Stranded with a Cajun Werewolf (16 page)

From the sound of the snickers coming from the living room, the others had read his lusty thoughts. Smiling, he tugged a sweater over his head as he made his way to the door.

When she finished slathering on the gloss, he tucked her against his side and he stepped into the great room.

His family, his pack, had settled in, filling most of the furniture in the large room.

“This is Kendall...my wife.” Eight pairs of eyes instantly dropped to Kendall’s left hand.

Juliette and Violet understood the ways of their world. But for Angelica and Amanda, he added, “my mate.”

“Finally.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank God.”

“About time,” André added to the chorus of well wishes. Juliette sat on the couch next to him, snuggled close.

“Ready for this? There might be a quiz later,” Burke murmured to Kendall and everyone laughed. “Over here we’ve got Violet and my brother Laurent.” Violet sat in Laurent’s lap in one of the club chairs by the fireplace. “Amanda’s the one pacing in front of the window over there. And that guy hovering over her is her husband Sebastian. That’s Juliette and André on the couch. And this youngster here is Jules and his fiancé Angelica. But we call her Angel.”

“Whew. Okay, Violet. Laurent. Amanda and Sebastian,” Kendall said, glancing again at each couple. “Juliette and André and Jules and Angel. I think I’ve got it. At least for the next two minutes.”

Everyone laughed again. Burke knew that Kendall would charm them, just as she’d charmed him.

“Welcome to the –
who who hee
,” Amanda paused mid sentence to exhale loudly.

“Family,” she finished with a pinched smile.

Ever attentive, Sebastian was at her side in an instant, rubbing his hands over her back.

He helped her to a chair.

“How did you two meet?” Laurent asked.

“It’s a long story,” Burke answered.

“Not that long,” Kendall replied with a smile.

“Great. Now will someone go get that mammoth turkey out of the car?” Amanda said, rubbing her back.

André and Jules jumped to do her bidding.

“How’d you guys get here, anyway?” Burke asked, looking at Amanda’s swollen belly.

Was she bigger than the last time he’d seen her?

“We—took a train,” Amanda said, teeth gritted, her blue eyes sparkling.

“A train?” Kendall said, her gaze meeting Burkes.

Amanda nodded.

“Can I get anyone anything?” Burke asked. “I guess we should go ahead and start dinner. I can hear stomachs growling.”

Angel laughed.

A moment later, Jules and André carried a huge cooler into the kitchen. “I hope you have space for this beast, cousin.”

Frowning, Burke strode over to the kitchen. They flipped open the lid and he saw a massive turkey stuffed in between blocks of dry ice. His gaze swerved to Amanda’s and then Kendall’s.

“What is it?” she asked with the shy grin he loved so much.

“That, my dear, is a twenty five pound turkey. Just in time for Thanksgiving.” Amanda turned in her seat. “I assumed you’d be alone and I didn’t want all that meat going to waste.

So Sebastian said we could bring it with us.”

Burke laughed. He opened the freezer and took out a dozen steaks. Kendall appeared at his side and helped him move meatballs and bags of chili onto the counter.

I’m so glad you know…now I don’t have to hide my appetite anymore.

For a moment he felt a pang of regret that she’d not been eating her fill lately. But that was all going to change.

It’s all right.
She put a hand on his arm and smiled.

Behind them, André and Jules wrestled the turkey into the freezer.

“We’ll get you something yummy for Thanksgiving,” he murmured and then gave her a quick kiss.

But with their excellent hearing, the other men in the room turned and looked at him.

“Something else?” Laurent asked.

“Kendall’s vegetarian,” Burke said. He felt the weight of everyone’s gaze but he was not going to back down. He thought it rather cute that a
werecoyote
was a vegetarian.

“What do you eat for Thanksgiving?” Amanda asked, clearly worried.

“Tofurkey,” Kendall said simply.

The groans and outcries made Burke laugh.

Don’t listen to them, my love. You can eat whatever makes you happy.
He pulled her into his arms and devoured her lips.

Behind him, someone cleared their throat. “Do you want us to start dinner without you?” Juliette asked.

He turned and saw her raised eyebrow. The others had gathered around the enormous island.

