Children of the Moon: Book Four Page 9

  They went back to the house to join the others for snacks before everyone started to disperse and go back to their own cabins for the night. India and Kandis were both keen to see their children again and Bree felt a pang of something close to jealousy as she listened to their chatter about their offspring.

  Where had that sprung from!

  She had never been gaga over all of the babies that were an inevitable part of pack life. She had a soft spot for her little niece, Seann and Imogen’s daughter, when she was born and the other babies were as cute as cute could be but it was only since mating with Nate that she had started to crave a child of her own. Every time she pushed the thought away, her wolf would nudge her to remember.

  She placed her hand on the flat of her stomach as she watched the red taillights disappear around the corner of the diner heading back toward the mountain. Nate was behind her and she leaned back on him as his arms came around her. She wanted privacy to make love with him more than she could bear, but they had a houseful of people still with them and this townhome wasn’t soundproofed like most shifters’ homes.

  Reading her mind, Nate leaned in and whispered in her ear.

  “Maybe we should go have a look at the cabin you have been working on.”

  She turned in his arms to face him, a wicked smile on her lips.

  “I think that’s a fantastic idea, Mr. Wade, we should take the truck and unload it while we are there. Maybe the sheepskin rug as well.” she smiled.

  “I like how you think Miss Donovan.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Nate

  He could barely concentrate on a word Garrett was saying and had to shake himself a few times to stop from wandering into his personal daydream. When the others had gone to bed, he and Bree had sneaked out of the house and gone up the mountain to what was soon to become Cassie and Leo’s cabin. They unloaded all the bags full of stuff she and the other women had bought to make the cabin more homely.

  He lit the fire in the grate and opened a bottle of wine and they spent most of the night on the rug in front of the fireplace making out. Sex was always off the chart with Bree but having to abstain for a few days beforehand made it all the sweeter. Despite the number of times they had sex he still craved her more each time.

  He jumped when Garrett snapped his fingers in front of his face and looked up to see that everyone was watching him. He rubbed a hand over his stubble and forced the thought of Bree, naked and splayed out on the soft cream rug from his mind and forced himself to face the men in front of him. What the hell was wrong with him, he was a grown man not a spotty teenager with his first hard-on in the back seat of his daddy’s truck.

  “Sorry, got a lot on my mind,” he said hoping they would let it drop and move on.

  Liam rolled his eyes and Rafe looked a little pained and Nate felt awful for him. He and Hope had split up not so long ago and knowing Nate was reliving the best times of his life with her sister would be a kick in the teeth.

  He managed to get through the rest of their meeting without fantasizing about Bree again and he knew he had a lot to do with the pack move to keep the momentum going from all of Kandis’s hard work.

  He was going to meet with two of the business owners today and put forward proposals from a couple of pack members who wanted to make an offer. One of them was from Kandis’ Mom, Faye and her friend who wanted to buy the diner. He was meeting with the current owner and he hoped against hope that his flighty waitress wasn't going to be there when he was. Bree would be pissed if she openly flirted with him as she usually did and he couldn’t make it more obvious that he wasn’t interested.

  Bree and the other women had taken the kids and gone to finish the work they started in the cabin. He hoped they hadn’t left behind their scents or Bree would be up for a mountain of teasing from her friends. Maybe the presence of the older kids, Anjelica and even little Kali would save her skin.

  Leo was all smiles when they went back into the kitchen, Hope had sent him to tell the others that Cassie was awake and asking for something to eat.

  Rafe went upstairs to check on her and came back down a few moments later to say she could have light food and plenty of fluids for the rest of the day and she could come downstairs tomorrow if she was up to it.

  “Leo, there is no reason why you can’t spend some time with her and give Hope a break, Cassie seems to be out of the woods now but will need to still take it a little easy over the next few days.” Rafe put his hand on the kid’s shoulder and squeezed. He had wormed his way into everyone’s good graces over the last few days.

  Nate went back to the office and gathered up all the paperwork he would need and put it in a folder. He dressed in khaki pants and a white open neck shirt for his meeting. It was still fairly casual up here in the mountains and the last thing he wanted to look like was a ‘Suit’.

  He breathed a sigh of relief that it was the older waitress on duty and she showed him into the small office at the back of the kitchen where Hank, the owner, was seated behind a desk piled high with paperwork and talking on the phone. He waved Nate into a seat and he waited until he finished his call.

  “Sorry about that, damn supplier let me down again.” he shook his head.

  Opening the folder in his hand, Nate got down to business and told Hank why he was there. The older man listened to him talk and Nate was surprised when he didn’t shut him down. Instead, he sat back in his chair and stroked his chin as he contemplated the offer Nate was making on behalf of his client.

  “I have considered retiring a few times and going down to Florida to be closer to the grandchildren, it’s what my wife wants, but I thought selling the diner would be a long process, it’s not exactly the metropolis up here.” He said at last. “It’s a generous offer, more than I would get on the open market, that’s for sure. Why would your client pay more than market value?” he looked at Nate shrewdly.

