Emmitt's Treasure: Judgement of the Six Companion Series, book 2 (21 page)

She looked ready to say no when Jim walked out the door.  Paul and Henry weren’t more than two steps behind him.  They smiled and said hi to Michelle on their way past.  Michelle hesitated on the porch, watching Paul and Henry closely as they approached her brothers.

Jim was watching her reaction closely, too.  They all were.  The burst of fear in her scent was easy to place.

“Jim, can you send them up in a few minutes to eat?” I asked, loudly enough for the boys to hear.

He waved acknowledgement and started pushing Liam and Aden.  With a gentle tug, I drew Michelle inside.

She remained quiet as we made sandwiches.  When the boys came up to eat, she tried to convince them to stay inside and play games with us.  However, they were quick to dart back downstairs.  Jim followed.  I stayed to help clean up.

“My parents sent Gregory and Mary down,” I said as I wiped off the counter.

She stopped putting things in the refrigerator and turned to look at me.

“They can’t leave the Compound themselves and were curious about the girl who has captured their son’s attention.”

A look of disbelief crossed her face.

“Why couldn’t you tell me that before?”  She crossed her arms.

“I didn’t want you to worry about meeting them.”

“When Nana said people were coming, bringing their sons, I thought it was going to be like Blake’s all over again.”

Her eyes watered, and I wanted to kick myself for not thinking of that angle.

“No,” I said, stalking toward her.  “How many times do I have to tell you?  You are mine.”

When I had her backed against the counter, I leaned in close, scenting her.  I couldn’t help myself from running my lips along her jawline.  She had to know how much I wanted her mouth.  Just one little move.  One turn of her head, any sign to indicate yes, and I’d have what I wanted.

Instead of a yes, she pulled me back by my hair.  The pain wasn’t bad, and I considered ignoring it to keep teasing her skin.

“Emmitt, stop.  I can’t think like this.”

I gave her a few inches of space.  She studied my face.  Given how my vision had changed and the way my teeth ached, I knew I was I holding a partial shift.  It didn’t seem to upset her, though.  Her gaze drifted from my mouth to my chest.  A look of longing in her eyes made me want to beg.

“Do it,” I whispered.  Touch me.  Claim me.  Make me yours.

“What?”  The word was barely a breath and hard to hear over her thundering heart.  She wanted more from me.  I knew she did.  But, she didn’t ask for it.  And without her permission, I couldn’t do a thing.

“Nothing.”  I brushed my fingertips along her collarbone.  “I’m going to check on the boys.”

The boys were fine.  I needed a minute to cool off.

*    *    *    *

Michelle remained reluctantly tolerant of our company’s presence throughout dinner.  Mary tried getting Michelle to talk about herself, her parents, where she came from, and her favorite music and foods.  Michelle was gifted at answering with non-answers.  Never lies.  Just words strung together in response to the question.

When it became too much and she looked at me for help, I stood and proposed we settle the sleeping arrangements for the night.  Upstairs, I turned on a movie and suggested she sit and try to relax.  While she did that, I went to Winifred’s place for an extra blanket.  Mary caught me on the stairs.

“She seems nice,” she said.

“No, she doesn’t.  She seems frightened and evasive.  And when you tell Mom that, ask her how she was when she ran away from home.”

Mary didn’t say anything as I kept moving past her.

When I had my blanket and pillow from Winifred’s, I told the kids they needed to come inside by eight, then went to watch the rest of the movie with Michelle.  She didn’t seem to notice me until the credits rolled.  And even then, it was only for a moment because the thunder of her brothers’ feet on the steps beckoned.  Once they were inside for the night, she gave them baths then settled them into bed.  Neither commented on my presence when I wished them good night.

I’d hoped Michelle would want to watch another movie or just talk after the kids went to sleep.  Instead, she closed herself in the bathroom and got ready for bed, too.

With a sigh, I went to the couch.  It would be a long night.

After listening to Michelle toss and turn, I wondered if she was thinking the same thing.  Just when I was ready to go in and check on her, everything quieted.

However, it didn’t take long for me to realize she was still restless in her sleep.  Her pulse would jump.  She would kick her covers or make soft, distressed noises.  I hated that we’d done that to her.