“I think since you all interrupted our honeymoon, I’m going to take you up on that offer.”

Kendall started to protest. In the end, he caved. Everyone helped, even Amanda. Violet made her amazing biscuits – great gram’s recipe of course. Sebastian grilled the steaks.

Kendall made a salad. Jules reheated the homemade chili. Juliette and Angel made cookies.

André and Laurent played sous-chef. And Burke watched everyone, his heart swelling with love and pride. He’d known that this house would be perfect for the pack. It was as large and roomy as the valley it overlooked.

His pack didn’t waste a minute getting to know Kendall. And as he met his brother’s gaze he knew that Laurent was just as taken with her as he was. She was the missing puzzle piece. The last thread that sewed up their pack. They shared a smile.

After dinner and the long version of how Burke and Kendall met, they moved back to the living room. Burke was glad that Kendall fit so seamlessly into the Deveraux family.

“Three blondes and two brunettes,” Jules said, as the men stood next to the fire, watching the women accept Kendall into the pack, pink hair and all. “We know how to pick

‘em.” “Agreed,” André said and they clanked beer bottles together.

“How’d you get in, anyway?” Burke asked. He glanced at his brother as he took a swig of beer.

“You left your keys in the lock,
mon frère
. Getting sloppy, yeah?”

“Distracted,” Burke said, his gaze once again zeroing in on Kendall.

Amanda and Angel continued to pepper her with questions. She didn’t hide her past.

And the shadows that had once made her brilliant eyes dim were gone.

“Nothing will bring a family together like a
bébé
,” Sebastian said, obviously full of pride. Angel and Kendall each had a hand on Amanda’s belly and the five of them giggled as Kendall exclaimed “he kicked me!”

Burke couldn’t remember being happier than he was at this moment nor could he erase the goofy grin from his face. Their family, their circle, was finally complete.

Years ago they’d made a pact. To start a new life. A better life. Free of the destructive emotions, fighting and pain. They’d vowed never to return to France, to never allow the people in their past to haunt their future. And now, all the years of pain and angst, gone. And in front of them, a lifetime of children and happy memories. The Deveraux men would allow nothing less.

As the women discussed baby names, André turned to Burke. “I guess you didn’t need any help finding your mate, after all.”

Before he could answer, a familiar voice filled the room. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

The women gasped and turned toward the gray haired woman standing in the foyer.

“Marie?” Kendall said, shock and confusion filling her voice.

Burke glanced between his wife and the woman he’d known so many years ago.

“Mother?” Sebastian, Jules and André parroted. Their voices held the same note of shock that zinged through Burke.

“I see everything is as it should be.” Marie Bernard-Deveraux smiled as she surveyed the room.

“What are you doing here?” Sebastian demanded, striding across the room to put himself between the pack and his mother. He looked every bit the Alpha he was. Tall, broad, shoulders back, muscles twitching with tension. He was, without a doubt, ready for a fight.

She glanced at each of their mates, starting with Juliette, her gaze studying them quickly but thoroughly. Burke didn’t miss the way André covertly checked the windows and doorways. Nor did he blame him for not trusting the woman who’d caused them so much pain in the past.

If she was expecting a warmer welcome…

“I have a gift. For you and Jules.”

“We don’t need anything from you.”

“No. I don’t suppose you do. But you’ll want this.” She closed her eyes and tipped her head back. Amanda gasped and Sebastian pivoted. As she placed a hand over her heart he turned back to his mother, his body shifting to his were form.

Then Angel clutched her chest. “Ouch.”

“Sebastian, wait,” Jules called as he knelt before his fiancé.

“What the—“ Angel ground out.

“I’ve given them my immortality.”

Sebastian slowly shifted back, his clothes in tatters.

Marie glanced up at her oldest son, her gray eyes full of anguish. “I was trapped in a loveless life. I felt so much pain, endured so much anguish. I never wanted that for you boys, but I know I caused it…And I lost you. Helping the five of you find your mates was the one thing I’ve done right in my life.”

She began to dissolve, like paint in water.

“The flowers,” Amanda said, her voice full of awe. “You sent me the flowers. We always wondered…”

Marie nodded, tears in her eyes. “Take good care of him,” she told her. “He was always too uptight. Too responsible.”