  “The same reason you want to go to Florida. Her daughter just bought a cabin here and they want to be closer to her and their granddaughter. She doesn’t want to risk losing out on the diner and she can afford to be generous. It’s a cash offer too so you are not at the mercy of any bank for financing.” he said smoothly, seeing the interest in the other man’s eyes.

  “I will need a little time to think about it and talk to my wife, but in the meantime, I won’t sell it to anyone else.”

  “That’s fair enough, Hank, you know where I am when you have made a decision.” Nate stood up and shook his hand, confident that Hank would take the offer and make the move to Florida that he talked about. His wife would persuade him to sell up if she wanted to be close to her grandchildren badly enough.

  Nate walked along the street to the herbalist store that Kandis told him was owned by the woman who was resistant to selling her cabin. He may as well go talk to her too while he was on a roll but he doubted very much if any of the clan members were in the market for an herbalist store. They may have to buy this one just to get the owner to move on. The store could possibly be converted and used for something else further down the line.

  The door chime was soft and musical and Nate was assaulted by an array of aromas as he stepped inside the shop. Rose oil, lavender and sage were three first scents he picked out of the hundreds vying for his attention and he forced himself to shallow breathe as he passed shelves and displays full of candles, crystals, incense burners and every herb and potion under the sun. Cinnamon, mint and chamomile were prevalent and he walked to the counter and waited for the owner to appear.

  His wolf senses picked up her scent behind a beaded curtain leading to the back shop and a voice called out that she would be with him in a moment. He smelled coffee and he smiled, even health nuts liked their morning coffee.

  The curtain parted and Nate was a little taken aback.

  The woman who appeared in front of him with a cup in her hand was even younger than the estimated thirty years old that Kandis thought she was, although she had never met her. Even more
surprising to him was that he expected some sixties throwback hippie and not the beautiful young woman in front of him with the huge smile and the unusual violet eyes. Her pale blonde hair shone like silk and the amethyst necklace she wore matched her eyes.

  She was stunning, although Nate wasn’t interested in any other woman since he met Bree, he could still appreciate beauty. Finding his voice, he smiled.

  “I’m looking for Summer Blackwood, I believe she is the owner of the store.”

  “I’m Summer and your assumption is correct, this is my business.” she smiled again.

  Giving himself a mental shake he told her the reason for his visit and she had the good grace to listen without interrupting him until he had finished and then she studied him for a moment, summing him up before she walked to the door and locked it and asked him to follow her as she went behind the beaded curtain.

  Nate was encouraged and followed her through a storeroom and into a tiny kitchen with two chairs and a small table between them. She poured him coffee without asking and put it on the table with a bowl of sugar lumps and a jug of creamer. He added some sugar and took a sip and waited for Summer to explain why she had brought him in here.

  “I don’t want to sell my business, or my cabin. Your offer is extremely generous, but for the first time in my life I feel like I belong here and I have no desire to move on again. I spent my life flitting from place to place and I vowed when I settled here that this town would be my home for the rest of my life.”

  Nate’s heart sank, he had known this was going to be their toughest sell but something in Summer’s voice told him that she wouldn’t change her mind and that could prove difficult for the pack when her cabin was on the mountain. Maybe he could persuade her to live in town, nearer to her store, at least that way the mountain itself would be secure from outsiders and they would still be free to have their monthly run as a pack.

  “Would you consider moving into town, there are properties coming up for sale very soon, one of them is a few doors down from your shop and would be very convenient for you. Obviously, I would make it worth your while in the sale of the cabin and the purchase of a new place here.”

  He expected her to be annoyed, even angry, but she only looked vaguely amused as she sipped her drink and studied him.

  “I have no interest in moving anywhere, I grow a lot of the herbs that I use in my garden at the cabin and the extra money is not a motivator for me at all. I am very happy where I am, Nathaniel Wade and you needn't worry, I can keep a secret with the best of them.”

  His brows wrinkled in confusion, he hadn’t told her his full name but it was a small town and she already knew they were trying to buy her out, but what did she mean by keeping a secret?

  His heart hammered against his chest, she couldn’t know, could she? Had Leo been less than honest with them, did he know Summer. His mind was racing with all the possibilities and potential problems this could mean. For a human to know what they were was extremely dangerous for them… and for her. Seann would not like this at all.

  “What do you mean?” He managed to look and sound calm on the surface but his stomach was churning with anxiety inside.

  “I know what you are, what all of you are. I have known since you started buying up all the property in the area and it was only a matter of time before you came after mine too.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about, Summer.”

  “Oh, I think you do. But as I said, we all have our secrets, wolf. You keep mine and I will keep yours.” she smiled and Nate cursed under his breath.

  “Take my hand and take a deep breath, wolf, what do you smell?”

  He put his nose close to the back of her hand and inhaled deeply, her scent was masked by something he was struggling to recognize but he inhaled again and as his brain discarded the layers of different scents masking hers, one suddenly jumped out and he took another deep breath to make absolutely sure.

  She pulled her hand away and he stared at her, his face breaking into a grin.

  “You’re a witch!”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Bree

  Bree was grateful nobody mentioned her and Nate being here at the cabin so she guessed they had masked their scents well enough last night to go unnoticed.