Around midnight, she woke with a gasp.  I stayed on the couch, listening.  After a moment I heard her get out of bed.  She closed every window in her room then went to her brothers’ room and did the same.  It wasn’t cool enough outside to warrant closing the windows.  That meant she was afraid.

When she stepped out into the hall, she froze.

“Bad dream,” she said quietly.

I sat up and motioned for her to join me.  She quietly crossed the room and sat beside me, leaning against my side.  I wrapped my arm around her and held her close as she trembled.

“Go to sleep,” I said softly.

She exhaled slowly and laid her head on my shoulder.  It was the best feeling on Earth.  Not just her physical contact, but her trust.  Something had frightened her, but she was willing to sleep if I held her.

The trembling eased, and I kissed the top of her head.  Within minutes, she slept.  I held her for a while before easing us onto the couch.  It wasn’t meant for sleeping, let alone sleeping two.  The narrow cushions meant some creative cuddling.  Not that I minded.  I just hoped Michelle wouldn’t either when she woke.  With Michelle as my blanket, I closed my eyes.

She shifted slightly in her sleep, waking me.  It was well past dawn, and I wanted to stretch and enjoy how great I felt.  It wasn’t the good night’s sleep that had me feeling content and relaxed.  Michelle still lay draped over me.  Her scent wrapped around my senses as tightly as her arm wrapped around my chest.

I could wake up like this every morning.  Just so long as she didn’t wake up before I could hide the evidence of just how much I liked holding her all night.

She chose that moment to lift her head and meet my gaze.  Morning light brightened her blue eyes and added contrast to her increasingly pink cheeks.  Her eyes widened a moment before she scrambled to get off me.

Her knee planted right between my legs.  Again.

I barely noticed her sprint to the bathroom as I lay still and tried to regain my breath.  If Jim had seen that, he would have died laughing.

After a few moments, I rolled off the couch and limped to my apartment.  A cool shower helped a little.  Time helped more.

When I walked into Winifred’s apartment, I barely had a hitch to my step.  Mary and Gregory didn’t seem to notice.  I ignored Winifred’s knowing smirk as I joined them at the table.

“Thank you for allowing us the use of your apartment, Emmitt,” Gregory said.  “I’ll be sure to let your father know the progress you’ve made.”

“Not me.  Jim.  I’ve only been home a few weeks.”

I reached to help myself to the remaining breakfast.

“And finished a whole apartment and repainted the outside of the house and built a play area for the cubs.  It’s a lot of improvement in a few weeks.  We look forward to the changes in the upcoming weeks.”

Already the weight of responsibility troubled me.  How would I ever be a good leader?

“Where are Paul and Henry?” I asked Mary, hoping to change the subject.

“Still sleeping.  They stayed up late with Jim, watching a movie about pie and America, I believe.”

I recalled watching the movie a few years ago and coughed on my eggs.  If Mary ever found out what Jim had let them watch, he’d be the one walking with a limp.

It wasn’t long before the boys came running downstairs.  Paul and Henry didn’t sleep long after that.  The little time they had left before leaving, they spent playing in the yard with Liam and Aden.

Everyone was on the porch when Michelle joined us, freshly showered.  She wouldn’t meet my eyes but did stand beside me.  Hopefully that meant she was embarrassed by my interest rather than angry with it.

After Mary and Gregory left, the boys talked us all into a game of baseball.  They never seemed to tire of the game and basked in Winifred’s praise every time they caught the ball or scored a run.  Jim’s return home gave us a chance to call a break for dinner.  Afterwards, the boys talked Jim into a movie at Nana’s place.

“You two need to get ready for bed first,” Michelle said.  A whole day of outside play had worn them out, and she knew they would fall asleep before the movie ended.

The boys agreed and raced off to pick a movie and do as their sister asked.

“I’ll go help them,” Winifred said, leaving me alone with Michelle.

Although we’d spent the day together, I hadn’t had any time with her.  I wanted to apologize and hopefully ease some of the nervous avoidance I’d noticed throughout the day.  Not physically.  She wasn’t afraid to be near me.  But she wouldn’t meet my gaze yet.

