Changing Hearts (31 page)

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Slade had arrived at the cabin on foot only to be confronted by
Tante
Kay holding that damn shotgun on him. She hadn’t been swayed by anything he’d said until he’d stared her right in the face.

“I love Joie. I love her more than anything in this world. If you’re going to shoot me, do it. Otherwise, please, tell her I’m here and I want to see her. If she sends me away, I’ll go and I’ll never bother you again. Please. I just want to see her.”

“She ain’t here, boy.”

That single definitive statement nearly dropped him to his knees.

“
Tante
, please tell me where she is.”

The shotgun never wavered as she shook her head. “You know where she is, boy. She’s right where you left her.”

Slade felt like he’d been hit with a one-ton steel weight right in the middle of his chest.
Left. Tante
had packed a wallop into that one word. He’d abandoned his mate. The only woman he’d ever marked as his. Would she want him back now? Would she tell him to hit the road and never come back?

A spasm hit him in the heart. If she didn’t want him back, what would he do?

He had to find her. Slade whirled to leap off the porch, but spun back toward the old woman. Oblivious to the shotgun, he grabbed her in a quick fierce hug. “Pray for me, old woman. Pray that I am not too late.”

“Stupid
Loup Garou
. You think I ever stopped praying for you?” She swung the butt of the shotgun at him like a broom to sweep him off the porch. “Get outta here, boy. You got some groveling to do.”

In his scramble to hit the ground, Slade realized she hadn’t reacted to him in fear. She’d treated him like family. Family who’d screwed up, but still, she’d treated him like family.

He got to the water’s edge only to find the boat missing. Cursing, he ripped at his clothes. Once they lay in scraps at his feet, he threw himself into the water changing as he went. Powerful muscles propelled him toward the cabin.

Unerringly he swam back to the place he truly considered home. He wondered if he could talk Joie into living here instead of at Kay’s place. Then he wondered if she would even let him in the door. He changed shape again as soon as his feet were on solid ground. For once he was grateful for the heat as the sun dried his skin.

He’d called out to her as he walked up the steps but she hadn’t answered. Slade moved through the cabin, noting the changes since he’d been there last. A fresh coat of paint decorated all the interior walls and braided rugs covered the worn spots on the floor. There were new covers on the couch and curtains on the windows. Potted plants occupied the windowsills and a painting of moonlight on the bayou graced one wall. A new ceiling fan turned quickly in the living room as well.

He’d moved farther down the hall then stopped in the doorway to the bedroom. Joie lay on her side, one hand under her face, the other on her stomach. He walked slowly across the room never taking his eyes from her.
So fucking beautiful.
“No fucking,” he whispered with a grin.

Kneeling by the bed, Slade ran one hand over her face, brushing her hair back slightly. He leaned forward, inhaling slowly.
Lilacs, soap and something more.
There was a different scent to her body now. Something that he couldn’t quite name.

Rocking back on his heels, he wondered if it could be their child. Was it possible he could distinguish the child’s scent already? She wasn’t that far along.
My child.

“Joie,” he spoke softly, unsure of her reaction. He wouldn’t blame her if she threw him out but he’d get on his knees and beg to stay if he had to.

She sighed and rolled onto her back. His gaze skimmed over her body. She had on a blue t-shirt and a blue and white skirt. Her softly rounded body made him sweat with longing. Slade reached out and touched her face again. “Joie?”

She opened her eyes slowly, a beautiful smile on her face as she whispered, “I knew you’d be back.”

Her eyes closed but the smile stayed in place. Slade smiled as he leaned over her to kiss her softly, running his tongue over her lips. With a gasp, she shoved him away and sat straight up.

“Malcolm?”

“Yeah, baby.” Slade sat on the edge of the bed. He wanted to pull her into his arms, wanted to kiss her, wanted to make love to her but she stared at him like he was a ghost.

“I’m not still asleep?” Joie pinched her arm, winced and scooted back away from him slightly. Her eyes turned cold and his heart dropped. “What are you doing here?”

Slade clasped his hands, licked his lips then met her gaze. “I am a complete and total asshole.”