  Hope and Rylee had cleaned the place from top to bottom and with the addition of the new bedding, some pots and pans, dishes, a few pictures and scatter cushions, the place looked inviting and homely. It would do for now until Kandis could get her Dad to add the rooms upstairs and Leo and Cassie would have somewhere to call home for the first time in what would have seemed an age to them.

  Bree stopped at the store this morning on her way up and filled the backseat of the truck with several bags of groceries before driving up to the cabin. She finished packing the last of the packets and cans in the pantry while India filled the freezer with the chicken, fish and beef she had bought.

  Kandis unpacked the new coffee maker and a set of mugs and made a pot for them while they finished up organizing the cabin. It looked like a different place with just a spring clean and a few additions and the open windows aired the place out nicely.

  Rylee finished making up the trundle with the same green check bedding and white sheets that were on the bed and it slid right underneath out of the way. It was better than Leo sleeping on the sofa but still not ideal. Kandis made a note to talk to her Dad later today about getting the work started to extend this cabin as soon as possible. Maybe it would have been easier to buy one of the two-bedroom cabins already vacated but these two kids had moved so many times that Kandis was sure they would rather stay in this one.

  Kali was coloring at the kitchen table and baby Addison was fast asleep in her mother's arms. Bree was holding Ethan and his sweet, clean baby smell was addictive as she buried her face into his hair to get her fill of him. He got fed up with all the adoration and held out his hands for his mother and snuggled into her arms as his eyes closed against his will and he joined Addison in the land of nod. Bree felt the familiar pang she had been feeling for weeks now and knew her wolf was urging her to procreate. She had never given motherhood any serious consideration before.

  Bree sat on the floor in front of the unlit fire to drink her coffee. She was delighted with the way the place had turned out and she would pick up some fresh foods to fill the refrigerator as soon as they knew when Cassie would be well enough to move back to the cabin.

  Nate had sent her a text asking them all to come back to the house for lunch in an hour, that he had news about the herbalist shop and she read it out to the others.

  “Well we are pretty much done here anyway, I need to briefly look in on Jane at her cabin for an update but I can meet you all back at the house. I guess that’s one less call I need to make if Nate has met with the owner. She seemed adamant she wasn’t going to sell over the phone, but I hope she changed her mind.” Kandis said, “Do we need to bring in something for lunch?”

  “No, Nate is taking care of it,” Bree said. “The guys are all there already getting it organized for everyone.”

  “Can you take Addison back to the house for me, I will put her car seat in the truck,” Kandis asked and Bree nodded happily. It was good practice for her, taking care of the babies.

  She strapped the car seat in firmly with Ethan on the other side and Kali between them. India was riding up front with her, Kandis didn’t need her now that the visit to the second cabin was off. Rylee was going to go with Kandis to see Jane instead. It made sense to get in on the ground and start getting her feet wet if she was going to be drawing up contracts on these properties.

  Bree parked the truck around back and Nathaniel came out to greet her. He lifted Addison from her car seat and carried the baby into the kitchen where her father was setting the table for lunch.

  She was a little grisly being woken but a smile lit her tiny face when Liam came into focus. Bree smiled, these babies already knew how to wrap their father’s around their little fingers
.

  She felt a pang of disappointment hit her from nowhere, she had never been a daddy’s girl, not ever. He was never cruel but he was distant and could be cold toward his wife and children. Hope was her father’s favorite and even Hope thought that was because she was the child who gave him the least resistance.

  When they found out fairly recently that he was actually Garrett Adair’s biological father and that Garrett’s mother was his lost love, it all made sense. He had always had a soft spot for Garrett and had encouraged him to stay with the Donovan pack, working his way to becoming Seann’s beta.

  Bree already loved Garrett as a brother and the news had come as much of a shock to him as it had to the rest of them. He had always been ostracized by the man he grew up thinking was his father and now that they knew, it all made perfect sense. Her father had pined for Garrett’s mother after they had both been forced to mate with other people. Bree was really happy that Seann would never force his will on them as some alphas did to create beneficial alliances, it was completely their choice.

  Garrett was cooking up something on the stove and the smell was mouthwatering. There was a huge pile of soft and crispy tacos on the table and dishes of chicken and beef warming in the oven. He turned the pan full of onions and peppers down low to keep hot and Nate took salsa, sour cream and grated cheese from the fridge and put it on the table.

  “As soon as Kandis and Rylee get back we can eat.”

  Bree could hear footsteps on the stairs and a moment later Leo and Cassie came into the room. She was holding his arm for a little support, but already Bree could see that her color was much better. She smiled as she took a seat at the table beside Hope. Hope in turn was doing her best to avoid sitting beside Rafe and Bree wished for a time when they would both move on and things wouldn’t be so awkward between them.

  Cassie took the soda that Leo brought her and popped the top. She was dressed simply in jean leggings and a pale pink t-shirt and her long brown hair was clean and shining and held back by a simple band. Already her wolf DNA was working overtime but it would be weeks before she was fit enough to attempt a shift. India, Imogen and even little Sophia recovered quicker as they were healthy and in better shape at the onset of the change.