Amanda, one hand on her belly, the other over her heart, nodded and her eyes glistened with tears.

“You told Angelica’s old boyfriend where to find her?” Jules declared.

“I might have mentioned that you and André were the best trackers in the country,” Marie said.

“You hired her to kill me,” Laurent added, glancing at Violet. The look of love that traveled between them was almost tangible.

“I knew she wouldn’t be able to. She just needed to find you again, Laurent,” Marie said, her smile trembling.

“You encouraged me to come back to the states,” Juliette said.

“He needed you and you needed him. It was finally time to let the past be the past,” Marie said, almost invisible now.

All eyes turned from her to Kendall. “You told me I’d find safety on the mountain road.” Kendall’s gaze met his and she smiled. It was a brilliant smile of a woman in love; so happy, it left Burke more than a little choked up.
I found more than that. I found love.

His mate was right. They’d all found love. In a roundabout way. Marie Bernard-Deveraux had played matchmaker to the sons and nephews who’d shunned her.

Each of their women turned misty eyes back to Marie. But she was gone. No more than a memory now. The room was tomb quiet save for the crackling fire. Burke glanced from Sebastian to Jules, then turned to André.

It was a long time before anyone spoke. Jules tugged at the cowl neckline of Angel’s sweater to examine the mate-mark. As if sensing he needed reassurance, Amanda stood and wrapped her arms around Sebastian’s waist. He squeezed her until she squeaked out a protest.

The gravity of the moment settled around Kendall like a heavy blanket. She’d only known them a short while, but she already knew the Deverauxs to be caring, independent people. And just like she, they each had endured a dark past.

She swallowed back the tumultuous emotions and gave Violet a shaky smile. It was hard to fathom that the kind old woman who’d told her to take the mountain road to safety was now gone. Had vanished…evaporated before her eyes.

Amanda finally broke the silence with her sweet southern drawl. “She had a hand in all of it.” Sebastian sank onto the ottoman behind the couch and pulled her into his lap.

Feeling shell-shocked, Kendall got to her feet and sought Burke’s gaze. “Would you like me to help you get the guest rooms ready? I’m afraid we didn’t know we were having company,” she said apologetically.

Angel piped up. “Let Jules and I do that while you get to know the family.”

“Are you sure?” Burke asked.

“We’ll find everything we need, cousin. We’re just glad you’re okay,” Jules said as he helped Angel up.

Burke reached for Kendall and she went willingly into his arms.

“Aren’t you going to let me hug my new sister-in-law,” Laurent asked. His teasing lightened the mood.

Burke grunted as he stepped back. Laurent was smiling as he enveloped her in his arms.

“Thanks for making my brother so happy,” he whispered.

Squeezing her eyes shut against the sudden rush of tears, Kendall whispered back,

“thank you for keeping him alive so I could find him.” Later that night when the house was silent, Burke was once again wrapped in Kendall’s arms. She’d awoken him with a kiss, her body recovered from another round of lovemaking. It amazed him that she wanted him so much. That she gave herself so freely.

In the firelight, he stared into her eyes. They didn’t need words. Only a look. A touch.

She trailed a fingertip down his jaw and then raised her lips to his. He took what she was offering. Then he gave it back.

Her legs wrapped around his hips and she opened herself to him. Silently, she accepted his weight, a serene smile gracing her lips. He ducked his head to taste them.

When he was sheathed inside her, he felt as if he’d finally made it home. And as he started to move, and saw the look in her eyes, he knew his home was where she was.

Today, tomorrow, and every day after. So long as she loved him, he would be a happy man.

“Faster,” she whispered. He picked up the pace a fraction. But he wanted to take things slow. This was a facet to their lovemaking he hadn’t experienced yet and he wanted to enjoy each…thrust.

Her inner muscles gripped him tighter and he moaned.

He would never take the sweet slide in and out of her incredible body for granted. He would never take her for granted.

Somehow he’d gotten lucky a second time. This time he would protect his love. Nourish it. Revel in it.

Wrapping himself around her, he buried his face in the fan of her hair.

She sighed in his ear, her arms draped around him. With her powers returned, she was stronger. But just as passionate. He marveled at the way her hips met his.