She didn’t object or agree. He cleared his throat and started again. “Joie, I don’t remember what it was like, being part of a family. I don’t know how to do it. I’m going to fuck things up, I know I will, but I’m willing to try.”

He couldn’t look at her now, didn’t want to watch her face when she told him to disappear. “I ran away because that’s the only way I knew to deal with things. I came back because you’re my home. You’re the only home I’ve ever really wanted to return to. If you tell me…” he stopped and swallowed again. “If you tell me to leave, I will. God, I hope you don’t.”

Joie looked at him. She saw the tears he didn’t acknowledge, watched them roll down his face as he said he’d leave. Brushing a hand across her own cheek, she wiped her tears away then knelt on the bed behind him.

“I don’t want you to leave. I never wanted you to leave.” Joie reached out to put her fingers over his mouth, stopping him from saying anything. “I love you, Malcolm. I told you that and I’ll keep telling you until you believe it. Love doesn’t disappear, not real love. What you and I have, that’s forever.”

Joie touched her neck where he’d marked her. “You told me once that this meant we belonged together. I believe that. It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past. What matters now is our future. Yours, mine and our child’s.”

She took his hand and put it over her abdomen. “Your baby is inside me here, Malcolm. You? You’re inside me here.” She placed his hand over her heart.

He took a shuddering breath then yanked her into his arms. Burying his face against her neck, he held tightly to her, rocking back and forth with her in his arms. Joie squirmed around until she was half in his lap. She stroked her hands over his head and shoulders until he raised his head.

“I love you so much, Joie.”

“I know.” She smiled as she pulled his head down to hers. The kiss started softly, tentatively, and she was the one who bumped it up, sucking his lower lip into her mouth. She’d missed him so much, missed this feeling. “Malcolm Slade, if you ever try to leave me again, I’ll shoot you with
Tante
Kay’s shotgun. After I load it with rock salt!”

He shouted with laughter then flopped back on the bed with his arms around her. “You’ll have to shoot me to get me to leave, baby. I’m back for good. I even found a job, well, sort of.”

“What? What kind of job?”

“I talked to Boudreaux earlier, before I came out here. He said they’re looking for a welder at the mill where he works.”

“You can weld?”

“Hey, I can do a lot of things. There’s more to me than just shifting.”

“I know that. I’ve always known that.” Joie brushed a kiss over his mouth then studied him. “You look tired.”

“I’ve been on the road for nearly a week. Fucking bike broke down about fifty miles from here.”

“How did you get here?”

“Walked, ran, hitched a ride when I could, swam. Couldn’t shift ‘cause there was no way to carry my clothes.” Reaching up slowly, he traced the line of her jaw then tucked her hair behind her ear. “Nothing was more important than getting back to you.”

“Really?” She smiled and propped her chin on his chest.

“Yeah. I ran into Micah about a week ago. Between him and Kay, I was forced to face a few facts.”

Joie settled herself more comfortably on his chest. “What facts?”

“Like the fact that I’ve never really faced up to anything in my life that I didn’t want to. If something pissed me off or didn’t go my way, I just walked away.” Slade sighed and clasped his hands in the small of Joie’s back. “Like the fact that without you I don’t have a home, I don’t have a place to be or anyone to be with. If you hadn’t forgiven me I don’t know what I would have done.”

“Oh, I didn’t say I’d forgiven you.” Her softly spoken words sent an arrow of ice straight to his heart.

“What?” Slade moved on the bed until they were lying side by side and he could see her face. “You took me back!”

He heard the edge of panic in his voice and fought it down. Joie met his eyes briefly then focused on his chest.

“Yes, I’ve taken you back, welcomed you back, even but that doesn’t mean you’re forgiven for leaving me in the first place.”

“You said you love me.” He was going to beg in a minute, he’d get down on his belly and grovel to stay here, stay with her.

“I do love you.” Joie finally looked up, meeting his eyes and he nearly screamed in relief. Humor shone from her green eyes as a slight smile flirted with the edges of her mouth. She was teasing him!