Taking her hand in mine, I led her to the open tailgate of the truck.  She squeaked when I lifted her up and sat her on the gate, but leaned toward me when I joined her.  Enjoying the closeness, I decided to keep my apology to myself for a few more minutes, and watched the sun set with her.

“I’m sorry about last night,” she said as the last of the light faded.

“Why?  It’s the best night sleep I had in a while.”

She rolled her eyes at me, making me grin.

“The longer I’m with you,” I said, “the more I want to be near you.  When you first came here, being apart at night didn’t bother me.  You were only two floors away, and I’d started working on the apartment so I knew we would be closer soon.  Then, sleeping in a bed that smelled like you helped, but it’s been getting difficult again.  If you asked, I’d sleep on your couch every night.”

She considered it for a moment before answering.

“I’m not sure how Liam and Aden would take that.  They’d probably worry that we aren’t safe again, no matter what explanation we gave them for your overnight stays.  I don’t want to scare them.”

“We could always share your bed,” I said.

She looked shocked by the idea.

“No hidden agenda.  Just sleeping.”  And I’d keep my word.  Anything to have her wrapped around me like last night.

A small sound distracted me from her response.  A laugh.

“Pussy,” a voice in the darkness said.  “She doesn’t need a boy in her bed.  She needs a man.”

A challenge?  I moved fast, lifting Michelle from the tailgate as I watched the woods.  The mutt still hadn’t shown himself.

“Get onto the porch,” I said, putting myself between her and my challenger.

I was just about to call for Winifred as a witness when two men moved in the trees.  Challenges were one-on-one.  I reached for Michelle and nudged her toward the porch.  She finally started moving.

Winifred, we have two visitors.  One might be here for a challenge.  Neither has stated their intent yet.

I’ll be down in a moment.

The two men stepped into the yard, already partially shifted.  Moonlight broke through the clouds, lighting the area enough that Michelle caught sight of them.  The scent of her fear worried me.

One of them smiled at her, and I growled.

Michelle moved slightly behind me, her heart thrumming fast.

“Where’s Blake?” she asked, her voice carrying.

Both of the werewolves stopped their advance.  They exuded confidence, not confusion.  That could only mean they knew Blake.  They knew Michelle.

“Give him a message for me,” she said.  “He won’t get what he wants.  I’ve seen it.”

Winifred, I need you now,
I sent her.

I’m here.

I heard her moving stealthily down the stairs.

“You know nothing, little girl,” one said from the darkness.  “You just played dress up and sat at Blake’s dinners like the puppet you are.  If not for the curse that causes you to be born to humans, we would have wiped out humanity long ago.”  As he spoke, he began to shift further.  “You are nothing more than a tool.”

Winifred stepped out onto the porch.  The men in the dark shadows didn’t react well to her appearance.  The hold they had on their shift slipped, and their muzzles started to form as their hands shrank to paws.

“Leave now,” Winifred said.  It wasn’t an order.  It was an Elder command.

However, neither wolf moved to do as she’d commanded.  Stunned, I watched as they moved forward again.

“Quiet, old woman,” the second werewolf growled.

Michelle cringed, and Winifred snarled as she burst into her fur.  Bits of her clothes flew in all directions.  I didn’t take my eyes from the men as she leaped over our heads and landed several yards in front of the porch.

Guard your Mate and watch for others,
Winifred warned as she crouched low and growled at the intruders.

She stared them down, but neither werewolf budged.  Without a doubt she was trying to command them still.  For several minutes, they remained locked in a silent standoff while I scanned the darkness for signs of any more mutts.  Although Winifred continued to growl occasionally, they did nothing.

“What’s going on?” Michelle whispered behind me.

“She’s trying to talk to them through her link.”

One of the wolves barked a laugh, a guttural taunting sound, and Winifred let out another furious snarl.  Her muscles bunched a second before she launched herself at them.  The half-changed werewolves burst into their own fur, meeting her onslaught.

The three collided with an audible thud.  Michelle gripped my shoulder.

“Help her, Emmitt,” she said.

“Michelle, she’s an Elder.  She has more strength than Jim and I do combined, more than enough to take care of those two and several more.  You need me more than she does.”

