Force of Nature (7 page)

“He’s not a wolf. You are not a vampire.” She could hear the desperation in her voice and hoped that he couldn’t. “There are no such things as werewolves and vampires. Please, just drop it.”

He was quiet for so long that she hoped he would do just that. Her head was pounding and she thought maybe she would be sick if she didn’t take something for it soon. She pulled into the lot of the grocery store and without seeing if he followed, she ran inside. She was standing in front of the freezer section when she felt him come up beside her.

“You’re going to need something to drink with that. Wait here.” He suddenly stood there with a two liter of pop. “And some dessert.”

The small cake had come from the front of the store they’d come through. He handed her this as well. She looked around where they were. No drinks in this part of the store, nor were there any deserts, unless she counted the frozen cakes and that’s not what she had in her arms.

“You want something from the health and beauty department? Or maybe something from the section for Christmas?” When she looked back at him, he was holding a box of bright orange ornaments and a bottle of shampoo.

“You got these just now.” When he nodded, she looked around again, hoping that an entire section filled with all the items she was now hugging to her body would appear.

“CJ, are you going to freak out or are you going to listen to me?” His voice was calm, exaggeratedly so. “I’m able to move quickly because of what I am. I can get to—”

She lifted her hand and he shut up. CJ let the items fall to the floor and walked away. It was either that or have a nervous breakdown. Walking toward the front of the store, she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and not looking around. Suddenly, she was sure if anyone were to stop her to have a conversation with her, she’d go over the deep end.

She didn’t know how she got home. She was just suddenly sitting in the chair at her kitchen table and there was a cup of tea in front of her. Looking around, like something was going to hop out and…well, she wasn’t going there just yet. The water on the stove made her feel marginally better. Knowing that she made the cup of tea herself was somewhat comforting.

If what had happened in the store was correct, and she wasn’t ready to believe anything just yet, but just for the sake of argument, if Phil had gotten those things from something nearby, how did he get there and back without her seeing him? And, if he did go to the other parts of the store to get them then…then what? Then she was either insane, and that was a good possibility, or…or Phil was a vampire. And if Phil was a vampire then—

The knock at her door startled ten years off her life she was sure. She nearly walked away when she saw who it was. She didn’t need any more “almost” revelations tonight. Especially from Austin.

“Can I come in?” he asked when she opened the door. She wanted to say hell no, but decided to ask him some questions first.

“Tell me why you think I’m your mate and what happens.”

~Chapter Seven~

Austin was sitting in the kitchen when his mom came down. He wasn’t in the best of humor and had he known she would catch him there, he would have gone to his room. The nerve of CJ

putting restrictions on things between them and then expecting him to live with it.

“You look ready to take on the world. Want to talk about it?” She leaned into the refrigerator as she asked. “I’m always a good listener.”

Austin got up and took the turkey from her. “No, I don’t. Where do you want this? And don’t try any of your tricks to get me to talk either.”

She pulled out the larger roaster while he began cutting the string away from the wrapper.

They’d been having fresh turkey at his house on Thanksgiving since he could remember. He pulled the bird out of the wrappings and threw out the paper. She started getting out the ingredients to make corn bread for stuffing while he washed up.

“Have you heard from your brother yet? I thought he’d be here by now. I wonder what’s keeping him.”

He glanced over at his mom when she asked. “He arrived last night. She wants to put restrictions on me. No biting and no…and no other things.” He nearly told his mom that CJ said they could have sex, but he was to wear a condom or no go. “She asked me what it meant to have a mate.”

“Here, get out the larger baking pan for me. I need to pour the batter and it’s easier in that large pan. Please turn on the oven while you’re over there. What did you tell her?” She was mixing the herbs when he turned to answer her.

“I told her about mating. Not that she’s going to be my mate, but since she asked, I told her.

I told her about the marking and other males and that she would smell like me after we…after sex. She said she wasn’t going to have that. How on earth could she not want that?” Austin started to make coffee as he continued. “I don’t think she believes me anyway. She thinks the whole thing is barbaric. It’s just sex and I thought it could be a little fun, but I don’t want her as a mate.”