“What do I have to do to get you to forgive me, Joie?” Slade moved his hand from her waist up to cup her breast. The sharp intake of breath she gave almost brought a smile to his face. He palmed her breast, feeling the difference in weight as he plucked at her nipple through the t-shirt.

He moved his head to her jaw, kissing and licking her jaw and neck, inhaling her sweet scent again. His body reacted instantly, and the fact that he was totally naked meant she had to be aware of it.

“Well,” she sounded a little breathless as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth. “That’s a damn good start.”

“What was it you called me once? Your very own love slave?” Slade murmured the words softly into her ear then raised his head to meet her eyes. “Use me, baby. Tell me what you want me to do. Anything you want, tell me.”

“Marry me.” She was still breathless but her words were clear enough. Slade froze, his hand on her breast, his mouth inches from hers. He drew his head back to stare at her.

“What?”

“You said anything. That’s what I want.” Her jaw tightened and she squirmed out from under him, sitting up with her back against the headboard.

Slade sat up, swinging his legs around to sit facing her. “Marry you?”

“Is that so difficult to understand? I want our child to have your name, Malcolm. I want your name. I want us to be a family in the truest sense of the word. If you truly love me, truly want to be here with me, then marry me.”

“I didn’t…I never.” He swallowed hard, stared at his hands for a moment as he thought about the past week and what his life had been like without Joie in it. “How right that is,” he murmured. “What is my life without joy? Without you.”

Slade got off the bed to pace beside it for a moment. Whirling to face her, he knelt on the bed as he reached for her hands. “What do we have to do?”

“What?” His sudden acquiescence seemed to startle her.

“What do we have to do, in the human world? We’re already mated, baby. Nothing can change that. You want a piece of paper, you want it legal in the human world, tell me what we have to do.” Slade played with her fingers, entwining his hands with hers.

“Well, we have to have a license and a our birth certificates.”

“How long does it take?”

"About seventy-two hours, I think. Tante will know more."

"Do we have to have a blood test?"

"No, not any more. Oh! Malcolm, would your shifting show up in a blood test?"

"Yes. Since it's genetic, it'll show up as a blood anomaly, nothing serious or deadly, though."

“Oh.” She seemed subdued for a moment then glanced at him again. “So, does this mean you agree?”

“Hell yes.” Slade pulled her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her. “I don’t want to lose you. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy, to keep you in my life. I love you, Joie.”

“Good. That’s step one in the Joie’s plan to forgiveness.” She smiled against his neck and felt him tense before he leaned back far enough to see her face.

“What’s the second step?”

“Make love to me.”

“That definitely sounds like something I can do.”

Joie closed her eyes as Malcolm lowered his head to hers. He was back, he was safe and he was hers. Now and for as long as they lived.

Slade paced nervously across the porch. He kicked the swing, setting it into motion as another moan sounded from inside the house.
This isn’t right. I should be inside with Joie, with my mate.
In the Pack females never gave birth without their mates nearby.

They’d been married now for nearly seven months, she was his and he was definitely hers. Brought to heel by a human female that didn’t even reach his shoulder, but dear God, he loved her.

He still had his rough edges, still had to fight to keep his temper in check when the humans he worked with got on his nerves. Usually all it took was telling Joie what was bothering him. She could make him see things in ways he’d never thought of before. She took his anger away, redirected it.

Most of that redirected energy had been spent renovating the cabin. They lived there now, just the two of them, well, at least until the baby came. Slade had learned a lot about electrical work when he and Boudreaux had rewired the cabin. Mostly, he’d learned to leave the wiring alone.

Watching Joie grow big with his baby inside her had amazed him. He’d smiled many times just watching her walk across the room. He had to touch her if she came near him. When they slept, he curled his body around hers, protecting her and their baby. He refused to let her go out on the boat without him or to lift anything heavier than a pair of shoes.

When she’d told him about her previous miscarriage, his heart had nearly stopped. He’d been determined to do whatever he could to avoid that happening again in spite of the fact that both Kay and Joie had told him the possibility was negligible. His hovering had nearly driven her insane, he knew it, but he’d do anything to keep his family safe. It still freaked him out a little to be part of a family but he was getting used to it.