If anyone
knows what’s best for Gabriel, it’s Gabriel. You trusted in his judgment once.
You need to do it again.”

Aislinn nodded. “You’re right.
He’s a grown man and an alpha. I just don’t want to see him make a mistake and
end up hurt again.”

“I don’t think Autumn is going
to hurt him,” Marin said softly. “If anything, she may be the answer to our
prayers. Just leave them alone and let them figure things out by themselves.
For once, just sit back and see how things play out like the rest of us. Give
your powers a rest. I don’t like what they’re doing to you.”

“All right. I’ll stop meddling
and just step back and be a spectator for a while. Unless something big shows
its ugly head.”

“That’s what you should have
done all along. We appreciate your abilities, Aislinn, but you stopped using
them for the greater good and got caught up in a power trip. Letting us know
about the demons coming saved lives. Using it to interfere in Gabriel’s life is
just wrong though.”

“I’m sure Connor would agree,”
she muttered. “Just let me know if you need my help with anything. I promise to
be on my best behavior.”

“Better yet, take a vacation.
Take Alisdair to Atlanta and go to Six Flags and the zoo. Get out of town for a
few days. You haven’t taken a break since the demons came, since before that.
It’s time for you to have a little down time. I’m sure Connor will either
arrange to go with you, or will send you on your way with his blessing. If
you’re driving me insane, I can only imagine how he feels.”

Aislinn winced.

“Just think about it,” Marin
said.

“I will. A vacation sounds
nice. I’ll go home and discuss it with Connor tonight.” She reached for the
doorknob but paused. “Marin? Thanks for telling me I’ve been a bitch. You know
I didn’t mean to be.”

“Yeah,” Marin smiled. “I know.
Now get out of here.”

Aislinn let herself out and
Marin blew out a breath. She loved her cousin by marriage, but the woman had
been driving her batty for a while. It was past time to hold a mirror up to her
face and show her that she needed to change. Marin could sit back and watch
things play out when it didn’t involve her family but, once
Aislinn
had set her sights on Gabriel, Marin had decided enough was enough. It was one
thing to try and draw him out of his house, but another to meddle in his love
life. If Gabriel decided to move on and find someone else, it should be left up
to him.

Marin didn’t know much about
Autumn, but she was determined to befriend the woman. Not just because she knew
Gabriel would want her to, but because she honestly wanted to welcome her into
the family. Marin knew what it was like to feel all alone and she didn’t wish
that on anyone. If Autumn had been abused, she might need a sympathetic ear. At
the very least, she would need understanding friends who would stand by her no
matter what. The last thing the woman needed was to be pushed into another
mating. Just because Marin had fallen head over heels for Cole almost
immediately didn’t mean all women recovered from their situations that quickly.
Marin imagined trust was an issue with Autumn. She’d had the ultimate betrayal.
Marin couldn’t even imagine having her mate hurt her in any way. It was
inconceivable that a wolf would do anything other than protect the woman he’d
chosen to mate. But then, she didn’t know the whole story.