When his mom didn’t say anything, he looked over at her. She was looking at him as though she couldn’t believe it either. He wanted to hug her for seeing his side. As far as he could see things, CJ was the one putting up the barrier.

“Can you open those eight cans of green beans for me? I need to get them on before too much longer. You guys seem to like them when they simmer all day.” She turned away, but he thought he saw her frown. “There’s also some ham in the bottom of the icebox. Could you cut some up for spices, please?”

“Then she told me that I could stay the night, but there was no way we’re having unprotected sex. I told her that it doesn’t matter about any diseases, that I couldn’t catch anything from her, and she threw me out.”

When the pan dropped to the floor, he turned to look at his mother. She looked…well, she looked mad. He picked up the pan and set it on the counter. He didn’t want her upset so he patted her on the back. “It’s okay, Mom. I set her right. She knows now that—”

“You idiot. I’ve never been so…what the hell were you thinking to say that…Austin Force, I’m ashamed of you. Get out of my kitchen.” When he stepped back from her, she came at him with a spoon. “You treated that poor girl like she was a common…a common trollop, and then you come here and brag to me about it? Why if you were not my son, I’d…well, I’d take you to the wood shed. Of all the…did you think maybe that she thought you’d have the diseases?”

“Why on earth would she think that about me? Wolves can’t catch things like that.” The spoon hit him in the forehead before he finished the sentence. “What the hell was that for?” He’d seen that look in her eye before. It said, “you’d be better off trying to figure it out for yourself rather than me have to explain how stupid you are.” He tried to think, but he couldn’t get past the pain between his eyes.

“She thinks you should have been more concerned about her feelings than how all this affects you.” Austin turned toward his brother Dallas. “You’re a dolt and it’s a small wonder CJ

didn’t bust you in the head too.”

Austin glared at his brother. “And I suppose you could have done better? Just what would you have done differently?”

Dallas poured himself some coffee before sitting down. “I would have gone out and bought the damned condoms and been in her bed right now rather than standing in the kitchen with my mom and brother. You can bet I’d be wooing her, not insulting her about her lack of morals.”

“I most certainly did not say a damned word about her morals. I simply told her that I couldn’t catch whatever diseases she thought to be protecting me from by insisting I needed condoms.”

Dallas grinned as he said, “And wait for it...”

It took Austin several seconds before it finally hit him. “Fuck. I told her she was carrying diseases. That is not what I meant.” He started pacing. “She knew it too. She’s just trying to throw me off my game by—”

The spoon hit his head this time. He started to glare at his mom and had second thoughts.

She could be a bit…mean when the mood struck her. Instead, he glared at his laughing brother.

“You know,” Dallas said as he stood up. “I think I’ll go and visit CJ. I’m betting she’ll be a bit sweeter to someone who doesn’t treat her like she’s some hooker on the street corner.”

“You go near my mate and I’ll tear you apart.” The words were out before he could stop them, the meaning of them not lost on Austin. “I don’t want her, but it seems I’m stuck with her.

She’s mine.”

He knew in that moment that she was his no matter what he did to prevent it. He may have screwed things up with her, he may even have deserved his mother hitting him in the head, but there was no way his brother was touching his mate. Not so long as he had breath in his body.

“Then she is your mate?” Dallas looked at him hard. “Then, brother dear, what the fuck are you doing here?”

He didn’t know. Austin wasn’t sure if he’d even be allowed in after what he’d done. He looked over at his mother who was holding the spoon in her hand like she’d use it on him if he thought of even thinking of the wrong thing right now.

“She was mad when I left. She was really mad. She told me if I darkened her door again, she’d shoot me.” Austin glared harder at his brother when he snorted. “What the hell am I supposed to do if you know so fucking much?”

“Whatever it is, you can’t do if from here. Go to the store if you can find one open, buy the stupid protection, and flowers if they have some, and go and beg. Beg like you’ve never begged for anything in your entire life.” His mom finally put the spoon down as she picked up the phone.