Thinking the fight might be a distraction, I kept my gaze on the woods.  Nothing moved in the darkness.

Michelle leaned into me, trembling, and I took a moment to assess the fight.  Winifred was easily evading their efforts to turn her for their advantage.  When she caught one by the throat, I went back to watching the trees.

Why would two Forlorn approach a house with an Elder and two adult males?  If Blake wanted Michelle back, surely he would know it would take more than two mutts to get past Winifred.

A high-pitched continuous yelp of pain filled the clearing.  I didn’t look.  The noise of the fight continued for a few moments then quieted.  When I glanced at Winifred, she was crouched, waiting for the two panting fighters to rush her again.  But they didn’t.  They turned and ran.

Winifred took off after them, almost catching them at the edge of the yard.  There she stopped and paced.

This doesn’t make sense,
she sent to me.

I agree.  If Blake wanted her back tonight, he would have sent a larger force.

Perhaps these two were a test, and more are waiting.  I think it best we leave now before they can return.

I turned toward Michelle, keeping my expression calm.

“Let’s go inside.  The kids heard some of the noise and are scared.”

And they were.  Jim had brought them down the steps midway through the fight and was with them in Winifred’s place.

Michelle whirled around and ran inside.  As soon as the boys saw her, they jumped off Jim’s lap and ran for Michelle.

“I’m here,” she said, dropping to her knees so she could hug them.

I stayed in the door, watching the three of them.  So much fear again.

Why now?
I sent Winifred. 
There wasn’t a sign of them for weeks.  Now, just after Mary and Gregory’s visit, they show up?  Do you think they were watching the Compound, waiting to follow them here?

Perhaps.

Jim stood and picked a bit of Winifred’s cardigan out of Michelle’s hair.  She seemed slightly surprised to see it.  He moved away to get Winifred’s robe, and I stood guard over the three still huddled on the floor.

“Are they gone?” Liam asked, his face still buried.

“Yeah, buddy.  Nana chased them away,” Michelle said.

Liam lifted his head to look over her shoulder at me.  I smiled at him and winked.  He didn’t seem convinced, though.  Aden didn’t lift his head until Winifred and Jim walked in.

“Chasing away those dogs gave me an idea,” Winifred said, looking at the boys with a calm smile.  “You haven’t yet met Jim and Emmitt’s parents.  They live with several other families in a house bigger than this one.  Paul and Henry live there, too, as do some much nicer dogs.  So, I think we should take a vacation and visit them.  In fact, we should make it an adventure and go tonight.  Should we let Jim come with us?”

They both nodded.

“Should we have Jim and Emmitt race to see who can pack first?”

This time Aden pulled away a little, slightly interested.

“To make this fair, we’ll have Emmitt pack for your sister and Liam.  Jim, you go pack for Aden and grab all personal effects.”

Aden cheered in approval and began telling Jim where his things were so he could win.

Winifred looked at me. 
Pack up everything you can.  We won’t return until we know who Blake is and how many he has with him.

I gave a slight nod and left the room, knowing Winifred would keep them safe.  Jim and I gathered what few personal belongings we all had and loaded them into the car and the back of the truck.  Closing the door on Michelle’s apartment filled me with concern.  She’d been so happy there.  Leaving it unprotected meant it might not be the same happy home we’d find when we came back.

Winifred was dressed and had most of her things packed up in bags when I returned.

“Jim and I will load this.  You go check on the kids.  Michelle hasn’t opened the bathroom door since I suggested they wash up.”

Aden looked up at me expectantly when I peeked inside the washroom.

“It was a tie,” I said.  “Ready to go?”

They all nodded.  The boys seemed better, but Michelle was pale and trembling.  Fear oozed from her.

Jim called out to the boys as he walked into the apartment.  Aden grinned.

“Why don’t you two go check on Jim?” I said.

As soon as they were gone, I held out my hand.  “You’re not alone this time,” I said.

She let out a shaky breath and wrapped her fingers in mine.  With the barest of tugs, I brought her into my arms and hugged her close.  She rested her head on my shoulder briefly then pulled back.  She was right.  We needed to keep moving.