“In fact, let me call this friend—oh Elis, you’re not going to believe it,” she said in the receiver.

“Austin has found his mate. Yes, I know, I can practically feel the grandkids on my knee right now…oh yes, I do know. Austie would have been about to bust. But he had a little tiff with—

what’s that? Oh I couldn’t ask you…yes, that would be better, but still, it’s the middle…are you sure? Well, you have probably saved his butt. Yes, Elis, I’ll tell him to hurry. Oh yes, that’s wonderful. I’ll send him right over.” She hung up the phone and looked at him.

“Mom, I’m so sorry. But this doesn’t change how I feel about her. I don’t want her. I never wanted a mate. Not now.”

“It matters little the timing, son, it’s the doing. Now, go to Elis’s flower shop on Tenth. She has it in her head that she can help you smooth things over for you and your mate. You just try and keep your mouth shut about the protection and the diseases, please.”

Austin reached over and took the spoon from her then pulled her close for a hug. He kissed the top of her head and held her. Dallas told him to wait there and he’d be back. Austin hadn’t meant to hurt his family, but this business with CJ had screwed all sorts of things up.

His brother came back in the room with a box of condoms and handed them to him. “They were a gift at Christmas last year. I’d forgotten all about them until just now. I don’t think you’ll find anything open at this hour so go have fun.”

Austin hit his brother with the spoon and handed it back to his mom. With a wink, he was out the door. And by the time he’d gotten to Elis’s, he still didn’t have a clue what he was going to say to CJ. So far, all he’d gotten was, “This isn’t supposed to happen to me.” Probably not a good beginning, but for now, near enough, he thought.

Elis had been a member of his father’s pack many years ago. She’d been a sort of honorary wolf in that she was never anything but a friend of his mom’s. But she probably knew more about their kind than anyone he knew. When he opened the door, he nearly burst out laughing at the bouquet she handed him.

Roses and daisies fought for room with the greenery and the baby’s breath. There was perhaps three dozen roses and at least that many more daisies. The roses were a deep red to a dusty pink, yellow, and light orange. There were even blue-black ones. The daisies were all white with their bright yellow centers, their petals a white so brilliant that he was sure they’d been bleached. He took the large spray from her only to be told his money wasn’t any good.

“You go and woo the young lady. Women like to be wooed. I know I did and your mother…

Why, your dad was the most romantic man I knew. He’d buy your momma flowers just because the sun was shining and then on days it rained because it was raining. You do that for your girl.

She’ll love you all the more for it.”

Austin flushed. “She’s mad at me right now. I don’t think…she’s a human. I had to…she didn’t believe me.”

Elis snorted. “Course she didn’t. What person in their right mind believes there are men who can turn themselves into wolves? Majestic animals, you wolves. You go and show her that after she’s had herself a wolf, she won’t want anyone else.”

Austin found himself back in his car before he knew it. And along with the flowers, he had a large box of candy she “just happened to have in the store,” and he’d promised to bring her by sometime. Austin was in the lot before he thought about how late it was. But there were lights on, so bracing himself for the worst, he went to the door.

~~~

CJ was drunk. Not a sloppy kind, just maybe just a little tipsy. Her giggling caught her off guard so she tried to stop it only to go into gales of laughter again. She was just trying to pour some more of the Wild Chicken—not chicken…turkey—in the glass when the door started to make noises.

It took her several seconds to realize that it wasn’t the door but the flowers on the other side.

Giggling again, she staggered over to let them in. Besides, she’d never had flowers visit before and she was going to invite them to have something to drink with her.

“Oh pretty. Can you talk? I love you, roses. Come in and have a seat.” She reached out to touch one when they moved and there was Austin. “Oh look, you brought me a dog too. Hello, pretty doggie. Want me to find you a bone?”

He growled at her and she giggled again. Taking the flowers and setting them on the chair, she sat across from them. But then she realized she’d not gotten them a glass. She started to stand up again only to stagger a bit.